Beyond the Annoying and Repetitive: Determining Thematic Strategies Present in Southern 2020 Senate Races
Creators: name: Horne, Virginia (Ginny)
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2021
Subjects: Advertising, Political
Content analysis (Communication)
Interviews
Southern States—Politics and government
Political campaigns

description: On November 19, 2020, more than two weeks after election day, the Associated Press called the state of Georgia and its 16 electoral college votes for President Joe Biden (Moore, 2020). Then, on January 5, 2021, two Democratic candidates, Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock won both Senate seats in the Georgia run-offs. Democrats won in the South. Was 2020 a fluke? Or could more Southern states turn purple and blue? I propose that a critical element in any progressive hope to expand the presence of the Democratic Party in the South needs to focus on strategic communication. This research provides a foundational understanding of existing themes used in online political advertisements in the region. With this foundational understanding, progressives can use this research as a starting point to develop a strategic communication plan for future elections.  Because of the South’s conservative history, many people equate Southern-ness with conservatism. However, after the 2020 election cycle, we now have momentous evidence suggesting that progressives can win in the South with proper support and coalition building. This evidence gives Democrats the opportunity to disrupt the stereotype and create a new, more accurate understanding of what it means to be Southern. This research seeks to broaden our understanding of political communication in the South to help progressives develop effective strategies in the region. A foundational understanding of existing communication strategies provides an opportunity to note weaknesses and create a plan of action to make these communication shortfalls work for future progressive campaigns.  To gain this foundational understanding, I watched hundreds of ads from Southern Senate campaigns used in the 2020 election. I collected this content through the Facebook Ad Library and watched ads that met specified standards to ensure they had substance for analysis. I then used qualitative analysis to understand the ads and determine if there were any themes that reached saliency across state and party lines. Finally, I considered how these themes fit into current cultural and political contexts in the South and how Democrats could use them in the future. The Democratic Party has a unique opportunity to invest in Southern campaigns given the current political climate, including the splintering divides in the Republican Party, changing demographics in the region, and the momentum from the 2020 election. My research found three themes that reached saliency across party and state lines. The first, “Menacing Messaging,” uses fear as an emotional stimulant to elicit support. The second, “Woe Is Me,” also uses an emotional appeal. However, this theme uses emotion to reinforce in-group and out-group mentalities to galvanize voters and play into their political identities. The final theme, “The Fred Rogers’ Effect,” attempts to make voters feel a candidate was approachable, authentic, and relatable. The research provides a foundational understanding of existing themes used in Southern political advertisements and produces additional questions relevant for progressive strategists working in the region to consider.