San Antonio College students' network for the 2008 election
Can do spirit Clinton
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_kPOjH3jHI
The video “Can do spirit” from Hillary Clinton’s campaign has a patriotic tone. It is created to persuade voters to vote for Hillary as a nominee from Democratic Party on coming presidential elections. In the beginning of the video, we see some scenes from the current situation such as: patriotic military people, elderly couple, mother with a baby, which are followed by the sing “FORECLOSURE” and implementation of idea of a not secured future neither for young generation nor for older people. The tone of the voice is depressing and the mimic of the people in those scenes reveal that current situation in the country is not uplifting. Yet, we see Hillary speaking to the camera with a great change in her voice, where she points out the main goal of her campaign such as to increase the economy of the United States, freeze the foreclosure, cut taxes for the middle class. According to this video, Hillary Clinton is the empathetic candidate to the position that is listens, and supports this message with the use of the conceptual metaphors of nurturance, nation as a family and liberal metaphors for morality.
One of the metaphors is used in the video is Morality as Empathy. The idea of the metaphor is to feel what another person feels. Lakoff states: “I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. I know how you feel. I feel for you” (Lakoff 14). Hillary applies this concept in her campaign focusing on middle class electorate. The current economic situation in the country is not the best; US dollar decreases its value, mortgage crisis where the middle and lower class of people suffers the most. In the video, she declares: “We know you can’t solve economic problems with political promises”. These words precede the scenes with the working class people, elderly couple, and mothers with children. Hillary Clinton seems to be empathetic about economic issues and implies that she also use to belong to the middle class; being a women, she listens and cares about issues.
Another one of the conceptual metaphors used in the video is the Nurturant Parent model. Lakoff explains: “The primal experience behind this model is one of being cared for and cared about, having one’s desires for loving interactions met, living as happily as possible, and deriving meaning from one’s community and from caring for and about others”(Lakoff 13). Hillary Clinton is presented as a nurturant parent in the video. One of her goals is to implement the universal healthcare system. Universal health care refers to the idea that every American should have access to affordable, high-quality health care. That what it says on the official campaign website: “Hillary's American Health Choices Plan covers all Americans and improves health care by lowering costs and improving quality. It speaks to American values, American families, and American jobs. It puts the consumer in the driver's seat by offering more choices and lowering costs”. The best scene in the video that implies that Hillary Clinton is a nurturant parent is when she speaks to children. As a caring parent, the candidate wants the “children” to have choices and choose for themselves the most appropriate way of the healthcare coverage and secure future.
Conceptual metaphor Nation as a family can be applied in the video as well. Where nation is represented as a family and the president is a carrying parent who takes care of his children. Lakoff describes it as: “The government, as nurturant parent, is responsible for providing for the basic needs of its citizens: food, shelter….”(Lakoff 15).This metaphor is closely related to the Nurturant Parent model. In the video, we see a scene with a sign FORECLOSURE. Right now millions homes are at risk because home owners cannot afford to make payments and, as a result may loose the roof over their heads. According to Danny Schechter: “The foreclosure crisis is a window into the larger credit and debt crisis that is squeezing millions of people, deepening economic inequality and illustrating the need for politicians to speak out and individuals to take a stand”. Hillary Clinton proposes her plan of how to improve the situation, New York Times states: “Senator Clinton called on Congress to provide $30 billion to help states and communities lessen the number of foreclosures”. Hillary Clinton is in a role of nurturant parent taking care of her children by providing with shelter. The liberal version of nation as family is a communal thing where the family works together. In the ad it is supported by the words: “We are Americans, and together there is no problem we cannot solve” (Can do spirit ). With this phrase, Clinton emphasizes on fact that as a family, we will be strong.
Apart from the conceptual metaphors described by Lakoff, the first association with the words “can do it” comes to my mind in a visual representation of a recruitment and socialization through WWII war effort poster. In this poster, woman flexes her muscles and calls to duty women and men in the workforce. Sounds familiar? Hillary Clinton declares in the video: “We can turn our economy around and build a new age of prosperity” (Can do spirit). Looking back at the history, the poster “can do it” and the woman representing it had a great impact on the society: the tremendous influx of workers, particularly women, into the American workforce in order to produce goods in support of home front production objectives of WWII. It is possible that that woman from the poster is a prototype of Hillary Clinton in the current campaign. The question rises if Hillary Clinton will have the same outcome as her prototype? I guess that we will see in the nearest future.
In this video, I can see some analogy with a Lyndon Johnson campaign in 1964, the phrase “stakes are too high” (Daisy girl). Hillary says: “the stakes are too high, the future is too important” (Can do spirit), basically implies come and vote for me. I think Hillary Clinton in this ad misses out the safety of the nation factor. She says much about the current situation in the economic sector, but is she the one who would make a tough decision to protect the country from the enemies? The credibility of her statements are long years of experience, but is she experienced in the military sector? According to Professor Shute, the video “Can do spirit” is a “slick professional product that doesn’t have any substance. She includes a number of deceptive elements such as 35 years of experience. Being a first lady doesn’t automatically qualify her for the position. The last 4 years in Senate that what should be relevant in this case”.
The overall analysis of the video can be contradicting. On one hand, it can be convincing to some people, since the video covers a large demography of people and emphasize on the nation as a family issues. Besides, Hillary Clinton is a popular and well-know name in the country and she does has some achievements. On the other hand, the validity of the statement “35 years of experience” (Can do spirit) is not very convincing because she hasn’t been in Senate for 35 years. I guess the voter will make the right decision to whom to give his/her vote in the coming presidential elections.
Works cited
Can do spirit. You Tube. 30 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008. .
Clinton, Hillary. Home Page. 6 Apr. 2008. 7 Apr.2008.
.
Daisy Girl. You Tube. 30 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008. .
Draadrik, Ann. Economic plan. 3 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr.2008. New York Times. .
Lakoff, George. “Metaphor, Morality, and Politics”.1995. University of California at Berkly. 6 Apr. 2008. .
Schechter, Danny. Media Channel. 6 Apr. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008.
.
Shute, William. Personal Interview. 6 Apr. 2008.
The video “Can do spirit” from Hillary Clinton’s campaign has a patriotic tone. It is created to persuade voters to vote for Hillary as a nominee from Democratic Party on coming presidential elections. In the beginning of the video, we see some scenes from the current situation such as: patriotic military people, elderly couple, mother with a baby, which are followed by the sing “FORECLOSURE” and implementation of idea of a not secured future neither for young generation nor for older people. The tone of the voice is depressing and the mimic of the people in those scenes reveal that current situation in the country is not uplifting. Yet, we see Hillary speaking to the camera with a great change in her voice, where she points out the main goal of her campaign such as to increase the economy of the United States, freeze the foreclosure, cut taxes for the middle class. According to this video, Hillary Clinton is the empathetic candidate to the position that is listens, and supports this message with the use of the conceptual metaphors of nurturance, nation as a family and liberal metaphors for morality.
One of the metaphors is used in the video is Morality as Empathy. The idea of the metaphor is to feel what another person feels. Lakoff states: “I know what it’s like to be in your shoes. I know how you feel. I feel for you” (Lakoff 14). Hillary applies this concept in her campaign focusing on middle class electorate. The current economic situation in the country is not the best; US dollar decreases its value, mortgage crisis where the middle and lower class of people suffers the most. In the video, she declares: “We know you can’t solve economic problems with political promises”. These words precede the scenes with the working class people, elderly couple, and mothers with children. Hillary Clinton seems to be empathetic about economic issues and implies that she also use to belong to the middle class; being a women, she listens and cares about issues.
Another one of the conceptual metaphors used in the video is the Nurturant Parent model. Lakoff explains: “The primal experience behind this model is one of being cared for and cared about, having one’s desires for loving interactions met, living as happily as possible, and deriving meaning from one’s community and from caring for and about others”(Lakoff 13). Hillary Clinton is presented as a nurturant parent in the video. One of her goals is to implement the universal healthcare system. Universal health care refers to the idea that every American should have access to affordable, high-quality health care. That what it says on the official campaign website: “Hillary's American Health Choices Plan covers all Americans and improves health care by lowering costs and improving quality. It speaks to American values, American families, and American jobs. It puts the consumer in the driver's seat by offering more choices and lowering costs”. The best scene in the video that implies that Hillary Clinton is a nurturant parent is when she speaks to children. As a caring parent, the candidate wants the “children” to have choices and choose for themselves the most appropriate way of the healthcare coverage and secure future.
Conceptual metaphor Nation as a family can be applied in the video as well. Where nation is represented as a family and the president is a carrying parent who takes care of his children. Lakoff describes it as: “The government, as nurturant parent, is responsible for providing for the basic needs of its citizens: food, shelter….”(Lakoff 15).This metaphor is closely related to the Nurturant Parent model. In the video, we see a scene with a sign FORECLOSURE. Right now millions homes are at risk because home owners cannot afford to make payments and, as a result may loose the roof over their heads. According to Danny Schechter: “The foreclosure crisis is a window into the larger credit and debt crisis that is squeezing millions of people, deepening economic inequality and illustrating the need for politicians to speak out and individuals to take a stand”. Hillary Clinton proposes her plan of how to improve the situation, New York Times states: “Senator Clinton called on Congress to provide $30 billion to help states and communities lessen the number of foreclosures”. Hillary Clinton is in a role of nurturant parent taking care of her children by providing with shelter. The liberal version of nation as family is a communal thing where the family works together. In the ad it is supported by the words: “We are Americans, and together there is no problem we cannot solve” (Can do spirit ). With this phrase, Clinton emphasizes on fact that as a family, we will be strong.
Apart from the conceptual metaphors described by Lakoff, the first association with the words “can do it” comes to my mind in a visual representation of a recruitment and socialization through WWII war effort poster. In this poster, woman flexes her muscles and calls to duty women and men in the workforce. Sounds familiar? Hillary Clinton declares in the video: “We can turn our economy around and build a new age of prosperity” (Can do spirit). Looking back at the history, the poster “can do it” and the woman representing it had a great impact on the society: the tremendous influx of workers, particularly women, into the American workforce in order to produce goods in support of home front production objectives of WWII. It is possible that that woman from the poster is a prototype of Hillary Clinton in the current campaign. The question rises if Hillary Clinton will have the same outcome as her prototype? I guess that we will see in the nearest future.
In this video, I can see some analogy with a Lyndon Johnson campaign in 1964, the phrase “stakes are too high” (Daisy girl). Hillary says: “the stakes are too high, the future is too important” (Can do spirit), basically implies come and vote for me. I think Hillary Clinton in this ad misses out the safety of the nation factor. She says much about the current situation in the economic sector, but is she the one who would make a tough decision to protect the country from the enemies? The credibility of her statements are long years of experience, but is she experienced in the military sector? According to Professor Shute, the video “Can do spirit” is a “slick professional product that doesn’t have any substance. She includes a number of deceptive elements such as 35 years of experience. Being a first lady doesn’t automatically qualify her for the position. The last 4 years in Senate that what should be relevant in this case”.
The overall analysis of the video can be contradicting. On one hand, it can be convincing to some people, since the video covers a large demography of people and emphasize on the nation as a family issues. Besides, Hillary Clinton is a popular and well-know name in the country and she does has some achievements. On the other hand, the validity of the statement “35 years of experience” (Can do spirit) is not very convincing because she hasn’t been in Senate for 35 years. I guess the voter will make the right decision to whom to give his/her vote in the coming presidential elections.
Works cited
Can do spirit. You Tube. 30 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008. .
Clinton, Hillary. Home Page. 6 Apr. 2008. 7 Apr.2008.
.
Daisy Girl. You Tube. 30 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008. .
Draadrik, Ann. Economic plan. 3 Mar. 2008. 7 Apr.2008. New York Times. .
Lakoff, George. “Metaphor, Morality, and Politics”.1995. University of California at Berkly. 6 Apr. 2008. .
Schechter, Danny. Media Channel. 6 Apr. 2008. 7 Apr. 2008.
.
Shute, William. Personal Interview. 6 Apr. 2008.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ricardo Lesmes on -
Mila you are an excellent writer and I like that you use words and sentence clear and easy to understand.
Your conclusion could not be better.
The overall analysis of the video can be contradicting. On one hand, it can be convincing to some people, since the video covers a large demography of people and emphasize on the nation as a family issues. Besides, Hillary Clinton is a popular and well-know name in the country and she does has some achievements. On the other hand, the validity of the statement “35 years of experience” (Can do spirit) is not very convincing because she hasn’t been in Senate for 35 years. I guess the voter will make the right decision to whom to give his/her vote in the coming presidential elections.
Taking some of your words I would say that Hillary doesn’t have any substance.
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Permalink Reply by Mila on -
Thank you, Ricardo. I 've read through my essay one more time and found many grammatical errors, oops! Can't change anything now.....too late. But yes, i tried to make my paper neutral, i do not support any of the candidates just sort of analyzed the video and some aspects of it.
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Permalink Reply by hconklin on
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You have given a good description of the video and this encourages others to watch the video with a new appreciation or understanding. As you point out, the wide range of ages and classes of people in the video coincide with the Lakoff therory of Morality as Empathy. I appreciated the information regarding this slogan being used in the past and its affect on the public. The way you brought out the questionable "35 years of experience" comment was clever. I appreciate the way you not only brought out the positive of the video and the candidate, but you did not hesitate to demonstrate the negative. There was nothing in the video that would convince me to vote for Hillary, since, as you say, she will be asking for money to "give" everyone health care and she seems to stretch the truth to fit her needs. She does demonstrate a very caring nature for children, but she may not be able to translate that caring into funds needed for her proposed programs. Maybe, as part of the last paragraph, where you are presenting the two sides, you could detail a few of her achievements.
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Permalink Reply by bingram3 on
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I thought that your essay did a very good job cutting the video into sections and made it more bite size. I thought that was an interesting point you made in reguards to her "35 years of experience" I think that it is a statement too often swallowed before thinking it through.
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