It has been about a month since New York Representative Steven Israel posted his first advertisement on Youtube for his re-election campaign. Israel only has two ad’s posted on his site, hinting at the fact that he’s not concerned about his opponent Grant Lally. In fact, in both ad’s Israel doesn’t even mention him.
Lally has no advertisements for his campaign, and no official Youtube account (on Israel’s account you can see a few dozen videos of him with the press and some of his previous campaign ads.) Lally has so little press attention and no advertising, if Israel were to even mention Lally’s name he would be giving him free press. By not presenting his opponent in any form and keeping a positive ad, Israel keeps Lally out of any significant public media.
But what’s more interesting about Israel’s campaign ad (titled “A Fair Shot for the Middle Class) is the tactics spread throughout the ad that will certainly appeal to voters. Israel’s spends the entirety of the ad driving a Ford (a car that some would identify as a “middle income” vehicle). During the ad he transports both two construction workers and a mother with two children (These people are used to empathize with blue collar workers and parents). To also gain support of parents Israel asks “Everybody buckled up?”. Israel’s concern for the passengers safety emulates how he protects the middle class.
The ad as a whole is heavily supportive of the “middle class” (as the title suggests). Israel starts the ad by noting that the “middle class” isn’t seeking a “free ride” (play on words with the car ride) but rather a “fair shot”. He’s making a significant effort to point out that he believes the “middle class” is looking for financial support not and not trying to “mooch” off of benefits. In the ad, Israel makes about three significant points. The first is that he believes “middle class” taxpayers pay “too much of a tax burden”. The astronomical cost of living on Long Island is clearly an issue Israel wants to address with this ad (as it’s a very important issue with Long Islanders). Israel then notes that there must be a decrease in tax cuts to companies that commence in outsourcing (which also appeals to the middle class). While Israel says this, the bottom of the screen shows a Newsday (Long Island’s exclusive newspaper) headline that supports the fact that Israel has already brought up this issue in the past (thus reaffirming his claim). Finally Israel notes that the tax code needs to be reformed “to reflect the higher cost of living”. Once again, as he says this, another headline, this time from CBS New York, appears in order to show what he has been and is still fighting for as a Representative. Everything about this ad is targeted for the middle class, which is the demographic that Israel’s voters fall under.
Israel also makes an interesting statement towards the end of the 30-second spot. He says “The dollar just doesn't go as far as Melville as it does in Montana.” Israel makes one a relation of Long Island to the rest of the country noting that Long Island needs a significantly different tax code.
All of this is presented in a very nuance and smooth ad, but what’s strange is that Israel already ran a very similar ad for the 2008 election. In the old ad, Israel is once again driving, this time primarily on a expressway (he’s not picking up or dropping off any passengers). But so many of the same ideas and tactics in the new ad are present in the old one as well. Israel makes similar statements about “tax breaks” this time however he refers to Long Islanders in general, which is probably a mistake on his part (Considering a good portion of Long Islanders are rather wealthy). He again, refers to the “high cost of living” and as he is making his points, headlines (also from Newsday) appear on the screen. Israel even makes a similar statement: “A dollar doesn’t go as far in Islip as it does in Idaho”. The ad is practically identical, although the newer ad is obviously of a better quality (reflective of more money being spent on it).
The similar ads shows a very important trend about electoral politics. An incumbent can easily win re-election by appealing to the majority of voters constantly and by keep a consistent policy that reinforces this appeal. Israel’s consistent victories have been accredited to the fact that he knows how to gather support from the middle class and he uses this advantage in order to maintain his government status.
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