Responses to Kim's 3rd question

This is in response to Kim Thomas’ 3^rd question she posted concerning hot and cold media.

            “With the 2008 election being very media driven, do you see Obama and McCain as cool persuaders?  Were their messages cool, or requiring a lot of audience participation to create the whole meaning?”

            In response to the first question I believe that most of the media attention was actually hot media. I say that because in the beginning it may have seemed that by presenting what each candidate represented, it was using cool media for the audience to come to their own conclusions, but later on much more explaining had to be done by each candidate (hot media). This candidacy race was unlike any other, in more ways than one, and as far as the candidates having to present their views I think a lot more convincing had to be done this time. People were asking more questions, they had higher expectations after the Bush administration, and people wanted answers. More than I can remember from past election races, the candidates had to go through a lot more and share more in order to capture voters.

            I can see also from the view that cool media was used because based on the information Obama and McCain presented us with people had to come to their own conclusions on who they felt to be the better candidate. As a whole though, I think each campaign did lots of work in order to make sure voters knew who they were voting for.

            Another example of hot media can be seen in the debates. They always do a lot of story telling to help answer their questions, which I think helps the audience relate and better understand what each party is trying to accomplish. By telling these stories and answering the questions the candidates seem to be using the hot media. They want to make it as simple as they can for voters to understand their position and choose their side.

            The ads that are run against each candidate however use the cool media very skillfully. They present a picture to the audience and then they end they add by asking the viewer a question. By asking the viewer to answer a question they are making them think about which side they would choose, and ultimately leave out details for the voters to come to their own decisions. Though these ads are usually annoying after seeing them a couple times, it presents enough information to persuade the audience while still allowing them to decide on their own.

            I think its safe to say that both hot and cold media played a part in this past election. Each candidate wants to successfully display their views to voters while also letting the voters come to their own conclusions on some situations. That is what made the election between Obama and McCain so exciting; no one really knew what people would decide.