Ad AnalysisJad Melki & Herbert McConnell, University of Maryland Bush/Cheney "Global Test"
IntroductionThe centerpiece of this ad is a statement Senator John Kerry made September 30, 2004 , during the first presidential debate. Kerry was replying to Jim Lehrer's question about his position on “the whole concept of preemptive war” (Gables, 2004). Kerry said he will never give up the right to preempt when it comes to protecting the U.S. "But if and when you do it, Jim, you have to do it in a way that passes the test, that passes the global test where your countrymen, your people understand fully why you're doing what you're doing and you can prove to the world that you did it for legitimate reasons" (Gables, 2004). The ad de-contextualizes the term “global test” and uses it against Kerry. Instead of the original context of “preemptive war,” the term is inserted into a framework of “protecting America ” from terrorists. The overall message is Kerry's “doctrine” will give foreign countries the authority to decide if and when the U.S. can go to war to protect America from terrorists. In contrast, President George Bush's doctrine, the ad suggests, will keep the decision to protect America in the hands of the White House without undergoing any “global test.” Scripted in a problem/solution format, the ad is divided into two sections. The first, which I call the Kerry doctrine, talks about Kerry's strategy in protecting America from terrorists. The second part, the Bush doctrine, contrasts the first by talking about Bush's strategy on the same issue. The Kerry Doctrine This section covers one third of the 30 second ad. It establishes the context “protecting America from terrorists” and gives a disapproving presentation about how Kerry will deal with this issue, labeling it “the Kerry doctrine”: He said he'd attack terrorists who threaten America . . . . But at the debate, John Kerry said America must pass a "global test" before we protect ourselves. The Kerry doctrine: A global test. Speaking over suspense music and some mild-horror sound effects, the male narrator's serious yet sarcastic tone explains what a global test means by asking two rhetorical questions: "So we must seek permission from foreign governments before protecting America? So America will be forced to wait while threats gather?" The aura projected by the images is consistent with the serious and threatening voiceover and music. The ad uses a silver-gray rectangular border around a talking-head Kerry who is presented in slow motion for dramatic effect. To make things even gloomier, the background behind Kerry seems to have been blackened. Usually politicians in rallies have people in the background applauding and giving an impression of their being a popular candidate. Since the rules of the debates forbade the candidates from using any video footage from the events, the ad producers seem to have altered the background to make the images fit the context of the debate. Choosing the color black, however, fits the intended mood of the ad. Furthermore, Kerry's gray hair, black suit, and white shirt along with the overall faded colors of the video almost make it a black and white picture, adding to the depressing mood. This section also highlights the main labels used. The first caption is John Kerry's name displayed at the top. As the narrator tells us what Kerry said at the debate, “A Global Test?” appears at the bottom of the screen. The captions then follow the narrator verbatim displaying the message: “The Kerry Doctrine: A Global Test” at the top of the screen. That's when the narrator starts asking the two rhetorical questions and consecutively those questions appear at the bottom of the screen: “permission from foreign governments before protecting America ?”; “forced to wait while threats gather?” The point is clear: Kerry's terrifying doctrine will make us wait for foreign permission and give the terrorists time to build up force before making any move against them to protect America . The use of terrorism as a fear tactic is not unique here. In fact, the threat of terrorism is the single most dominant element in most of the Bush and Kerry ads. The Bush Doctrine At the end of the first section, the ad takes on a new mood and feel. A white-flash transition (dissolve to white) separates the first and second sections. This special-effect technique is usually used by editors to cut between two identical or drastically different pictures. The video is now lively with vibrant colors and upbeat music. Two video shots of President Bush are taken, supposedly at the White House Oval Office. The first shot shows a formally dressed Bush standing, talking on the phone, while looking at a paper in his right hand. The big window in the background brings in plenty of warm light, making a deep contrast with the black background used for Kerry. The second shot is a continuation of the first, with Bush still on the phone now sitting at a desk. Instead of the gray rectangular border used for Kerry, we see two light blue bars at the top and bottom of the screen, adding significantly to the vibrancy of the shots. Overall, the video and music in this section shows Bush in an upbeat, warm, stately and active manner. Dropping the sarcasm, keeping the seriousness and adding a touch of confidence and approval to the tone, the narrator's voice reveals Bush's doctrine: “President Bush believes decisions about protecting America should be made in the Oval Office, not foreign capitals.” The ad ends with the standard, “I'm George W. Bush and I approve this message,” voiced over a casually dressed Bush surrounded by people and talking to a regular guy on the street. The Media Doctrine Even before the ad aired, the “Global Test” comment from Kerry received substantial media coverage, especially after Bush lavishly reiterated it in his post-debate speeches, with Kerry trying to fend the attacks in his own speeches (Gordon and Frank, 2004). Almost 24 hours later, the ad was released, followed by at least two ads from the Kerry campaign defending/clarifying his statement and accusing Bush of lying (Douglas and Kuhnhenn, 2004). Most of the reporting was in the general campaign coverage context of Bush said, Kerry said. A typical article would go: As John Kerry worked to transform a solid first debate into a surge against President Bush by highlighting his domestic plans, he faced withering new attacks from the president , who said a “Kerry doctrine” on war would give foreign countries a sign-off on U.S security” (Davis and Greene, 2004) Then the article would discuss Kerry's reply, Bush's “Global Test” ad and then Kerry's plans to reply with an ad saying, “George Bush lost the debate. Now he's lying about it” (Chen, 2004). Following the “objectivity” doctrine, the media was satisfied with the “he said, he said” standard of hard news reporting and rarely offered further in-depth analysis. Works Cited
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