This page is a class assignment at Davidson College. See bottom
The Dueling Daschles and Other Thune Campaign Themes
The John Thune campaign mixed both negative and positive images in its assault on Senator Tom Daschle (D). While it vigorously emphasized Thune’s deep South Dakota roots, the campaign attacked Thune as a Washington outsider and flip-flopper, cold or indifferent to the values which South Dakota voters share.
Thune's Positives
Thune’s positive strategy emphasized Thune’s roots in South Dakota. The campaign sought to project Thune as a down-home boy from a small South Dakota town. Of the five photos in his online scrapbook on his campaign website, for example, four trumpet his South Dakota heritage. The rest emphasize his family's heritage in the State, as well as continuing community involvement (John's). In an August interview with Thune’s campaign manager, Dick Wadham, whom some credit for the win (Van Beek), confirmed the strategy. Since this strategy was based on a simple truth, it not only was unimpeachable in its veracity, but it got the word out effectively that Thune is "one of us."
Daschle's Negatives
While broadcasting his own fidelity to South Dakota, Thune used Daschle’s leadership position on Capitol Hill against him. Thune portrayed Daschle as not only out of touch with South Dakotans, but as incompatible with and even opposed to the values which South Dakotans hold. For example, a series of September radio advertisements feature different South Dakota constituents—a small businessman, a farmer, a veteran, a “cowgirl”—who, except for one, criticize Tom Daschle for weak leadership on the Hill. Charges of a betrayal of values and obstructionism and a clear sense of distrust resonate from these men and women (Glazer 9/23/04). Daschle's loyalty to fellow Democrats in Washington, and to the national party agenda, are criticized too (Glazer 9/9/04).
Thune even linked Daschle with Kerry--a smart move in a heavily GOP state--(Almanac) by implying that Daschle is a flip-flopper. The Dueling Daschles game, found on the Thune website (DD), humorously evokes the image of President Bush's Windsurfing ad (Kinnard). Thune’s emphasis on the difference between Daschle’s home rhetoric and Hill action efficiently linked together the criticism of the two Democratic candidates.
Thune's negative ads effectively exploited Daschle's unique position as a national Democrat from a conservative, Republican state. The ads contain a mixture of objective and subjective material--drawing on constituents' viewpoints, voting records, and even stereotypes--in order to denigrate Daschle. The first two sources are very hard to counter. The last strategy, though seemingly based on a manipulation of the facts, and as subjective as a determination of 'flip-flopping' is, seems to have been enormously successful nationally for the Republicans.
WORKS CITED AND HONOR CODE STATEMENT
Created Nov. 14, 2004. Updated Nov. 15, 2004