Golfers to the right, jokers to the left

摘要

In 1984 Ronald Reagan's campaign aired a syrupy ad declaring: "It's Morning Again in America". It was designed to appeal to as many people as possible, showing pictures of Americans doing utterly mainstream things like going to work, getting married and loving their families. Ken Goldstein of the University of San Francisco calls this the "shotgun approach". Modern political ads typically use a sniper's-rifle-with-telescopic-sights approach. Instead of selling a story for all Americans, they aim at specific groups, such as lovers of guns or abortion rights. Often, they warn members of these groups that the other party despises them and wishes them harm.