Election of 1976

I think That both Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford had very well thought out Advertising. Jimmy Carter focused very much on character, and the fact that he was a man that came from the deep south and through hard work made it to where he is at. I think this strategy was a very effective one. Mostly because this was just after the watergate scandal with Nixon and the nation was very hurt, and had very low trust in the executive branch. Carter's strong focus on character I think was a huge factor in his election win. When watching Jimmy Carter's advertisements I felt stirred emotionally. All of his ads were positive. There wasn't a time where he mentioned anything negative about his opponent. I would see this as maturity, and character.

Gerald Ford on the other hand had a little bit less effective approach on advertising in my opinion. He was a little more focused on Carter's platform, and how he was addressing issues. However, at this time in history this wasn't the priority of the public. Like I said earlier, the public wanted someone that had the right character. Someone that they could trust. Also, some of Ford's ads were negative towards Carter which I think hurt his chances a little bit. I think america was tired of seeing politicians bash on each other and just wanted someone to step up and lead the country effectively and positively.

Based solely on the advertising I would have voted for Jimmy Carter. He effectively portrayed his character and willingness to restore our nation to greatness. Like I said before, his biography had me emotionally stirred. I almost wished that we had a candidate like that in office or running now.


Obviously Jimmy Carter won this election. I think that the way he portrayed himself as an honest hard working man had one him the election. Although Ford attacked him on some of his stances on issues, the people of America saw character as more important on this election.