The Elements of Persuasion

MEDIA AWARENESS

One sure sign that the primaries are into their Awareness moments is that the quality of the media coverage itself becomes a major issue. The media is, after all, how we become aware of the facts we need to know to vote intelligently. When we begin to become aware of how we become aware, we are becoming really aware.

When a sketch on Saturday Night Live about a fictional debate becomes an issue in the real debate in Ohio that follows it, and then Hillary follows that by going on SNL herself and taking a bow, the issue of media coverage is red hot.

Right on cue Newsweek has come out with a long article answering the question “Is the Media Biased?” You can read it here but I’ll save you the time: Yes, the media is biased. No, there is nothing anyone can do about it, and it doesn’t really matter that much anyway because most reporters aren’t politically biased they are just vacuous airheads concerned with causing trouble, getting ratings and looking good, and isn’t that sort of cute and special?

The problem for the Dems is that there are two flavors of awareness moments, and it is unclear which is fast approaching. One – vastly preferable – is the “Trust the force, Luke” moment when the hero realizes what to do to prevail. (Maybe Obama is right and Dems have to think outside their usual party-line political box). But the other type of awareness is the Wylie Coyote moment when you realize you have just run off the cliff and there is no solid ground under you at all. (Maybe Hillary is right and Obama’s new ideas are nothing but hot air). Paul Krugman deals with this dilemma in his piece in the Times which IS worth a read.

Facts wrapped in emotions are the essence of stories, and no one on the political beat works that alchemy better than the Sultan of Shrill.

THE PHONE IS RINGING

Nothing grabs your awareness more than a ringing telephone. Unless of course it is a ringing telephone late at night when the noise might wake up your sleeping kids.

That’s the hook for a new ad the Clinton Campaign hopes will be a wake up call for the 8% of Texas and Ohia Dems who are still undecided. You can see it here.

This style of political ad, known as “Red Phone ads” after a 1984 ad run by Walter Mondale, are all about the moment awareness that allows the hero to prevail. You never know when that “Use the Force, Luke” moment will come for a Hero – or a President – but you know it will.

Predictably Obama’s camp initially cried foul calling Clinton’s “fear mongering”, but then pivoted smoothly and came out with an ad of its own (see it here) that asks “Wouldn’t you rather have the person taking that call be the one that keeps you out of war rather than the one that got you into one?” Very nicely done.

But it doesn’t really answer the core question. Who is better prepared to be Commander in Chief? Luckily JACK NICHOLSON, on this own dime apparently, has weighed in with one of the really great ads of the year. It is more than worth a watch. It is worth two or three. It is great political filmmaking by a great filmmaker. Click here.

The line I really love? When Jake Gittes says, “What can I tell you Kid, when you’re right, you’re right, and you’re right,” which neatly puts to bed the whole issue of the vote to authorize force then moves on, to stirring martial music, towards a “makes you want to salute” close. If Hillary had done that months ago we could have cut to the chase a lot sooner. Nicholson’s ad is brilliant political story telling. Now watch it again.