By: Hilary Cesna
In the Kansas governor race, incumbent Republican Governor Sam Brownback is running for his second term in office. His opponent, Democrat Sam Davis, was elected House Democratic Leader in 2008. Kansas is usually a very red state that Democratic groups tend to avoid.
This changed when the FBI held an inquiry against Gov. Brownback’s inner circle after there was suspect of them pushing companies to hire lobbyists that would benefit Brownback. Many were turned away by this legal suspicion. Brownback also made some large tax cuts that have caused budget issues for the state. Even Republicans have said that Brownback’s agenda may be too aggressive. Republicans outnumber Democrats in Kansas 2:1, but with a large number of Independents, it will be hard to tell which way the election will go.
How are each of these men portraying themselves?
Here is a Brownback ad, which covers a few political bases as far as creating an image.
In this advertisement, we immediately see Brownback’s face and a red tractor in the background. The first sentence he utters is “Well, I was raised on a small farm in eastern Kansas, and my dad and mom still operate it.” As the camera pans out we see a group of several, old, white, men and women in cowboy hats, with a lovely barn in the background.
It is easy to tell that Brownback is really tapping into the “I’m just a small town farmer like you” idea that so many people from Kansas can relate to. He explains that his parents instilled him with core values, strong character and a hard work ethic. He also taps into the concept of family and how important it is to bring that back to rural Kansas.
This ad, which starts out by featuring the same crowd as in the previous ad, has more of an upfront agenda. It not only shows Brownback at a barn, but he is in a kitchen (assumingly in his home) talking to friends, in a conference room addressing a group of who appear to be colleagues, and giving a speech outdoors. Throughout the hold advertisement Brownback is explaining how he has created jobs and boosted the economy.
From these advertisements, you can see that Brownback’s team has shaped his image to appear as a:
- A hard working farmer
- A family man
- Business inclined
- Has a strong character
- Wanting to boost the economy
Now, here is an advertisement for candidate Paul Davis.
https://flic.kr/p/gTbqWc
In this ad, Davis is standing in a one-room schoolhouse stating that his parents were both teachers. He then states that Governor Brownback created the largest cut of school funding in state history. The camera then pans to several different views of him helping children with their schoolwork. Davis engages the listener by saying we need to make this better for our children and grandkids. He is dressed in a relaxed outfit (button up and jeans). All together, this ad demonstrates that Davis is a concerned parent who cares about all of the children in Kansas and wants to help make school better for them. In the very last second he touches on the fact that this will help the economy down the rode.
This info ad features many different things to create a positive image for Davis. Family pictures, people welding things, cars on dirt roads, schools, a restaurant, a plane, families trying to pay bills, among several others. He explains that we need to look past what party we belong to and do what is best to help the families in Kansas thrive.
From these advertisements, you can see that Davis’s team has shaped his image to appear as a:
- Pro-school funding
- A laid back guy
- Will do anything for the kids
- Understands how it is hard to get by
To compare to two candidates, Brownback is the jobs guy who grew up from farm to office in hopes to create jobs. Davis is the son of school-teachers wanting to enhance education for the children of Kansas.
With some big difference in their images, it will be interesting to see if there is any cross over with their platforms during the rest of the race.
Political Faultline 