Capitol Hill Blacks Pan Kerry's Ads (no oomph to them)

[papau]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-dems15jul15.story

Capitol Hill Blacks Pan Kerry's Ads (no oomph to them)

The $2-million drive is lackluster and won't grip African American voters, leaders say.
By Nick Anderson and Jia Lynn Yang Times Staff Writers July 15, 2004

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry unveiled a $2-million advertising drive Wednesday targeted at African American voters, but several black lawmakers who reviewed the radio and television commercials panned them as uninspired and disappointing.

The criticism from Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, and other African Americans on Capitol Hill was striking because it revived questions about whether the Massachusetts senator has done enough to reach out to black community leaders — and by extension, spark enthusiasm for his candidacy among black voters.

"The ads … were lackluster to say the least," Cummings said after the black caucus reviewed them in a meeting at the Capitol.

Saying his opinion represented the consensus among the 25 or so caucus members who saw and heard the commercials, he added: "We felt the ads just did not, would not grip African American people in a way that would cause them to be very excited about going to the polls for John Kerry."<snip>

(The ads say:

He hugs one African American man. "So this is John Kerry," a woman's voice says. "Is he really any different?" A man's voice asks: "Does he care about me?" An announcer replies: "Find out how John Kerry will fight to bring back the 1.8 million jobs that have been lost under George W. Bush."

Another woman asks: "Can he really make a difference for me and my family?" And a man asks: "What can he do for my community?" The announcer responds with praise for Kerry's education and healthcare initiatives. "John Kerry," the announcer says. "Get to know him."

-radio - "How many African American adults have no healthcare insurance?" and then answers, "One in five. And a million and a half African American children also have no healthcare coverage."

and a print ad- a black man standing behind a Kerry campaign T-shirt. It cites sobering statistics on unemployment, healthcare and education among blacks.)



http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50181-2004Jul14?language=printer

Kerry Invests $2 Million in Ads to Court Black Voters


By Howard Kurtz Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, July 15, 2004; Page A08


With a black advertising executive, a black former Cabinet member and a new ad in which John F. Kerry hugs a black man with an earring, the Massachusetts senator's presidential campaign stepped up its effort yesterday to reach African American voters.

Campaign officials called the $2 million ad buy aimed at black audiences and news outlets unprecedented this early in a White House campaign, and it follows what they called a record $1 million buy with a separate ad designed to appeal to Hispanics.<snip>

In the 30-second TV ad, black people ask about Kerry: "Does he care about me?" and "What can he do for my community?" As Kerry is seen mingling with black voters, a narrator touts his effort "to bring back the 1.8 million jobs that have been lost under George W. Bush . . . to expand access to health care to nearly all Americans" and create "the John Kerry education trust fund."

Radio and print versions say that one in five African Americans lacks health insurance and that 316,000 more black Americans are unemployed now than when Bush took office. Kerry, who drew criticism earlier this year for not having enough blacks in top positions, generally does not single out the plight of minorities on the campaign trail.<snip>

[Parche]

1. Kerry ads

I think they are a lot better than the Bush attack ads,
That is all Bush is has on the air, since he doesnt have
any issues or accomplishments to talk about.

[papau]

2. I agree :-)

:-)

[Moderator]

3. papau

Per DU copyright rules
please post only four
paragraphs from the
copyrighted news source.


Thank you.


DU Moderator

[sandnsea]

4. Kerry ads - usually a strategy

I've noticed his ads usually have a strategy to them when taken together. Maybe these are going to get African Americans to know that Kerry is asking the same questions they are, then the next set will answer those questions. His ads seem to me to build, one on top of the other.

[JI7]

5. yes

it's like when people ask why he doesn't do attack ads. well, if people don't know you and you start off with attack ads only, they will just view you as a negative person who only attacks. and anytime you criticize they would just blow it off as someone attacking for political reasons again.

you have to get people to know you first and let them learn about you. this way when he does later try to make an ad more geared toward getting out the vote with inspiration people would actually know something about him and what he wants to do making it more effective.

in a way his entire campaign is this way.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

6. Ouch (eom)

DTH

[Democat]

7. The new ad I saw was boring!

Why not get a powerful black Democrat, like Obama or Ford to do the ads? Get someone who can speak powerfully and who understands the unique challenges facing black Americans.

[sandnsea]

8. They might

Or they might use everyday African Americans to talk about his plans. These aren't likely to be the only ads they run. They're just a knock on the door, so to speak.

[Thrill]

9. Ok

back to the drawing board.