Cardin:  My differences with George Bush and Michael Steele are real.

I'll continue to fight President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. Michael Steele won't.

I support expanding stem cell research to save lives. Michael Steele and George Bush won't.

On issue after issue, Michael Steele stands with George Bush. I stand with you.

I'm Ben Cardin and I approve this message.

Ad Context 

"I Will" is one of a series of positive ads that professes to reveal the "real" Congressman Ben Cardin to Maryland voters. The advertisement addresses Congressman Cardin's desire to get "results for Maryland families" while distinguishing "the real differences between himself and Lt. Gov. Michael Steele." "I Will" was released on the same day as a radio ad featuring an endorsement by Prince George 's County State 's Attorney Glenn Ivey ("Cardin Launches," 2006).

In late September, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released an attack ad, “Dogs,” which drew strong parallels between President George W. Bush and Lieutenant. Governor Michael Steele (“Dogs,” 2006). These ads have been released after a series of negative ads by Lt. Governor Michael Steele in which the Republican candidate positions himself as different from the “ Washington crowd.” In response to one attack ad launched by Lt. Governor Michael Steele, a Ben Cardin for Senate representative asked if "We're supposed to believe Michael Steele will be a different kind of Senator? This sounds like the same old Washington hypocrisy" ("Steele's New Attack Ad," 2006). One week after the release of "I Will," Ben Cardin for Senate released "Straight," an advertisement that furthers the comparison between Lt. Governor Steele and President Bush. On October 18, yet another ad linking the President and the Lieutenant Governor was released by the Cardin campaign. "Grateful," according to the campaign, positions Lt. Governor Steele as a "deceptive and disingenuous" candidate. Spokesperson Oren Shur noted:

"On television, Michael Steele portrays himself as independent, but in reality, he's a loyal supporter of President Bush and his agenda.  Michael Steele doesn't want Marylanders to know about his longstanding alliance with George W. Bush. Two years ago, Steele traveled the nation to help re-elect Bush. Now President Bush and the national Republicans are returning the favor because they know Steele will be a reliable vote for their agenda in the U.S. Senate. There's only one candidate in this race who has a record of standing up to President Bush and getting results for Maryland families. That's Ben Cardin." ("New Ad to Set Record Straight," 2006)

Ad Assumptions 

"I Will" situates Congressman Cardin in a documentary-style advertisement featuring a grassroots Ben Cardin for Senate event. The ad's location and production style suggest that viewers are seeing Congressman Ben Cardin in what would otherwise be an off-camera moment. "I Will" assumes that viewers who see Congressman Ben Cardin in this "non-mediated" setting will view him as more authentic. By taking viewers into a private, seemingly non-political space, "I Will" contends that the real Congressman Cardin is accessible to the Maryland voters with which he (metaphorically and literally) stands. 

Two additional assumptions are integral to Congressman Ben Cardin's “I Will” message. First, the advertisement assumes that Lt. Governor Michael Steele and President George W. Bush share a political agenda. “I Will,” like other Ben Cardin for Senate advertisements such as “Grateful” and “Straight,” suggests that Lt. Governor and President Bush share a political partnership. This coupling indicates that the policies, decisions, and actions of the President are fully supported by Lt. Governor Steele. Secondly, “I Will” assumes that the shared Bush and Steele agenda will not positively benefit Maryland . Instead, the advertisement puts forth the notion that President Bush and, subsequently, Lt. Governor Steele, govern at the detriment of Maryland citizens. “I Will” warns voters of the implied danger of electing Lt. Governor Steele to the U.S. Senate, by suggesting cronyism with the President.

The setting, "plot," and camerawork utilized in "I Will" further insinuate that the viewer has access to the authentic Congressman Cardin—a representative who can talk to and stand with the people of Maryland not only as a politician but also as a man. "I Will" implies a "backstage" peek at the real Congressman Cardin. From this vantage point, viewers hear that Congressman Cardin stands with Marylanders on issues which are most important to them, unlike Lt. Governor Steele, who stands with President George W. Bush.

Congressman Ben Cardin in “Reel” Time: Setting the (Back)stage 

"I Will" is a documentary-style advertisement that offers viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a Ben Cardin for Senate meeting. "Documentary film . . . splices together visual images that partake in the narration of the filmmaker," which can lead to "the appearance of realism" (Parry-Giles & Parry-Giles, 2005, p. 40). The advertisement opens with Congressman Cardin exiting his car and knocking on the door of a residential home. A woman holding a young child on her shoulder opens the door and enthusiastically greets Congressman Cardin. Simultaneously, the words, "Cardin for Senate Event: Silver Spring , MD " appear across the screen. The words are in a typewriter-style font that is reminiscent of a film documentary. This documentary format and situating the advertisement in a residential home suggest that viewers have access to a "back region" as described by Erving Goffman. Access to this back region implies that the viewer is also privy to back region behavior, which might "seem more 'real' or honest than front region behavior" (Meyrowitz, 1995, p. 122). Further developing this back region scenario, "I Will" next shows Congressman Cardin following the female host through a kitchen as we hear her say "I think we'll have you. . ." The rest of the woman's statement is lost to applause with an abrupt splice to the next scene, where we see Congressman Cardin greeting someone off screen in a room full of supporters. The seemingly spontaneous and informal nature of the meeting and the fragmented cut from scene to scene accentuates the unpolished feeling of "I Will." As such, "I Will" appears to provide a different kind of access to the political candidate that the viewer might not have in the conventional "political profile," which "literally shows viewers the heroic figures" that "embody the virtues they want in a leader" (Nelson & Boynton, 1997, p. 4). The opening frames of "I Will" position Congressman Ben Cardin as friendly and unassuming, willing to gather with constituents in their homes rather than govern from a distance.

Unconventional camerawork accompanies the advertisement, further distinguishing "I Will" from political ads that more obviously subscribe to polished, political performance. Shots rise, twist, and focus in on subjects at a sharp angle. This camerawork is an example of cinema verite. P.J. O'Connell (1992) explains that cinema verite is "a distinctive approach to documentary filmmaking" that historically "sought to record human events more directly and with less intrusion into those events by the production process" (p. xi). The use of unexpected angles and unstable, nontraditional filming accentuates the feeling that the viewer is present and experiencing an authentic, non-mediated experience.

Congressman Ben Cardin: A Real Man of the People 

Having established an "aura of realism" (Parry-Giles, 2000, p. 210), "I Will" next shows Congressman Cardin addressing a room full of supporters. Speaking to the audience, which is diverse in terms of age, race, and gender, Congressman Cardin asserts that " On issue after issue, Michael Steele stands with George Bush. I stand with you." The individuals listening to the Congressman represent a variety of Marylanders. Representative Cardin stands in the middle of the group, surrounded by these constituents. As Representative Cardin stands among the people whom he wishes to serve, the candidate disassociates himself first with the President, and then his campaign opponent. Representative Cardin proclaims, "My differences with George Bush and Michael Steele are real." In the backspace of the Ben Cardin for Senate event, viewers are encouraged to connect with the "authentic" Congressman Cardin who differs in the beliefs, attitudes, and actions of President Bush and Lt. Governor Steele.

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