Assignment #4
This page is a part of an undergradute assignment at Davidson College.
Betty Castor's Message Strategy
Castor on Castor
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Castor on Martinez
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Martinez on Castor
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Martinez on Martinez
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Betty Castor put forth excellent efforts during the campaign against Mel Martinez, spending close to 9 million dollars this the fall creating the messages she hoped would convince voters to choose her on November 2 nd. While she was well funded and the results were close, her efforts fell short against Martinez. In a traditionally Republican state, Castor had to develop a message that would appeal to voters in both parties while still remaining loyal to the Democrats who chose her as their candidate.
Castor would have benefited from analyzing a message box like the one created above. One of the weaknesses in her strategy was that she failed to capitalize on her values, unlike Martinez who used his past and experiences to paint a portrait. Had she built a message box that attempted to anticipate his strategy against her, she would have noticed that he would attack her actions at USF and how those decisions could be influential on her future in the Senate. Castor simply commented on Martinez’s links to President Bush and the party, which for many Republican voters was a positive thing. She failed to anticipate his attacks, focusing on the issues she would fight for if elected and looking weaker when she was unable to refocus the voters on her values and character.
It is a difficult case to make against Martinez’s realization of the American Dream. His is an incredible story of success and made him look extremely strong and determined to voters who are expecting him to work that hard for them in the Senate. Castor was so focused on the issues that she was not able to paint the same kind of picture about herself. Martinez made himself a man of the people and approachable, where as Castor focused on her experience and plans, making it harder to connect to her story. Martinez followed Republican suit and made the election about character and values, and like his close friend Dubya, was successful. Democrats focused on change and issues, and seemed to lose on many electoral levels when they could not capitalize on the moral fight for office.
Send comments, questions, and suggestions to emupchurch@davidson.edu
Created: November 15, 2004. Last updated: November 15, 2004