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How the Media Portrays Joe Biden.

Anyone who wants to run for President knows that campaigning comes with positive and negative reactions from the media. Although, Joe Biden never declared running for 2016, the media and viewers fed into the fact the he could be a good contender to the race. Other outlets opposed this idea completely.

Couple of weeks ago, Biden announced that he wouldn’t be running for the 2016 election but this doesn’t affect the previous media outlets that have been delivered about him. Based on previous research on Joe Biden, I can say this, what’s accurate about him is that he has credibility. Joe Biden first rose to elective office in 1970 and holds an elected position to this day. Biden has served as an elected official for a total of 45 years and counting, which is 30 more than the average 2016 presidential candidate (15 years). What’s also accurate about him is that he’s likable. As I mentioned in the past he comes from a humble foundation, experienced tragedy, and rose from them. He’s the father of an American hero, who, this year, passed away from brain cancer (and he, survived TWO life-threatening braid aneurysms). he pulled through the struggles, which is why I think he is so likable because people can easily respect his character.

 Biden has always been an activist for issues like gun control, foreign policy, marriage equality, federal budget, and helping the middle class, to name a few. (Which sides with more with liberal values.)

For a more conservative outlet on Joe Biden I found an article called “Will Joe Biden Have To Answer For His Long Record of Terrible Decisions?” The link is located below:

 http://thefederalist.com/2015/08/25/will-joe-biden-have-to-answer-for-his-heresy-against-liberals/

Conservative media outlets express more traditional views. The article gives examples of their stance in oppose to Biden’s and reasons why he should stay OUT;  “Despite reservations, Mr. Biden, who has served as the Obama administration’s unofficial liaison to the law enforcement community, has not only stood by the 1994 legislation, but has also frequently taken credit for it. As recently as this spring, in an essay on community policing for a book of bipartisan reform proposals put together by the Brennan Center for Justice, Mr. Biden referred to the legislation as the “1994 Biden Crime Bill.” The article adds by stating, “his greatest legacy is a lack of coherent philosophy and a ton of politically convenient grandstanding.” This type of story written on Biden portrays him as a poor decision maker and dismisses his credibility I mentioned before, and if someone read this article without knowing anything else, it would convince them otherwise to share the same opinions on the candidate which doesn’t give a good overall portrayal of the right decisions he has made.

Liberal media outlets express more philosophical or worldview founded on ideas of liberty and equality.  I found a article below that has more liberal views and its titled “Why Biden Should Run”

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/30/opinions/stanley-biden-should-run-2016/

In comparison to the media outlet shared before, you can see a major difference in how each article portrays the candidate. What seems unfair about it is that the candidate has no control of who writes what, or what website promotes against or for the candidate and it can easily work with 

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BIDEN ON POLITICAL ADS

Political communication in advisement evokes images of candidates and campaigns, debates and issues, propaganda, and persuasion. Joe Biden appears in numbers of positive political ads for the 2008 Obama/Biden campaign that promotes the “belief for change” instead of “more of the same”. After doing some searching online, I came across many different advertisements for the Obama/Biden 2008 campaign on the website livingroomcampaign.org which we used to work with in class.

Prior to the election of 2008, the 2004 election was occurring when the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were important issues, but foreign policy was extremely overshadowed by the economic issues when the credit and mortgage crisis hit the country head on. I believe these issues that happened before ignited the Obama/Biden campaign in 2008 to promote change for our country. Advertisements were created in a fast and effective pace. Also, the shift in popular culture towards usage of the internet, and social media increased rapidly and it really supports the advertisement style of forward ability and change amongst the campaign. As a result, 2008 ads were sharper, effective and more aggressive than ads in past elections reaching and effecting more Americans which ended up making 2008 election the most historic election in history, the nation’s first African American president was elected.

 

The Media of Choice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0e8InFGihHg

In a particular ad I came across, titled Scranton (Obama 2008). This was a candidate positive ad that focused on the image on the candidate, rather than target the opposing party. Personally, I am a fan of character building and positive messages being shared on the political level than attack ads. Even though attack ads are effective with showing false statements and wrong actions from the opposing party, I believe that positive ads makes the candidate look better.   Joe Biden starts out by expressing how everything he knows about working hard, he learned growing up with his grandparents in a small town.  He uses that statement to transition and explain how Barack Obama holds the same values of hard work while also growing up in a small town with his grandparents and single mother. He uses vocabulary like heart, responsibility, determination, respect, and dignity to stand up for all families that can influence a positive reflection of not only Barack Obama’s character but making a peer to peer relationship to the audience  that can influence the audience that they are the typical good American citizens. I believe the obvious strategy that was used for this 30 second video ad was the use of candidate image; which constructs an array of perceived attributes projected by an object, event, or person. This strategy can help form a connection to views and targeting audiences that Barack Obama is a friend, can influence formation of attributions that voters attach to candidates whom they support and oppose.

Source: Thelivingroomcampaign.org

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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3roG09O6T4

I chose to analyze the 2012 Vice Presidential debate between Vice President Joe Biden, and Congressman Paul Ryan. Both candidates participated in a 9-segment debate where the mediator asked the same questions, requiring giving answers and also interacting with discussion/follow up questions with each other. Biden was up first to answer the opening question; regarding the tragedy of a terrorist attack in Bengasi. He immediately gives the audience a sense of character to the victims of the tragedy, which makes an emotional advantage. And also gives two commitments to the viewers,

1.     That they will find, and bring justice to the men who commit the murders

2.    Solve the source of the problem and ensures the American people that this mistake will never happen again.

Biden values American security and patriotism, which can make the audience who also hold the same values as him relate and connect to his words he speaks. Biden stands for many liberal ideologies that built the Obama administration and that make him a strong contender. I thought he did well with emphasizing his support for President Obama’s policies. He shares short narratives about how on the first day of Barak Obamas Presidency, he circled his top priority is to find Osama Bin Laden. It gives a visual of his partner’s passion. He vividly compares the focuses between President Obama and Romney’s plan for national security. I also like his confidence in words when he speaks; he seems like the perfect team player with his fellow companion which in my opinion, reassures viewers that duo works together well and feeds off of each other when needed.  

If Biden did declare himself into this upcoming 2016 presidential race,  his credentials are undeniable. His experience in lawmaking in Washington and knowledge for federal budget and foreign affairs is an advantage over other candidates who don’t have the same level of creditability as Biden.

         If he decides to run in the 2016 campaign, I would suggest Biden to emphasize on American security, overseas as well as in our community. I would suggest him to discuss about the issues America has been facing for more than 100 years, race. 
To address solutions that can potentially help this country overcome inequality towards minorities with employment, discrimination, violence against minorities (Black men in particular) and eliminating police brutality;finding new methods to select ideal american citizens and also  new ways to properly train the people who want to protect and serve ALL americans.

Overall, judging from the section I watched, Joe Biden is a strong speaker, with great delivery skills on the issues that were debated about. I didn’t see anything that I disliked. His ability to appeal to audiences and viewers is undeniable.