-
Essay / The Use of Metaphors in the Barack Obama Campaign AD
This Obama campaign ad, "The Choice," is a political ad funded by "Obama for America" and authorized by President Barack Obama for the 2012 presidential campaign. This one-minute video addressed American voters about President Obama and United States Governor Mitt Romney's plans for the betterment of our country. This political ad supported a few metaphors; Metaphors can be explained by George Lakoff and Mark Leonard Johnson in the book "Metaphors We Live By", the authors explain that metaphors "are a fundamental mechanism of the mind, which allows us to use what we know about ourselves. physical and social experience. to help understand countless other topics. Because such metaphors structure our most fundamental understanding of our experience, they are “metaphors by which we live,” metaphors that can shape our perceptions and actions without our noticing them. “Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Obama's philosophy has been recognized throughout the accomplishments made during his first term. However, the tone of this ad seems to want to move away from all the political attacks launched by the other candidates and give the public a simple, but important choice. Obama's music and softer tone create a comforting connection for the audience. It is very effective in approaching voters. “Over the next four months, you will have a choice to make. (Slight pause) Not just between two political parties or even between two people. (Again slight pause) It's a choice between two very different plans for our country, President Obama says as the president looks at the camera and sits in a chair in what appears to be a room in the White House. This is a metaphor that states that your choice matters and is necessary to decide plans for the future of our country. The president's job is to keep America safe. He can make decisions without your consent or that of Congress; more importantly, he acts as commander-in-chief. The two very different plans President Obama discusses in this ad are the income tax proposals of Governor Romney and President Obama. President Obama says "Governor Romney's plan would cut taxes on people at the top, reduce regulations on the big banks. , and he says that if we do this, our economy will grow and everyone will benefit. As the camera zoomed in on the president, President Obama said, “But you know what? We tried this top-down approach. This is what caused the mess in the first place. When President Obama talks about a "top-down approach," he means that Romney's plan will involve cutting taxes on high-income households, known as the wealthy. This metaphor means that the economic problems currently occurring in our country are due to past policies that started the problem by previous presidents decades ago, and Mitt Romney is trying to recreate the same plans. President Obama's choice of the word "we" establishes a connection between him and his audience. “I believe the only way to create an economy built to last is to strengthen the middle class. Ask the rich to pay a little more so we can repay our debt in a balanced way. So we can afford to invest in education, manufacturing, and American-produced energy,.