Progressive Millennials Prove to be a Solid Match for Hillary

 

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*Editor’s note: I wrote this piece before the election took place, so I apologize if the rhetoric is not indicative to the post-election outcome.*

The massive surge of millennial support created by Bernie Sanders should have proved to be a harbinger for both candidates; young voters are ready for a more progressive political agenda. Millennials have been very active in their support of governmental responsibility to provide insurance, per PewResearchCenter. Also, young voters have put emphasis on providing more financial support towards today’s youth, for greater social mobility and direct profit.

Why do these issues coalesce nicely with Hillary Clinton? On Clinton’s main website, she has, “… a comprehensive plan to put higher education within reach for all Americans, and take on the crisis of student debt.” Her promise to invest large amounts of federal funding to alleviate the burden of tuition falls in line perfectly with millennials demands for financial investment. https://www.facebook.com/hillaryclinton/videos/1084864358236759/ (*video for college affordability). In terms of insurance, Clinton’s continuation of the Affordable Health Care Act is the most blatant example of universal insurance coverage for all Americans. https://youtu.be/jXE1Ik3oSMc (Hillary Clinton Health Care video).

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Two of these major platforms, among other issues, has Clinton holding a 49 to 21 percent among voters under 30, per Harvard University Institute of Politics. While young voters advocate a more progressive platform, she has tended to struggle with undecided voters due to her “far left wing” approach on multiple social issues (gay marriage, abortion). In fact, undecided/independent voters have grown from a margin of 9 percent in 2012 to a more substantial number of 30 percent.

While not as progressive as Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton’s political platform caters to a young generation eager for governmental involvement and expansion. With more young, college educated women trending towards a democratic candidate, it would seem to place Hillary Clinton in a very nice spot with many millennials come Election Day.

Hillary Clinton Makes a Push to Obtain Black Millennial Voters

 

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Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton is fighting to procure strong voting numbers among millennial minorities. In what seems to be a reoccurring theme in my prior blog posts, Clinton’s lack of substance regarding policies pertinent to young voters had turned off Black Live Matters supporters, like DeRay Mckesson. However, Mckesson now actively supports Clinton after a recent meeting in Cleveland. He stated that, “There was no platform the first time. There’s a platform now.” Burgeoning black support for Hillary has come either energetically, or pragmatically due to the enmity held for Donald Trump.

 

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Graphic shows results of GenFoward poll on attitudes toward 2016 candidates; 2c x 5 inches; 96.3 mm x 127 mm;

Clinton’s platform for young African Americans involves elements of controlling police violence and how to curtail bias while on duty, as well as legislation for racial profiling and job creation. Clinton has also been more successful in creating social events that cater to a targeted demographic, with rap superstar Jay-Z set to perform a “get out and vote” awareness concert. Hillary also stopped by the popular radio show “The Breakfast Club” and gave a shout out to the Howard University during their Homecoming celebration. A recent GenForward poll has 49 percent of African Americans claiming they will vote in the election; of the 49 percent, 80 percent openly support Clinton, with Trump only managing a meager 4 percent. However, her ground with black millennial felt short of once candidate Bernie Sanders, who held a substantial margin of 46 to 28 percent.

 

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While Hillary has held solid ground among African Americans, she is also being aided by members of the hip-hop community. The “Anti-Trump” rhetoric created by numerous rappers has garnered improved support in the black community.  For example, the expletive ridden and controversial song entitled “F*** Donald Trump” has received over ten million hits on YouTube, as well as thousands of derogatory remarks about the real estate mogul in the comments section. https://youtu.be/WkZ5e94QnWk With the election less than a week away, Hillary’s fight to procure black millennials is not one against Trump, but rather against third parties that can pull valuable votes away from major party candidates. With young black independent voters like Erica Mines voicing her concern that Clinton, “… is not someone who can be trusted.”, it shows that the former Secretary of State still has some work to do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Third Presidential Debate: Use of Storytelling, Emotions, and Framing with The 2ndAmendment

On Wednesday October 20 in Las Vegas Nevada, the third presidential debate of 2016 took place. The past two time Hillary and Donald, heated arguments dominated the conversations. This time was no different.

Moderator, Chris Wallace, started the candidates on some controversial topics, such as The Supreme Court and The Constitution.

Clinton had the stage first, saying she wants a supreme court that will stand up for women’s rights and the LBGT community, and stand against Citizen’s United.

Next, Trump took an opportunity to pivot away from matters, such as women’s rights, that make him look unpresidential, to talk about the 2nd Amendment.

“We need a Supreme Court that in my opinion is going to uphold the second amendment and all amendments, but the second amendment which is under absolute siege.”

This began the conversation (which was surprisingly tame).

Clinton rebutted saying,

“I understand and respect the tradition of gun ownership that goes back to the founding of our country, but I also believe that there can be and must be reasonable regulation.”

Each candidate made their stance, but how did they do it?

Clinton talked about gun control through storytelling and appealed to the emotions of her audience. Similar to the My Mom political ad on gun violence. She began her statement by saying, “I lived in Arkansas for 18 wonderful years.” This is very typical of a fairytale which often begins with A long time ago in a land far far away.

She also appeals to emotions later after Wallace mentions the Heller Decision. She says, “Well, I was upset because unfortunately, dozens of toddlers injure themselves, even kill people with guns because unfortunately, not everyone who has loaded guns in their homes takes appropriate precautions.” Here Clinton identifies her anger that will resonate with others who felt upset about the court’s decision. She then allows for others to understand her emotion with the information on toddlers.

What do you think? How do you think that Trump’s argument stood up to Clinton’s?

Click here to see a full transcript of the debate.

Click here to watch the debate.

Political Campaign Advertisements: Framing of Hillary Clinton in regards to Gun Control

Although the 2016 presidential campaign differs from traditional campaigns, one thing remains constant, the effect political ads have on voter decisions.

Just like artists frame their pieces, campaigns aim to frame candidates. Rhetorical framing happens when an object, situation, or person has been described in a way that leads the audience to believe a certain way. In this campaign, Trump frames Clinton as untrustworthy, hypocritical, untransformative, and weak. While she tries to frame herself as nurturing, knowledgeable, relatable, and strong.

Nurturing, Protective Mother

Hillary Clinton informs her audience of her stance through the use of positive, story-telling ads. In one ad title My Mom, the daughter of a victim of the Sandy Hook Shooting describes the loss of her mother, the principle of the school. It starts with wedding pictures and the daughter telling the story of planning her wedding with her mother. Scenes of ambulance lights and a news article covering the shooting appear on screen. Next the daughter says,

“No one is fighting harder to reform our gun laws than Hillary Clinton”

The narration continues with the daughter stating that Clinton “reminds me of my mother”.

In this ad, Clinton uses testimonial to reach her target audience of younger, college educated women. Hillary frames herself as a loving caring motherly figure. This ad extols Hillary virtues through the use of narrative and story-telling.

Hypocrite Hillary

While Clinton frames herself as protective and nurturing in her gun control political ads, Trump attacks her practices during his speeches.

 

Because harsh backlash happened after Trump’s comment, “2nd Amendment people” should “take care” of Hillary, the NRA, The National Rifle Association, decided that they should intervene and distribute an attack ad instead of doing something more extreme (which could have been implied with Trump’s controversial quote).

In this particular ad, the NRA focuses on framing Hillary as a “hypocrite”. The ad starts with black SUVs escorted by police vehicles pulling up to a private jet. Hillary steps out of the SUV and armed guard walk her to the plane. The ad says that Hillary “tours on private jets protected by guards for thirty years, but she doesn’t believe in your right to keep a gun at home for self defense”. Because Trump did not attach his approval, this ad has the ability to attack Clinton as hard as it wants. PACs do not abide by the same rules as candidates. In fact, most attack ads which occur during a normal political campaign are paid for and distributed by PACs.

What does framing mean for the election?

With citizens already heading to the polls for early voting to elect the next president, it is important to understand how framing effects their decisions. For those who watch NRA’s ad, they could see Hillary as a hypocrite or untrustworthy. For those who watched the My Mom ad, they could see Hillary as someone who will nurture The United States of America back to health after the gun violence occurring across the country.

Trump Continues to Isolate Women

 

Donald Trump continues to isolate potential women voters as he makes excuses rather than simply apologizing. Not only are women across the nation upset with the recent release of Trump’s comments in 2005, but many are also upset with how he handled the situation during the debate.

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Is that an apology?!

Before the second debate, Trump released an apology in which he stated, “It was wrong, I was wrong, and I apologize.”  However, many people even political leaders believe that his “apology falls short.”  People all over the country, especially women feel that Trump’s apology could be best characterized as defiant. The debate would have been the perfect chance for Trump to deliver a real heartfelt apology, but instead he continuously used the same excuse, “it’s locker room talk,” to justify his actions. As we have discussed in class, in order for him to win the election he has to aim his rhetoric towards the moderate female voter. By constantly justifying the words seen in this video as “locker room talk” he continues to distance himself from potential women voters.

What he really said during the debate
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If you did watch the debate you probably don’t recall Trump even apologizing for his actions and this is probably because of how sporadic and unemotional his apology was. Trump responds to Cooper, “…this was locker room talk. I’m not proud of it…I apologize to the American people. Certainly I’m not proud of it. But this is locker room talk” (debate transcript/NewYorkTimes) . Instead of simply apologizing for his words, he continues to make excuses then goes on to the subject of ISIS. Not only did he not reply to an emotional question with an emotional answer, but his words also counteracted the previous apology given.  All of this ultimately makes him appear insincere, which only helps to further push away any potential female voters.

Can this be reversed?

The real question is can Trump bounce back from this? There have been many instances through the campaign where Trump has said or done unpresidental things, yet maintained his voter base. Even if he maintains his loyal supporters, without the votes of women he has no chance to win this election.  One poll released after the video highlights that 63% of voters believe that Trump has NO respect for women. Unless KellyAnne Conway has a few tricks left up her sleeves, it is very unlikely that Trump will get many female votes this November.

 

 

 

sources used:

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/10/11/chris-christie-on-trumps-apology-nr.cnn

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-recorded-having-extremely-lewd-conversation-about-women-in-2005/2016/10/07/3b9ce776-8cb4-11e6-bf8a-3d26847eeed4_story.html

www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/us/politics/transcript-second-debate.html?_r=0

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/poll-trump-video-respect-women-22953

www.nytimes.com/2016/10/08/us/politics/donald-trump-apology.html?_r=0