It was my first election. And, I voted for this guy. Anyone who knows me would demand proof. But, listen to his message. Carter was beta testing messaging that would play in liberal politics right through last November’s election. And, when they stay on message, look how many people drove this message all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue.
Ad countdown to a new president: Wallace
He stood against integration and busing and anything that broke down the walls separating the equal and the “more equal than.” Democratic governer George Wallace was up front with who he was and what he meant. The business end of a bullet took him down, but not out; shifting values and progress finished the job.
Wallace’s core themes make this ad interesting viewing. Does he sound like a Dem to you? Back then he did….
Ad countdown to a new president: Humphrey
The happy warrior, Hubert Humphrey paid the price for doing the right thing. He stood by his principles, though he knew them unpopular. Weeks before the election, he must have taken a slip of "wake the hell up" and realized he was in a popularity contest. He shifted his stance, but it was too late. In those days the news cycle was measured in days and hours, not minutes and seconds like today. His campaign was honorable and he stands as a giant of the old guard who put their own ambition second to what is best for America.
Ad countdown to a new president: Nixon
Historic perspective casts an eerie glow over this one. Nixon's machine was a combine chewing up all that stood between him and the Oval Office. It was the first time I read of the concept of incumbency in advertising. Nixon had it from the git go and never let loose. How daunting it is to face a campaign that assumes the sale with a cocky swagger, taunting opponents into a head-on death match.
Though he was ultimately undone by his demons, taken out by those who loathed him, Nixon's advertising set the template for republicans in the next three cycles.