Throughout the history of politics and government there has been forms of propaganda. It can be seen in almost every country and government. Countries use propaganda in order to gain support, create a common enemy, or to create a narrative in the way they would like. The United States is no stranger to the use of propaganda. Even before the United States won its independence, the colonies would use propaganda to gain troops. However, the use of propaganda did not stop at gaining troops, but later in the existence in the United States of America, it was and is still used to gain supporters for elections, convince people to vote, etc.
The propaganda that will be used for this project was used to convince people to vote and support Barack Obama for President of the United States. In the propaganda it is a portrait of Barack Obama in red, white, and blue. He is looking into ahead of him as if he was looking at the future. On the bottom and the middle of the poster the word “Hope” with all capital letters are there. The word is all in blue. Since the poster has Obama and the word hope, it forces the viewer to make the connection that Obama provides them with hope. He is looking towards to future to maintain the idea that he has a vision for the well-being of the country. His head is the main portion of the poster because the amount of power he has within hin. It is typing describe without words how impactful he would be since it only needs one word and his face. The red, white, and blue make the viewer connect him with the United States and him being a patriot. The overall message for this poster is that Obama is the correct choice for President because he is a patriot and has a vision for this country.
There are many techniques within this propaganda. One of the techniques used is Pathos, which is the appeal to emotion. African Americans were oppressed for hundreds of years in the United States.In 1857, the Supreme Court case of Dred Scott concluded that now human with any African blood could be an American citizen Until 1865, black American were enslaved in the United States and afterwards were faced many years of Jim Crow laws. For hundreds of years, African Americans have had to face discrimination based on their skin color and had to create their own culture due to their roots being ripped away from them. Many Americans would have never thought that there would ever be black president. Because of the long and sad past of the African American story, the propaganda brings many emotions to the surface. The word “hope” appeals to people’s emotions for the hope of a better future for the country. The colors in the poster also brings appeal to emotion. The red, white, and blue forces one to feel as if they are safe. Americans who are voting typically feel as if they have a duty to the country. The red, white, and blue may make them feel comfortable and pride. As stated previously, Obama is looking forward towards the future. This pose is influenced by a well-known JFK portrait. JFK was a loved and influential political figure. Since many have seen this well-known portrait, many will subconsciously connect their positive feelings towards Kennedy to Obama.
This piece of propaganda was used to gain support for Obama’s presidential campaign. This was made in 2007. On “Super Tuesday” in 2007, Obama’s candidacy as the democratic nominee was not looking good. During this point of the democratic progress, it seemed as if that Hilary Clintion was going to win the Democratic nomination. The poster was to help boost the support for Obama.People are likely to think that Obama is the correct candidate for the United States and urge them to vote for him. The simplicity of his message may have made viewers feel a connection with the everyday Joe. Since the slogan was only one word, “hope” it was easy for people to remember and spread the message. People are voting in an election when they want change or when they want better for future generations. This poster allows people to believe that with Obama there is hope for a better tomorrow. For those who want change and want a better tomorrow they are likely to accept it. If one is has felt the pain and oppression of being black in America they may feel some sort of connection to Obama allowing them to accept the message. However, those who may hold prejudice or racist beliefs may reject it.
