Ad Analysis

The major premise of this ad is the notion that Bush wastefully spent $200 billion dollars on Iraq , consequentially causing employment rates to plummet and health care costs to increase. The underlying argument is that Kerry's plan will strengthen a weakened America by stopping jobs from going overseas, lowering health care costs, and reducing the deficit, in turn protecting Medicare and social security. It is also assumed that Kerry's plan will make America more respected throughout the world.

“Wrong Choices”: A Chronological Assessment

Scene One 

The ad begins with a shot of Bush walking with hands in pockets across a lawn. His name, “George Bush,” appears in white text on the lower-left side of the screen. The angle of the camera gives the audience a feel of being interlopers secretly watching an unaware President in a private moment. As George Bush walks, he quickly glances behind himself and then catches sight of the camera (the audience), points and waves, and continues walking, readjusting his gaze to whatever is directly in front of him. He is dressed in a suit and winter coat, looking elitist. Here, the implicit argument is that Bush is not the common man that he claims to be. Instead, he is the very politician he so often derides. The camera's filter dulls the natural colors of the scene, giving the appearance of a cold, fall day. The background is composed of shades of black and white, with the green of the foliage nearly gray. Such a backdrop suggests that his presidency connotes an equally gray time in American history.

The music, introduced by the dissonance of a high-pitched violin chord, supports the narrator's tone in this scene. A low and raspy male voice coalesces with the music to arouse the feeling of horror in the audience. The narrator begins,

“George Bush, $200 billion dollars for Iraq . In America , lost jobs and rising health care costs.”

With each charge made, white text appears on a black background beneath Bush, visual reinforcing the credibility of the narrator's claims. “$200 BILLION DOLLARS FOR IRAQ ,” appears, followed by “LOST JOBS,” and “RISING HEALTHCARE COSTS.” As each charge is leveled visually and verbally, the sound of a door slamming is heard. This noise, generally associated with anger or fear, implicitly suggests the gravity of the situation at hand. The narrator places strong emphasis on the words “ Iraq ”, “jobs” and “healthcare,” highlighting the core of the important issues at stake. Bush's name remains on the left side of the screen, encouraging the audience to make a subconscious link between the charges and the man. The audience hears and views the charges simultaneously, further reinforcing the persuasiveness of the message

Scene Two 

Scene one is replaced by scene two, a black and white close-up of Bush shouting in slow motion. A frozen crowd frames Bush, who appears angry and mean. The scene, still black and white, then fades to a disappointed African-American woman, followed by a middle-aged white man looking hurt and upset.

The narrator strategically delivers the charges to compliment the visual reference. The close-up frame of Bush coincides with “George's Bush's wrong choices” to reinforce his guilt. As the two American citizens are shown, the words “have weakened us here at home” are heard. The portrayal of the citizens' remorse is arguably due to Bush's “wrong choices.” A tenor brass horn begins a somber melody, reminiscent of “Amazing Grace,” introducing a remorseful tone.

Scene Three 

The third scene signals a positive change in the advertisement, as the previous black and white scene shifts to a color-rich shot of John Kerry framed by a large red “ America ” banner. Here, Kerry is seen talking to a crowd in his signature blue button down “every man” shirt, microphone in one hand, powerfully gesturing with the other.

To accentuate this image, the narrator pauses after deliberately stating, “The Kerry Plan.” As this message is heard, a visual reinforcement of white text appears, stating “Kerry, a plan for America .” The narrator's intonation is warm, successively dropping in pitch with each word. This new tone suggests a feeling of “it will all be okay,” and the image of Kerry quickly fades.

These images quickly change, while three of Kerry's platform initiatives are listed in order to address problems created under Bush. When the ad shifts from attacking Bush to praising Kerry, small white text appears at the top of the screen: The Kerry Plan: johnkerry.com. This is simply an informational message tucked into the ad for the astute eye to catch.

The first initiative mentioned by the narrator, to “Stop tax incentives for companies that ship jobs overseas,” is accompanied by a large white text, “STOP tax incentives for outsourcing.” An image of a factory behind a fence is shown from the perspective of a moving vehicle. Superimposed over the factory is a translucent “Closed” sign. It is arguable that the moving shot is used to both distract the viewer from noticing this subtlety of combined images, while enforcing the desolation one feels passing an abandoned building. A group of non-descript laborers in hard hats is seen next, two happily shaking hands. This shot insinuates a solidarity and brotherhood amongst these American workers.

The next initiative voiced by the narrator “lower health care premiums by up to a thousand dollars per family,” is accompanied by large white text, “LOWER health care premiums.” The image of a content man looking at a healthcare bill is shown, leaning back with paper in hand. This shot insinuates that the Kerry plan has saved him money and will save all Americans money. The shot is replaced by an image of Kerry with a young mother and her son, showing his empathy with everyday Americans. At this point in the ad, the music shifts to a bold and powerful melody, complex with new instruments. The music blends with the pace of friendly images, accentuating the positiveness of John Kerry and his initiatives.

The narrator continues, “Reduce the deficit to protect Medicare and Social Security.” As this is said, large white text, “PROTECT Medicare and Social Security,” appears. Kerry is shown speaking in slow motion, microphone in one hand, powerfully gesturing with the other. This image alongside the “PROTECT” text argues that Kerry is capable of protecting America 's best interests by portraying him as strong and forceful. The scene then shows two smiling elderly citizens sitting together on a park bench, presumably enjoying the benefits of their social security funds.

The ad ends with a romantic shot of Kerry against a blue-sky background, his hair blowing in the wind. The immediate impression is that behind Kerry is the ocean, though no water is seen. His blue shirt contrasts the sky in brightness, making him glow as he moves his hands elegantly in slow motion. White text appears with Kerry's campaign slogan, “Stronger at Home, Respected in the World.” The Kerry-Edwards logo appears on the screen, also glowing. John Kerry's voice is heard as the commercial comes to a close, “I'm John Kerry and I approve this message.”