In these last days of the United States presidential election, the images from the campaign trail document the confusion of the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan campaign. The unclear Republican message is no match for the slick, seasoned Barack Obama marketing machine.
The Republican bluff
Republican supporters claim the Romney-Ryan ticket is in a strong position. The campaign has made some seemingly assertive moves. Pro-Republican interest groups have spent heavily on advertising the Democrat-leaning states of Michigan ($US14.5 million), Pennsylvania ($US13.3 million), and Wisconsin ($US5 million and counting). Campaign aides have cited this advertising spend as evidence of their confidence.
Recent campaign stops have been called “Victory Rallies”, some five days prior to the start of voting. A few days ago Romney appeared behind the presumptuously written placard “Real Change On Day One”, referring to his assumed future term as President.
A flip and a flop
None of this changes the fundamentally reactive and consequently confused nature of the 2012 Republican presidential campaign. The “Victory Rally” title is being used in conjunction with the title “Real Recovery Road Rally”. It was also used, apparently by accident, during the poorly executed Republican storm relief event.
The Romney-Ryan message has been ever-changing and frequently contradictory to their own former position. This gives the candidates a big problem. Staying “on message” means retracting former statements, denying long-held beliefs and generally looking dishonest. This is most obvious in the part of their campaign that seems to have been the least considered: its visual image.
The notable Republican campaign placards are a case in point. Romney’s lectern placards when speaking in Ohio months ago displayed the message “Middle Class Tax Relief”. More recently his Ohio lecterns have changed to, among other things, “Farmers For Mitt”. While there are certainly some farmers who could be considered middle class, the shift in their target audience is clear: from urbanites with double incomes and investment properties to Mr and Mrs Rural America.
In a more blatant turnaround, in June in Washington, Romney stood behind a lectern placard that read “Repeal And Replace Obamacare”. A few months later he spoke in Florida behind a placard bearing the statement “Protect and Strengthen Medicare”. Such contradictions may have gone unnoticed before digital photography and the internet. As things stand, every photograph documenting these policy reversals by the Romney-Ryan campaign provides further evidence of what Obama has pithily named “Romnesia”.
Three memes to bind them
This highlights another front on which the Democrats' campaign has been particularly successful, in part aided by Republican own goals: social media. The “Romnesia” and “Binders Full of Women” memes have been significant factors in the visual communication of this year’s election. Spoof videos, such as “Mitt Romney Style”, a witty swipe at Romney in the style of Korean pop sensation PSY’s Gangnam Style, have also achieved millions of views.
What have pro-Romney supporters come up with to rival these memes? A woeful collection of communist-referencing and sometimes racist images. Each of these attempts at satire commit the cardinal sin of aspiring memes: they are not funny. Funny videos on the Internet are unlikely to encourage people to vote. However, the effect of millions of Internet users laughing at a candidate looking like a fool should not be underestimated.
A lacklustre last stand
In the days before the polls open, the details of the final pro-Republican ads to be aired before and on election day are starting to emerge. The assortment of last-ditch efforts at winning over voters include appealing to African American voters in Ohio (“Because Lincoln Freed The Slaves”) as well as Cuban Americans in Florida (by equating Obama with Fidel Castro and Che Guevara).
Another panicked efforts at recruiting voters uses Donald Trump’s voiceover in pro-Romney-Ryan radio advertisements, despite his awkward past relationship with the campaign. These recently released ads are in keeping with the tone set by the controversial Romney-Ryan “Jeep To China” ad which started to air earlier this week. Although the messages are vastly different, the theme of playing on local fears and relying on untruths runs throughout each. As I read about and watch these advertisements, one question keeps recurring: how low will the Romney-Ryan campaign go?
The final countdown
As the polls predict a neck-and-neck race for the popular vote, and an Electoral College vote slightly in favour of the Obama-Biden ticket, the visual story shows a clear winner. While the Obama-Biden ticket remains typically on-message, the Romney-Ryan effort reads like a litany of campaign sins. It remains to be seen whether the worst is yet to come in Romney’s last stand.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Heh, Binders and Big Bird aren't the issues that are gaining traction with the electorate. There is nothing untruthful about the Jeep Ad. As far as Florida and the Cubans, you should actually talk to one. http://townhall.com/columnists/humbertofontova/2012/11/02/democraticmedia_axis_again_furious_with_cubanamerican_voters
Repubs have Florida wrapped up. Repubs laugh at the Romnesia meme. There is no contradiction of repealing an intrusive and expensive insurance scam and strengthening Medicare.
We'll get back with you on Wednesday and explain how your assessment is in error.
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
The owners of Jeep have come out against the ad saying it is dishonest, the ad implies that jobs are moving overseas....which is jst not true.
As for your binders and big bird issues.....what you are missing is that these were both bought up by Romney.
No one attacked Romney out of the blue for these topics, there was a discussion about equality and Romney used the phrase "Binders full of women" - it resonated with many people as being out of touch with the place of women in modern society - he stepped in it
Same with big bird, talking about massive debt and Romney deciedes to attack less than 1% of the budget - its not a serious issue you are right but you should be telling your candidate that
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
"Repubs laugh at the Romnesia meme."
But what they think doesn't matter because they will vote, and vote republican anyway.
What matters is what effect Romnesia makes on those who are deciding whether or not to vote and who to vote for.
debra thramer
marketing
I agree Obamacare is an insurance scam forced on the American public which will introduce stealth taxes on the working classes. It will stifle business growth and cripple already existing businesses from expanding thereby creating even more unemployment. It was forced on Congress who had no time to digest or analyze the bill and were strong armed by this administration into passing it blind. Have you tried reading it? I have - take a look at it before judging the Republicans for wanting it repealed...
Ken Swanson
Geologist
The binders comment was in the context of the Republican Party having binders of resumes of eligible women. Like they probably have the same for male job candidates. The Democrats I am sure also have binders of resumes. This comment has been twisted and spun in typical fashion by the pro Obama propaganda machine and its cheer leaders (many of whom are on this blog)
Big Bird was an extension of an Obama comment about Romney's plan to halt funding PBS. Obama then extended that to refer to Sesame Street, not Romney.
So you are once again wrong
Get the blinkers off and get your facts straight.
You are so quick to lecture everyone else
debra thramer
marketing
Thank to Obamacare many businesses have even more incentives to look overseas for outsourcing. My brother-in-law was planning to build a drug manufacturing company in Seattle but thanks to Obamacare he is now forced to go overseas and it will most likely be built in Spain.
Obamacare forces employers to not only insure their workers, their spouses and their dependent children (which was the norm before this) but now includes children dependent or not up to the age of 26. FYI. Age 21-26 is one…
Read moreRobert Tony Brklje
Robert Tony Brklje is a Friend of The Conversation.
retired
Silly American political babble "Obamacare" how bloody juvenile, take it somewhere else mate or is that 'buddy'.
American corporations shift their manufacturing operations where ever it is the cheapest in terms of labour and taxes and then bury the money in tax havens, end of story, rack off with lies about, for profit corporations operating in a moral and socially conscious manner, save that for the PR=B$(lies for profit) marketing delusions.
Want to know how bad Republicans truly believe their chances are, Paul Ryan "the gave up running mate" started upping his spending in his Congressional race weeks ago and there is no way he would have wasted that money on a caimpagn race he knew he was going to quit when he could have sat on it and used it in four years time, this guy is a professional for sale politician and he can only sell his votes if he has a seat.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
I never cease to be amazed at the coldhearted self-serving hypocritical attitude of the small government, antiscience republican mindset and those who support it. Any time anybody dares to mention the idea of some sort of basic support for the less well off, nutters on the right jump up and down about socialism, communism without even bothering to look at models that work well in other Western countries.
On one hand they want to get government out of people's lives yet they happily, conveniently forget that argument when they want to introduce legislation that prevents women from seeking safe abortions or obtaining decent sex education for the young. Meanwhile they turn education into a joke with their prey creationist stance.
Sure the Democrats have enough faults but they pale into insignificance compared to the crazy religious right that is today's Republican Party.
Ken Swanson
Geologist
In recent times only one US politician has been convicted and jailed for potentially selling the position of senator for money and he was a Democrat. Old Rod Blago.. was a star in the Chicago Democratic machine that spawned and still closely supports Obama.
Now that lovely piece of work Raum Emmanual is the mayor of Chicago supported by the same guys.
Do not start accusing Republicans when the Democrats have got the runs on the board big time.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Ken, let's face it, no political party is pure as the driven snow. Unfortunately corruption at some level goes with the territory but surely people should be arguing for proper oversight and accountability, let alone honesty. Attributes that currently seem to be in short quantity regarding Romney. His free-market mantra is simple baloney designed to appeal to those people who choose not to think.
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
Is there any country in the OECD which has worse public health care than the USA? Is so, then the US must still be very close to the bottom.
Spain 'forces' companies to pay tax which probably funds a much better health care system than in the US. So I'm sure that there are other reasons why a USA business would set up in Spain.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
I look forward to it James!
Ken Swanson
Geologist
Blair
Read moreIt is not baloney to people who are in small business and who understand business generally
People who have never been business owners or who have not worked in a managerial capacity in the private sector do not and will never understand the mind set of a business person. This also includes those who work in the government sector and in academia. Confidence in the economic environment and in particular the government to provide a stable, steady and fair minded attitude to business will result…
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Ken, the epitome of the free market, the banks and the automakers went belly up because of greed, ignorance and lack of accountability, it was the poor bloody US worker who had to fork out the money to keep them afloat - another example of government bail out despite the small government mantra we constantly hear from Republicans. Let's not forget all this was spawned by George W Bush after his little adventures in Iraq and elsewhere, he left Obama to try and fix things up. And what has happened…
Read moreKen Swanson
Geologist
You have obviously not read my comments
I am talking about small/ medium business not the top end of town
If you want recovery you will not get it without SMEs on board
More Government taxes and handouts will not do it
I say again Obama has no clue on how to get small business going again
James Sexton
Network administrator
Repubs wouldn't be laughing if they thought it was affecting anything other than making Obama look smallish.
James Sexton
Network administrator
I know what the "owners" of Jeep said. Romney got that ad from a statement of the COO and president of the Jeep brand in an interview he gave Bloomberg. Jeep is indeed planning to manufacture Jeeps in China.
Yes, Romney uttered the words Binders and Big Bird, what I'm tell you is that the attacks on Romney over these things are not resonating with the public.
Further, you and Obama suffer from the same ailment by taking out of context what Romney was saying. Right, it isn't a big part of the budget. OTOH, there is no earthly reason why I'm funding it. There are thousands of senseless programs funded by the American tax payer, and Romney says it's senseless. The majority of the American people agree.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Spoken like a true leftist.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Blair, you blame the free market for those events, but the free market was prevented from intervening and fixing the problem.
In a real free market world, those companies would have failed long ago and something better would be in its place today. Blaming something you don't understand ....beautiful.
alfred venison
records manager (public sector)
but romney did said "binders of women" & did not say "binders of resumes", so he gets canned. and he's stuck with big bird too because he was out maneuvered by a pro obama propaganda machine, complete with cheer leaders. well, i'll be.
"twisted & spun, them darn democrats is usin' republican tools agin us - git me the family blunderbuss, ma!"
did you miss the 20th century when karl rove remade politics? -a.v.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Yes, I have. It's an impossible read with vague references to items which don't yet exist. It's a horrible piece of legislation. I don't view Repubs poorly for wanting to scrap it and start anew. It should be done.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
James, the kind of free market Romney wants would leave a very few with everything and everyone else with bugger all. In any event, the free market cannot work in a finite world. Eventually a business can only become so big at the expense of everyone else. The other extreme is communism reducing everybody to the same level. The answer is somewhere in the middle but I'm pretty certain Romney doesn't have the answers.
After listening to a number of bank insiders interviewed after the latest economic collapse, it's pretty clear that lack of accountability and poor oversight by relevant government institutions was the cause of the financial collapse. A true free market is little more than a myth.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Ken, I did read your comments. Small to medium businesses don't survive if the community has no money to spend or doesn't feel confident about the economy and struggles to make ends meet.
I agree that small to medium businesses are key to revitalising an economy but I'm not talking about taxing them, I'm talking about making the top end of town pay its fair share of taxes which it doesn't in the US or Australia and most likely elsewhere as well. I would much rather see the subsidies paid to the large oil companies, bankers and auto manufacturers (for example) go towards helping smaller industries and businesses improve efficiency, adopt new technologies and develop new markets, none of which are cheap.
Romney might be a passable administrator in a state government but when it comes to private enterprise, he seems to be little more than a corporate raider.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
"Spoken like a true leftist"
A typical response from someone who prefers childish labels to addressing the issues.
My political allegiances are non-existent. I vote for whoever I believe will do the best job under particular circumstances at any given time. I think people who blindly, consistently vote for one particular party are little more than fools and robots. They are the same people who fail to make politicians accountable.
Try something novel James and dare to think for yourself.
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
What happens when a poor person gets an extra thousand dollars (eg increasing the minimum wage or increasing unemployment benefits)?
Every dollar is spent on goods and services - the real engine to our economy.
What happens when a very rich person gets an extra million dollars (eg from a tax cut)? A very rich person has so much money that they will not spend it on extra goods and services. Instead they will invest it.
There are investments which boost the real economy - e.g. using the money to start a new business or to enable an existing business to grow.
But most investments are putting money into non-productive things, like buying shares or property. More money going into these things puts the prices up (and thus the rich person makes money), but there is no boost to the real economy.
As there anything wrong with my reasoning?
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Michael, I think you got it in one. No doubt some wealthy individuals do invest in productive enterprises but clearly many larger corporations and banks are more interested in short-term profit than long-term benefit for themselves or the society they operate in.
I think the dodgy financing packages dreamed up by greedy bankers that led to the housing collapse in the US is a fine example of poor investment, poor regulation and poor accountability. The whole shoddy exercise was not in more than short-term gain for a few large investors at the expense of everybody else.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
James, the theoretical principle of the free market reaches equilibrium so long as there are no human factors involved. This theoretical model cannot exist. In practise, a 'free' market needs to be regulated to take into account things like different knowledge and opportunities of participants, human suffering and standard of living.
In Victoria, our forefathers have felt the effects of attempted free market - three depressions in the first 80 years of our history. It is thanks to the social welfare focus and financial regulation of post-world war two domestic policy that we have the social infrastructure that we do.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
No, spot on Michael.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
That's exactly what I was going for Michael!
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
Actually, the republican party didnt have binders full of females resumes.....it was a womens group that forced this on the next Governer of that state - it didnt matter who won, the ground work was already done so that the next governer HAD to do it.
Romney didnt ask for binders - he was given binders and forced to hire women and the ones he did hire didnt last very long.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
I love the "gave up running mate" title for Ryan. And your information about his investment in another campaign fits with what I have seen of the Romney-Ryan campaign. It makes sense that such an astute politico like Ryan would invest elsewhere when he saw his main chance slipping.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
If I remember rightly, there was one binder 'full' of resumes of women that was offered to both the Republican party and the Democratic party. It was offered by a non-partisan employment gender equality group. Romney got canned for this comment because it is a pithy summation of his attitude to women, women's issues and gender equality. If he had a position about gender equality and women's health that could be taken seriously, the binders comment would have been far less likely to go viral.
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
Public TV and radio has always been funded because the citizens want a neutral source of information. The corporate media does not present citizens with the truth often enough. Most came out in support of PBS.
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
Customers are allowed to keep children on family policy until age 26, they are not "forced" to do so. The insurance companies are complaining because they could have charged more to those youth. This is all about insurance price gouging. The best way to cure that problem is to expand Medicare, allow competitive bidding, and allow the government to negotiate prices. The insurance companies are charging up to 30% overhead costs, while Medicare runs at less than 4% overhead. I say, "cut the insurance companies right out of the picture", and expand Medicare to all. The people are tired of this insurance extortion scheme.
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
I can clearly remember about 14 months of constant TV coverage over the Congress negotiations on the health care bills. To claim this was rushed through Congress is ridiculous. I read most of the pages online, and yes, it is horrible lawyer speak, but that is always the case. There is no excuse for representatives to not read bills. They had more than a year to do it.
A business can refuse to provide insurance, and the fines is far less than the cost of the insurance coverage. Insurance companies have lost some ability for price gouging, that is what all the noise is about.
Ken Swanson
Geologist
Another objective Conversation piece.
No mention here of the shameful misleading of the people over the murder of the US ambassador in Libya and what Obama did not do about it
Of all things in this campaign, this omission by the MSM in favour of Obama is the worst example of media bias I have ever seen
Academics have also shown their "objectivity" by ignoring it
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
"Academics have also shown their "objectivity" by ignoring it " - This is called dogding the issue.
It is a common tactic used by commenters who do not like the article or video and so will bring up a topic that is not mentioned at all in the article or only vaguely related.
This is usually an attempt to derail the conversation away from the topic at hand.
Yes, you are right, there are many things to be upset about Obama over, however most of them wouldnt be fixd by electing Romney.
Also you loose all credibility when you attack "Academia" as if being smart is a the big problem, the big problem is all the smart people
Ken Swanson
Geologist
Nothing wrong with being smart
A lot wrong with a in built bias against one side of the debate at a crucial time of the election campaign
Not one article has appeared in this blog which could be considered as having a right wing or even vague Republican stance such as this article today has in favour of the Democrats
One must conclude there are either no academics who are conservative or there is an inherent bias amongst the editors of the Conversation or both
Ken Swanson
Geologist
I note with a great deal of mirth the CV of the author of this article Katherine Hepworth
She is a graphic designer and yet she is engaged by the editors of the Conversation to submit a supposedly serious article about the US election
Obviously no conservative politics academics can be found anywhere, or if so they are not invited to submit an article
Pathetic
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
I'm sure that there are academics who are conservative.
What makes academics different is that what they say also needs to be rational, otherwise their credibility as an academic is damaged.
So one can rationally analyse the campaigns and perhaps conclude that the tactics of the conservatives (in the USA or Australia) are working and they may win the election.
But it is difficult to be rational about supporting the talk of the conservatives (both in Australia and the USA). For example…
Read moreMike Hansen
Mr
I note with even more mirth that you are a geologist - does that mean that you should not be commenting on this article as it is not about geology?
Where does all this anger come from Ken?
A few days ago, you were convinced that Romney would win the election. I thought you would be celebrating by now.
https://theconversation.edu.au/round-three-to-obama-now-its-a-race-to-november-6-10216#comment_85759
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
And let's not forget, like Romney, Abbott only wants the job and the kudos that goes with it, neither he nor Romney are really interested in stable, long-term government with a self-sustaining economy, if they were they wouldn't be denying the bleeding obvious like the need for increased taxes and meaningful action on climate change (as just two examples).
Ken Swanson
Geologist
I am a geologist
But I am not writing an article for the Conversation on the US election
I, like you are commenting on the article in a blog. It may have escaped you, but these are different things
That is the point Mike
Hurricane Sandy and the Libya denial by MSM will make it hard for Romney now but there is still hope
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Hi Ken, I must admit, I have never even heard of the incident you are referring to. My expertise is in the visual aspects of political communication. It does not extend to policy strategy, terrorism, assassination or foreign affairs. The subject you refer to would be best covered by another writer.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Hey Ken, you're right, I am a graphic designer. I also have a PhD focussing on political communication and an undergraduate training in political science. Working as a graphic designer does not exclude me from having expertise in other areas, or from writing about them.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Good point Blair. The conservative position in Australia and the United States does seem to have a short term focus lately.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
I never thought about Abbott's approach like that Michael, but I see you what you mean. Going too hard too early has certainly hurt his chances at the next election. Leigh Sales' interview of him certainly didn't help either. Heh.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Lol, Michael, preferring to stay in the coddling arms of academia has no relationship with intelligence.
James Sexton
Network administrator
Katherine, it marks a horrible chapter in American politics. A US ambassador was murdered by a militia in Benghazi, Libya in the American consulate. Initially, the administration stated this occurred as a result of a spontaneous demonstration over a silly anti-Muslim video released months ago. It occurred on 9/11.
It is now known there were no demonstrations. It is also know the embassy personnel had repeatedly asked for more security. It is stated by people there that calls for help during…
Read moreDon Gibbons
Clerk
James, what is your view on the "Repubs" who took the US into a trillion-dollar war of choice in 2003 on the basis of confected WMD intel? The fire fight lasted over 8 years.
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
That the war was wrong because there were no WMD is one of the myths pushed by the conservatives to excuse the war.
The fact is that if Iraq did have WMD then there was no reason for thinking that they were an immediate threat to the West. Hussain was a brutal dictator, but he was not a Islamic fundamentalist. He was no friend of Bin Laden.
So the war on Iraq was not justified even if WMD were found.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
That is a sad event James. Thank you for summarising it for me. It seems to be a foreign affairs policy issue. It is hardly likely that the President of the United States can be solely blamed for such things, however sad and unnecessary.
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
That is the worse example of the lame, outrageous complaints against Obama this year. How in the world is Obama supposed to be able to predict a murder at an embassy half way around the world, and personally prevent it?
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
Speaking of hurricanes, would you like to talk about Republican governors and Bush administration handling of the Katrina debacle in New Orleans? It seems Obama was working on the New York disaster right away. Do you expect him to camp out there and hand out food?
Comment removed by moderator.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Thanks for the informative article Katherine.
For me, the most worrying thing about a Romney win is that science will be gutted. We have already seen Republicans threaten science and scientists who don't follow the loony right line. Remember what George W Bush did to stem cell research?
In many states in the US, Republicans are assisting the backdoor introduction of creationism into the science classroom. Despite the supposed separation of church and state enshrined in the constitution. A quick visit to the National Centre for Science Education website provides plenty of examples.
It's a sad state of affairs when science conflicts with ideology but the science is forced to change rather than the ideology. It says a lot about the low regard for reason and objectivity of the Republican mind.
Hopefully Obama will win for the sake of the US and the planet.
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
To the Author, good article, however, can you please call someone a liar when they are lying in the future. The reason I say this is because of the comments above, if the media keep being trying to be overly fair and balanced they are not doing anyone any favours.
Its okay to say it if its true.
"The Romney-Ryan message has been ever-changing and frequently contradictory to their own former position. This gives the candidates a big problem. Staying “on message” means retracting former statements, denying long-held beliefs and generally looking dishonest" - You mean they are lying?
Why do they "Appear dishonest"?
Thats such a wierd thing to say? Are you not a journalist? couldnt you have done some investigation here?
"I mean it appears they are saying things that directly contradicts what they previously said....hmm, im not sure why but this appears dishonest....." - Really?
debra thramer
marketing
Seems to me the person being dishonest here is the journalist. Or at the very least misleading. Farmland in Ohio sells for $10,000.00 an acre. As most farms are well over 1,000 acres farmers are NOT poor by any means. My family back in Nebraska are mostly farmers and none are hurting. They may have problems this year with the drought but any farmer worth his salt would have put by funds from the past few boom years to see this out. So don't kid yourself there was no mixed message when they displayed signs saying farmers for Romney.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Debra, I think the point Katherine was trying to highlight is that Romney is making it up as he goes along which presumably means he's making it up that farmers in the US are doing it tough, and only he is concerned about their livelihoods and can do anything about it.
Considering the huge subsidies US farmers receive, Romney is playing fast and loose with the truth suggesting they are doing it tough.
http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2012/s3550679.htm
Neville Mattick
Grazier: Biodiversity is the key.
Isn't 'Farmer support' for the Republican side of politics synonymous with that industry?
It is conditional in Australia (from the observations of my peers in this industry), that the LNP (or whatever it calls itself) is the party.
Glad to hear the U.S. Farmers are doing 'ok' mind you, I heard yesterday that many are waking up to what a Republican return will mean for their Nation and indeed the World.
By the way, it is none too rosy on Australian Farms I can tell you, even debt free operations run perilously close to the bread line, good season, climate change, coal mine or not.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Thanks for the feedback Michael. I'm not a journalist, I'm an academic. My expertise in the the visual communication of politics. It's a controversial area without me weighing in with judgements. I prefer to write what I see, and let the readers come to their own conclusions about whether the subjects I report on are right or wrong, good or bad, scary or wholesome etc.
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
Thanks for the response, but if someone is stating something that directly contradicts what they have rpeviously said and they have a pattern of doing this.....to say they are lying si not a judgement call.
Its a fact like any other fact.
Fact - Someone spoke - not a judgement call
Fact - They said somehting that directly contradicts what they previously said - not a judgement call...and we have a word for this - its called lying
I agree its complicated without you putting in your personal judgement calls but this isnt a judgement, its an empircal observations supported by facts and evidence and to beat around the bush or imply otherwise is just dishonest
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Ah but Michael, that is a whole other can of worms. You are for empirical observation, I am not. It's all relativist with me.
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
"Ah but Michael, that is a whole other can of worms. You are for empirical observation, I am not. It's all relativist with me" - Really? okay, thats a strange thing for someone to say.
If emperical evidence is not a big deal to you, allow me to quote Tim Minchin;
"So I resist the urge to ask Storm
Whether knowledge is so loose-weave
Of a morning
When deciding whether to leave
Her apartment by the front door
Or a window on the second floor"
Who knows whether Mitt is lying, who knows whether gravity exists....they are all just objective observations which of course hold no wieght at all
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Now now Michael, play nice.
My research involves detailed study of visual communication. This is not an area where empiricist methods are helpful. There is crap empiricist method and crap relativist method, just as there are good examples of both.
I'm not against the empiricist method or observation per se, but in my research, and my comment on my research, I stick to relativist methods.
Blair Donaldson
logged in via Twitter
Well Katherine, it's looking more and more like Obama will win the election. Do you think there will be much in the way of recriminations in the Republican Party? Particularly with the more extreme members of the loony right?
I for one hope it causes a severe split in the party, resulting in a re-evaluation and rejection of the ratbag rump (i.e. tea party and religious right) that have dragged a once proud party into the realms of the irrelevant with their anti-women, antiscience, anti-reason agenda.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Hmm, good question. I bet the Republicans in the know saw this coming. Not the landslide to Obama, but the defeat. There was an air of trying to save face in the last week of their election campaigning. I reckon they're placing their bets on Paul Ryan as presidential candidate for 2020.
It would be nice if there was an American party that was conservative without being crazy, but realistically, that job is already taken by the Democrats. The only option for Republican differentiation is (sadly) to go for votes from the likes of the tea party crew.
Michael Shand
Michael Shand is a Friend of The Conversation.
Software Tester
Thank you again for the response, I was not aware that you were only analysising this from a visual communications perspective.
Im not sure exactly what that means but I guess it involves body language, tone of voice, etc
If this is the case then I would graciously retract my comments earlier but I'm not sure that you stated anywhere in the article that this was your focus
Alex Cannara
logged in via LinkedIn
In 48 hours, we'll be done with Romney forever, and the Republican party will too.
Mike Hansen
Mr
An election ad that has gone viral.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/romney-sandy-video_n_2061995.html
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Oh wow, that's a punch in the guts. Thanks for the link, Mike.
Gerard Dean
Managing Director
Hey Katherine,
You have staked your career to the mast on this one. For your sake, I hope Obama wins. Because if he doesn't....
Well, you know what I mean.
Gerard Dean
Mike Hansen
Mr
No we do not know what you mean Gerard.
It sounds like a threat but then I am not well versed in wingnut speak. Perhaps you could spell it out.
Michael Wilbur-Ham (MWH)
Writer (ex telecommunications engineer)
Katherine concludes with "It remains to be seen whether the worst is yet to come in Romney’s last stand." which I take as meaning it remains to be seen whether or not Romney wins.
Do you have a different interpretation of her final sentence?
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Heh heh. Yeah Michael, I know! Cross your fingers for me :)
Gary Myers
logged in via LinkedIn
The phrase "last stand" implies his defeat, rather than allowing for his victory and fighting again in four years time.
My interpretation of the last phrase would be a question of either the extent of the defeat or the manner in which it is accepted.
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Michael and Gary, what I was referring to with the last sentence is the capacity of this campaign for desperate dirty tricks. The Republican ad buy for election day is huge, and it would be in keeping with how the rest of the campaign has been run for some even more misleading Romney-Ryan support ads to air on election day.
Warwick Brown
Retired
Is this for real? Is this author serious in her supposed examples? Is her ignorance that great? And if it is, why does she get a guernsey to write on the US election at all on The Conversation. It was supposed to be scholarly (well I thought so). Look at the supposed flip flops. Has she not heard of different slogans for different consitituencies/audiences, (separate policies, geddit?) none of which are contradictory anyway.
Read moreDoe she not know that “Repeal And Replace Obamacare” is a completely separate…
Katherine Hepworth
Lecturer, Faculty of Design at Swinburne University of Technology
Hey Warwick, you make some good points. Sure the tastelessly phrased Obamacare and the original Medicare are different, but surely you must admit that any Republican claiming to 'support' a system of universal health care (however paltry) is cynical at best, mocking at worst. In any case, my specialty is in political communication, not in policy or election strategy. In this article - as in my other writing - I report on what I see, based on my expertise. The heavyweight debates I leave for other academics.
aligatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
You certainly have the GOP talking points well rehearsed. Most of that is simply not true. Medicare is not being cannibalized by " Obama Care", and the Affordable Care Act was passed by both Democrats and Republicans, with over 90 Republican amendments. The only ones hurt by health care changes are insurance companies overcharging scams. The entire issue of insurance paying for birth control is an attempt for insurance companies to start denying coverage of drugs or procedures for any political reason…
Read morealigatorhardt
logged in via Twitter
As a wank-oh, uh-, I mean yank, I would like to say that the Republicans do not have an image problem, they have a personality problem; they are total scum! If they are not spouting racism, they are attacking gays, or women, or immigrants, or unions, or Muslims, Mexicans, support organizations, ect. Who have they not pissed off? Republican governors have restricted voting hours to the point that waiting to vote in the larger cities is taking up to 9 hours! They are calling people and telling them…
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