Migration & Messaging – Tuesday, November 13th (Blog #10)

Immigration has been one of President Trump’s primary issues since the beginning of his presidential campaign. How effective has the President’s messaging been in regards to immigration issues? How does his rhetoric appeal to his base? How have those who oppose his stance responded? Do you expect immigration to continue to be a major issue leading up to the 2020 presidential elections? Be sure to cite at least two of this week’s readings in your response.

Hollywood, Celebrity & the Presidency –Tuesday, November 6th (Blog #9)

How has Donald Trump’s Hollywood celebrity status (which differs from political celebrity) shaped his candidacy and presidency? How would you assess the role of celebrity in American politics today? Finally, what impact, if any, do celebrities have on politics? Reminder - you need to cite at least two of this week’s readings to support your response. 

Comedy & Politics – Thursday, October 25th (Blog #8)

Discuss two positive and two negative impacts that political satire/comedy shows have on political discourse. Overall, do these shows make people more engaged in political discussion? Or do they make people more cynical about politics/politicians, which could lead to disengagement? You must offer examples from at least two comedy programs/comedians to support your arguments. Be sure to also cite at least two of this week’s readings in your response.

Women in Politics – Tuesday, October 16th (Blog #7)

A record number of women are seeking office in 2018. Based on the readings for this week, what are some of the challenges facing female candidates? How is the current political climate (ex: Kavanaugh confirmation, #MeToo movement) impacting female candidates' political messaging and campaign strategies? Finally, does the media's framing of 2018 as the new "Year of the Woman" help or hurt women politicians? Be sure to cite at least two of the readings/viewings for this week to support your answer. 

Demographics – Tuesday, October 9th (Blog #6)

What role did issues related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, religion, and class play in the 2016 presidential election? Which demographic voting blocs do you think the presidential candidates will need to target in 2020? Finally, why are certain demographics more politically engaged (ex: older voters) and is there anything that can be done to encourage other groups (ex: Millennials) to be more invested in the political process? Remember to cite at least two of this week's readings as part of your response. 

Campaign Advertising Strategy – Tuesday, October 2nd (Blog #5)

Analyze four examples of presidential campaign ads – one each from Trump and Clinton in the 2016 election and two from a previous election (2012 or earlier). Discuss the audience demographic/s the ad was targeting and whether you think the ad was effective in its messaging for its target audience/s. You should refer to Ch. 4 in Denton and at least one additional reading posted for this week to support your analysis. Note: the website “The Living Room Candidate” (http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/) is a good place to locate presidential campaign ads.

Polling – Tuesday, September 25th (Blog #4)

What impact do polls have on political communication? How would you assess the role that polls and poll aggregating organizations (like FiveThirtyEight.com or RealClearPolitics) played in the 2016 presidential election? In your opinion, is there too much emphasis on polls by the media, politicians, and/or the public OR is polling a valuable way to gauge political opinion? Be sure to use at least two of the readings for this week to support your response. 

Social Media – Tuesday, September 18th (Blog #3)

Analyze President Trump’s tweets during the week of your last birthday (in 2018 or 2017). What topics were covered? Were any individuals mentioned in the tweets? How would you describe the tone of the tweets (positive, negative, neutral)? How representative were that week’s tweets of President Trump’s general use of Twitter as a communications tool? And how does President Trump’s use of Twitter compare to the social media usage of other politicians, particularly President Obama (as discussed in the Farnsworth chapters) or Hillary Clinton (covered in Denton Ch. 5)? You should refer to the Farnsworth or Denton chapters and at least one additional reading posted for this week (9/18) to support your analysis. Also, upload to the class OneDrive shared file a screenshot of a tweet that best represents your week. 

The Constant Campaign – Tuesday, September 11th (Blog #2)

In 2018, President Trump has appeared at a number of rallies in support of fellow Republicans seeking re-election in the upcoming midterm elections. What are his primary messages at these rallies? How are these messages similar to, and different from, his talking points in the 2016 election? Who is his audience and in what ways do his messages resonate with that audience? In your assessment, is he an effective communicator? Finally, why do political rallies and “stump” campaigning remain an important part of the political process? You must refer to at least one of the textbook readings assigned for today (9/11) along with a second reading posted on Blackboard for this week. You should also offer at least two examples of rally communication messages/strategies to support your arguments.

Political Conversations – Tuesday, September 4th (Blog #1)

In this first weekly posting, consider your own political communication habits. How, where, when, and why do you talk about politics? Who do you talk to about politics? Where do you get your political information? And how would you characterize most political talk today? Do you agree or disagree with critics that incivility dominates today’s political discussions? You should refer to at least two of the class readings from either last week (8/28, 8/30) or this week (9/4, 9/6) to support your answer. Be sure to use proper MLA or APA citation style and refer to the assignment guidelines for more details.