This study examines candidate discourse across four media types: television spots, radio spots, debates, and Web sites in the 2000 presidential primaries. The purpose of the analysis was to determine whether there is a relationship between candidate discourse on certain issues and the level of importance assigned to those issues by voters. The analysis indicates that some candidates are more effective than are others at addressing the issues most important to voters. The analysis also indicates that two message forms—debates and television spots—were modestly successful at adapting to audience preferences and two forms—radio spots and Web sites—were somewhat less successful at adapting to audience preferences.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Benoit, W. L. (1999). Seeing spots: A functional analysis of presidential television advertisements from 1952-1996. New York: Praeger.
2.
Benoit, W. L. , Blaney, J. R., & Pier, P. M. (1998). Campaign 96: A functional analysis of acclaiming, attacking, and defending. Westport, CT: Praeger.
3.
Berquist, G. F. (1960). The Kennedy-Humphrey debate. Today's Speech, 8, (2/3), 31.
4.
Best, S. J. , & Hubbard, C. (2000). The role of televised debates in the presidential nominating process. In W. G. Mayer (Ed.), In pursuit of the White House 2000: How we choose our presidential nominees (pp. 256-284). New York: Chatham House.
5.
Blankenship, J. , Fine, M. G., & Davis, L. K. (1983). The 1980 Republican primary debates: The transformation of actor to scene. Quarterly Journal of Speech, 64, 25-36.
6.
Davis, J. W. (1997). U.S. presidential primaries and the caucus-convention system: A sourcebook. Westport, CT: Praeger.
7.
Davis, R. (1999). The web of politics: The Internet's impact on the American political system. New York: Oxford University Press.
8.
Dulio, D. A. , Goff, D. L., & Thurber, J. A. (1999). Untangled web: Internet use during the 1998 election. PS: Political Science and Politics, 32, 53-58.
9.
Enslow, R. (1999). Los Angeles Times poll alert. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 29, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.latimes.com/news/timespoll/pdf/432pa1da.pdf
10.
Faucheux, R. (1998). How campaigns are using the Internet: An exclusive nationwide survey. Campaigns and Elections, 19(9), 22-25.
11.
Hall, M. (1997). One-to-one politics in cyberspace. Media Studies Journal, 2, 97-103.
12.
Hansen, G. J. (2000, November). Internet presidential campaigning: The influences of candidate Internet sites on the 2000 election. Paper presented at the National Communication Association Convention, Seattle, WA.
13.
Hellweg, S. A. , & Phillips, S. L. (1981). A verbal and visual analysis of the 1980 Houston Republican primary debate. Southern Speech Communication Journal, 47, 23-38.
14.
Hickman, R. H. (1984-1985). Presidential election debates: Do they matter?Election Politics, 2, 10-14.
15.
Hofstetter, C. R. , Donovan, M. C., Klauber, M. R., Cole, A., Hue, C. J., & Yuasa, T. (1993). Political talk radio: A stereotype reconsidered. Political Research, 47, 467-479.
16.
Hollander, B. A. (1995). The new news and the 1993 presidential campaign: Perceived vs. actual political knowledge. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 72, 786-798.
17.
Hollander, B. A. (1995-1996). The influence of talk radio on political efficacy and participation. Journal of Radio Studies, 3, 23-31.
18.
Hollander, B. A. (1996). Talk radio: Predictors of use and effects on attitudes about government. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 73, 102-113.
19.
Johnson, T. J. , Braima, M.A.M., & Sothirajah, J. (1999). Doing the traditional media sidestep: Comparing the effects of the Internet and other nontraditional media with traditional media in the 1996 presidential campaign. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 76, 99-123.
20.
Jones, J. M. (2000). Special analysis—McCain voters: Many Independents and Democrats would support McCain but not Bush in general election. Retrieved March 9, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://205.219.140.75/poll/releases/pr000303b.asp
21.
Kaid, L. L. , & Ballotti, J. (1991, November). Television advertising in presidential primaries and caucuses. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Speech Communication Association, Atlanta, GA.
22.
Kane, T. (1987). The Dewey-Stassen primary debate of 1948: An examination of fromat for presidential debates. In J. Wenzel (Ed.), Argument and critical practices. Annandale, VA: Speech Communication Association.
23.
Kendall, K. E. (2000). Communication in the presidential primaries: Candidates and the media, 1912-2000. Westport, CT: Praeger.
24.
Kern, M. (1997). Social capital and citizen interpretation of political ads, news, and web site information in the 1996 presidential election. American Behavioral Scientist, 40, 1238-1249.
25.
Klotz, R. (1998). Virtual criticism: Negative advertising on the Internet in the 1996 Senate race. Political Communication, 15, 347-365.
26.
Lanoue, D. J. , & Schrott, P. R. (1989). The effects of primary season debates on public opinion. Political Behavior, 11, 289-306.
27.
Lanoue, D. J. , & Schrott, P. R. (1991). The joint press conference: The history, impact, and prospects of American presidential debates. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
28.
Lemert, J. L. , Elliot, W. R., Nestvold, K. J., & Rarick, G. R. (1983). Effects of viewing a presidential primary debate. Communication Research, 10, 155-173.
29.
Margolis, M. , Resnick, D., & Tu Chin. (1997). Campaigning on the Internet: Parties and candidates on the World Wide Web in the 1996 primary season. Press/Politics, 2, 59-78.
30.
Martel, M. (1983). Political campaign debates: Issues, strategies and tactics. New York: Longman.
31.
Murphy, J. M. (1972). Presidential debates and campaign rhetoric: Text within context. Southern Communication Journal, 57, 219-228.
32.
Orren, G. R. (1985). The nomination process: Vicissitudes of candidate selection. In M. Nelson (Ed.), The elections of 1984 (pp. 27-82). Washington, DC: Congressional Quarterly.
33.
Payne, J. G. , Marlier, J., & Baukus, R. A. (1989). Polispots in the 1988 presidential primaries: Separating the nominees from the rest of the guys. American Behavioral Scientist, 32, 365-381.
34.
Pew Research Center . (1998). Online newcomers more middle-brow, less work-oriented: The Internet news audience goes ordinary. Retrieved September 12, 1999, from the World Wide Web: http://www.people-press.org/tech98sum.htm
35.
Pew Research Center . (2000a). Audiences fragmented and skeptical: The tough job of communicating with voters. Retrieved June 8, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.people-press.org/jan00que2.htm
36.
Pew Research Center . (2000b). Investors now go online for quotes, advice: Internet sapping broadcast news audience. Retrieved June 8, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.people-press.org/media00que.htm
37.
Pfau, M. (1984). A comparative assessment of intra-party political debate formats. Political Communication Review, 8, 1-23.
38.
Pfau, M. (1987). The influence of intra-party debates on candidate preference. Communication Research, 14, 687-697.
39.
Pfau, M. (1988). Intra-party political debates and issue learning. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 16, 99-112.
40.
Pfau, M. , Diedrich, T., Larson, K. M., & Winkle, K. M. van. (1993). Relational and competence perceptions of presidential candidates during primary election campaigns. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 37, 275-292.
41.
Pomper, G. M. (1975). Voters' choice: Varieties of American electoral behavior. New York: Dodd, Mead.
42.
Ray, R. F. (1961). Thomas E. Dewey: The great Oregon debate of 1948. In R. Reid (Ed.), American public address: Studies in honor of Albert Craig Baird (pp. 245-270). Columbia: University of Missouri Press.
43.
Selnow, G. (1998). Electronic whistle stops: The impact of the Internet on American politics. Westport, CT: Praeger.
44.
Shapiro, M. A. , & Rieger, R. H. (1992). Comparing positive and negative political advertising on the radio. Journalism Quarterly, 69, 135-145.
45.
Shyles, L. (1983). Defining the issues of a presidential election from televised political spot advertisements. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 27, 333-343.
46.
Shyles, L. (1984). The relationships of images, issues, and presentational methods in televised spot advertisements for 1980's American presidential primaries. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 28, 405-421.
47.
Stelzner, H. G. (1971). Humphrey and Kennedy court West Virginia, May 3, 1960. Southern Speech Communication Journal, 37, 21-33.
48.
Tedesco, J. C. , Miller, J. L., & Spiker, J. A. (1999). Presidential campaigning on the information superhighway: An exploration of content and form. In L. L. Kaid & D. G. Bystrom (Eds.), The electronic election: Perspectives on the 1996 campaign communication (pp. 51-63). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
49.
Vivian, J. (1999). The media of mass communication. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
50.
Whillock, R. K. (1997). Cyber-politics. American Behavioral Scientist, 40, 1208-1225.
51.
Yawn, M. , Ellsworth, K., Beatty, B., & Kahn, K. F. (1998). How a presidential primary debate changed attitudes of audience members. Political Behavior, 20, 155-181.
