tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post8757011755973007263..comments2013-06-07T23:48:07.842-04:00Comments on 409 for Thought: Barack Obama--Ricky MariscalAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00331030883371371862noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-79484983847927930272012-10-11T12:50:27.734-04:002012-10-11T12:50:27.734-04:00Great question! I think that the fact that McCain ...Great question! I think that the fact that McCain was much older than Obama contributed to the idea that he wasn't going to do anything new, and instead revert back to the policies of Bush which Americans were unhappy with. The contrast between Obama's youth and McCain's old age made people more drawn to Obama's alternative to the failed policies of the past, and his youthful energy inspired voters with the hope and change that he preached throughout his campaign.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05477130646914609675noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-54654295313232947212012-10-11T09:31:53.078-04:002012-10-11T09:31:53.078-04:00Great Post Ricky. A lot of the things that you poi...Great Post Ricky. A lot of the things that you pointed out connect to the 1860 campaign. Just like Obama, Lincoln was a relatively young candidate, (51) who gained a lot of support throughout his campaign. Both candidates developed a successful image that appealed to voters, Obama as a youthful and inspiring candidate who offered change to the current economic mess and Lincoln as a self-made man. Lincoln structured his campaign on preserving the nation and Obama campaigned on hope and change.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06252783316572646648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-73277988496157566422012-10-11T09:17:35.438-04:002012-10-11T09:17:35.438-04:00One of the most effective aspects of Obama's c...One of the most effective aspects of Obama's campaign was his ability to show the general American public who he was. Throughout the course of campaigns, candidates who are able to open up about their family life, tend to be more effective campaigners. Michelle Obama added extra charisma to the campaign. In addition, just like Jimmy Carter's campaign, which also stuck to vague generalities, Obama's promises of "hope and change" were effective especially at a time of economic turmoil. Jimmy Carter's promise to "love" the American people was an effective strategy especially after the Watergate scandal, a situation which brought about great distrust of the American government. Both Carter and Obama used vague generalities at a time when the nation was vulnerable, an especially effective time to use this technique. One question I have is how often do candidates use vague generalities in their campaigns? Andrew Tarboxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03820576285440592720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-12239366290014389912012-10-11T09:11:44.352-04:002012-10-11T09:11:44.352-04:00It appears that many of the strategies used by oba...It appears that many of the strategies used by obama are tactics used by Clinton in '92, banking on his youthful appearance to garner votes against a (finely) aged opponentMichael Peckhamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07435533008425098228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-73400615242465854782012-10-11T09:06:21.392-04:002012-10-11T09:06:21.392-04:00Obama's focus on the youth vote reminds me a l...Obama's focus on the youth vote reminds me a lot of the Clinton campaign in 1992. They both tried to capture the attention of the youth, particularly college students still concerned with education. In addition it seems as though both candidates put a lot of emphasis on appearing hip and modern, again trying to appeal to the mainstream youth.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16463023042937727372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6974207119137509719.post-48189987071360406232012-10-11T09:05:15.309-04:002012-10-11T09:05:15.309-04:00I agree that Obama's greates strength in the 2...I agree that Obama's greates strength in the 2008 campaign is his image, which he used to appear to be a young, fun, family man, who is ready to take office. How do you think John McCain's age magnified Obama's youth and improved his image? Do you think he would have been as successful if he were running against another young candidate?Bennett Capozzi Poli Scinoreply@blogger.com