Backlash of a negative campaign has Powell endorsing Obama

In a surprising turn events that could prove exceptionally damaging for the GOP’s presidential ticket, former U.S. secretary of state Colin Powell endorsed Senator Barack Obama for president. Although he relayed slight feelings of guilt for letting down his party and good friend John McCain to Tom Brokaw on this weekend’s edition of Meet The Press, Powell stressed that at this time in history, the country needs a ‘transformational figure’ much like Senator Obama; “He is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Senator Barack Obama.”



Amidst praise for the Democratic candidate however, Powell listed several perceived downfalls of the Republican party as well as in the McCain campaign. Among others, Powell’s recent reservations included Senator McCain’s vice presidential selection of Sarah Palin, which has in his view demonstrated a considerable shift to the right for the Republican party, as well as the exceedingly negative tone of the McCain/Palin campaign. As seen in the available video (above), the former secretary of state takes great issue with the McCain campaign’s insistence on associating Senator Obama to Bill Ayers saying doing so has ‘gone too far.’ Now, as Obama holds a steady ten point lead nationally just a few weeks before election day, it looks as though all the negativity of the McCain campaign has worn thin on many Americans (not excluding higher up political figures such as Powell). Is it safe to say that old man McCain has fallen on his own sword in this election? Only a few more weeks to before we find out.

Throughout this semester, we have talked at length about the overall effects of negatively run campaigns - mainly in the form of political advertisements. As many of us are aware, while a vast amount of the existing political communication research suggests negative ads and new coverage results in higher levels of of voter recall, they can have a number of detrimental effects to the democratic process. Concerns of growing feelings cynicism and political apathy as discussed by Hart, as well as noticeable decreases in political efficacy and consequently, voter turn out. Many have suggested that the “very existence of negative advertising has negative consequences in the form of lower voter turn out and an increase in voter alienation and cynicism” (Kaid 174). Further, research also indicates that viewing negative ads puts a dent on citizen’s feelings of efficacy (399). In regards to the potential backlash effects of political advertisements, a large body of research indicates that “candidates who sponsor negative ads my be subject to negative responses themselves-i.e., the negative ads my backfire on them, leading to more negative views of the sponsoring candidate” (Kaid 172). Given the latter revelation, one gains a sense that in recent weeks McCain has taken the proverbial hatchet (no, not a scalpel) to the Republican ticket.

The early media firestorm that resulted from Powell’s Saturday morning endorsement has brought mixed feelings and speculation. While some reports are claiming that Powell's endorsement severely undermines the McCain campaign’s inexperience argument, adding to Obama's image as a man who is in actuality, ready to run the country, others have naturally (and quite obnoxiously) thrown all 52 race cards into the air. Hart would suggest that the successive commentary throughout the media world (especially on television) serves as perfect examples as to why citizens feel "busy" and even "clever" when it comes to the political round-table. "Television," he claims "superintends these ceremonies of cynicism" (Hart 82). Here, on must ask themselves: What would have been the cynical topic of day had not Powell endorsed a man of the same minority race? Additional articles covering the big story can be found here and here. Note that both articles have suggestions of race nicely placed in the center of each piece.

What does the endorsement of Colin Powell do for Obama? How do you think it hurts McCain and company? Is race really a factor here - is it wrong to even suggest it? How much of a backlash effect do you think McCain has suffered in light of his negative campaign and advertisements? Feel free to sound off on any of these important topics and expand on how the negative tone on the campaign has effected your own political feelings.

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog. If you have something to say about the 2008 campaign, you've come to the right place. My Political Communication class is maintaining this blog, which will examine the process, players and performance of the candidates and the media in the 2008 presidential campaign.