Making the Almighty Message
September 5th, 2008 by Brian DonahueThe conventions are over and now its time to get down to business. Campaign messaging and delivery becomes extremely important as we enter into the next phase of the election cycle.
A campaign’s message is the most powerful reasoning behind a candidacy.
Messages can have a profound impact on an electorate. A campaign’s message will engage the electorate and should provide clear insight into the nature and purpose of a candidacy.
Today, many pundits in the media overuse the term “campaign message.†Resulting in differing views and definitions of what a campaign message is and what it does.
A campaign message is more than one particular phrase, slogan or line used on campaign signs and materials. It is more like a corporate brand, where the message becomes the culture of a campaign, transcending all communications.
Ultimately, understanding the electorate and the environment, within the context of its party’s principles, dictates a campaign’s messages. Poor messaging tends to reflect a general misunderstanding of the electorate’s mood, resulting from poor party leadership and general arrogance. Poor message delivery results from strategic miscalculations and can be attributed poor campaign leadership.
The message and theme driven by winning campaigns are memorable for years and generations, as a strong message properly reflects the people and the times.Â
Strong messages are comprised of two parts. The first, outlines the electorate’s desire for change or more of the same and is reflected in an appropriate overall thematic message, while the second part, or sub-message, illustrates the candidate’s issue centric priority:
Here is a list of campaign messages from the past seven presidential elections.
1980 – Ronald Reagan - Change – Restoring faith in the American dream / Standing against Communism
1984 – Ronald Reagan - Keep more of the same – Better off than we were four years ago / Tough on crime
1988 – George HW Bush - Continuing the Reagan legacy / No new taxes
1992 – Bill Clinton - Change / It’s the economy – healthcare and medicare
1996 – Bill Clinton - Keep more of the same / Bridge to the 21st century with economic prosperity
2000 – George W. Bush - Change – Restoring integrity to the presidency / Compassionate conservatism
 2004 – George W. Bush - Keep more of the same / The right leader to keep America safe
This year it’s clear, ‘change’ is the central theme. The question becomes, who will strike the right change that voters desire and who is more believable in their sell.
The second task is which campaign will effectively tap into the sub-message, which focuses around a particular issue or issues. Is it the economy? Is it jobs? Is it energy? Is it the threat of Russia and Iran? And who has the better plan for fixing these problems?– these questions are still shaking out.
**Historical Look
One of the more interesting presidential elections was the 1964 election of Barry Goldwater who challenged sitting president Lyndon Johnson, which centered around the theme of the role of government.Â
Goldwater presented his message with the phrase, “Leaders of the present administration conceive of government as master, not servant. While Johnson proclaimed, “Government is not the enemy of the people. Government is the people themselves.â€
From these messages, the American public was able to draw a clear contrast between the two candidates and decide which one fit their mood.
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