iVoteValues

Classic Ads: Kennedy 1960

Posted by: Brent James on February 18, 2008

The only thing new about modern political ads is the improvement in production values. Other than that, they are just electronic sandwich boards. People we don’t really know, make promises that are often forgotten by the time they take office. Often, those promises are not in their power to fulfill, but ultimately reliant upon the consent of the governed.

That’s no reason to tune out, however. We should listen well, because political ads present the subtle “between-the-lines” kind of candidate information not found in most other sources. Our questions should be, “How is this idea or promise going to affect America? How will it then affect me or my family?” “How does this candidate’s pitch square with my values?”

Take a look at John Kennedy’s classic political ad from 1960. Rather tame and polite by today’s standards. He was running for president and had strong ideas about the affordability of senior healthcare. Sound familiar?

Join The Conversation

Discuss this article. We reserve the right to delete any comments that do not comply with our terms of use.