Foucault and Semiotics: Political Ad

After viewing a political ad for Mike Hatch, I began to take note of certain elements within the ad that lend themselves to analysis. Political ads are typically filled with rhetoric and other tools of persuasion, and MikHatch's is no different. The subtely with which this ad speaks, however, is rather intriguing. By exploring this ad through both Foucaultian and semiotic lenses, I hope to shed some light on the ad's intentions.

First, by focusing on the images present, some of the subtle aspects of the begin to come to light. The ad begins by showing Mr. Hatch in a field, decked out in full hunting gear. The meaning of this image begins simply: Mike Hatch is a hunter. But what does that mean in the context of a political ad about wanting to become governor? Mike Hatch is politically liberal, and therefore by showing his hunting practices he can connect with hunters, a typically politically conservative group. The image of Hatch and his hunting dogs persists throughout the ad, ending with Hatch petting one of his dogs playfully. Immediately following this image is one of Hatch's military career in the merchant marines. The ad continually discusses Hatch's toughness, an interesting contrast with a man playing with dog. Words such as "defended," "exposed" and "cracked down" are used to hope to show that Hatch would be a strong leader. The ad is obviously playing to a tougher, and possibly more blue collar crowd. It is likely that the ad is meant to reach out to disenchanted conservatives and pull them to his side. Interestingly, this creates a discourse between the ad and the people at which is it aimed.

Through analyizing this discourse, I began to find elements of Foucault. Foucault says that power is not possessed but used as tool in discourse. Thus, this political ad begins a discourse with its audience. Foucaultian analysis typically discusses larger, more abstract ideas, incorporating historical events and transitions. This ad shows the need to show a strong leader in response to earlier attack ads against other candiates showing either weakness or inconsistency. This ad becomes one more part of the greater discourse occuring throughout the country. The idea is that in a time of war, a strong and courageous leader is necessary. Those wanting to remain in control the government then create a war with seemingly no end in sight and connect the opposing party with weakness and indecision. Mr. Hatch's ad is a response to this change in discourse. Mr. Hatch reaches out to the other party's typical characteristics and tries to embody those while maintaining a "Minnesota nice" to maintain his liberal base.

These two lenses begin to show some of the messages hidden in the subtext of Hatch's political ad and examine the influence the larger discourse has had on the ad's creation. A more through analysis would likely bring even more curious ideas to light.