living room candidate journey

The Living Room Candidate

Presidential campaign commercials 1952—2016.

By Museum of the Moving Image

The Living Room Candidate "The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal is the ultimate indignity to the democratic process." -Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson, 1956

Still from "Laughter" (1968) Museum of the Moving Image

In our media-saturated environment, in which news and punditry blur during a non-stop flow of information, the television commercial remains one area where presidential candidates have control over their images. Commercials use the tools of fiction filmmaking, including script, visuals, editing, and performance, to distill a candidate's major themes into a few powerful images. Ads elicit emotional reactions, inspiring support for a candidate or raising doubts about the opponent. While commercials reflect the styles and techniques of the times in which they were made, the fundamental strategies and messages have tended to remain the same over the years. An effective campaign commercial must work on an emotional level, creating a connection with the voter. While a strong ad campaign does not guarantee election, it often does indicate which candidate has a clearer and more effective message. It is not surprising, therefore, that in most years, the best ads also happen to be in support of the winning candidates.

The Living Room Candidate website (screen capture) (2012) Museum of the Moving Image

The Living Room Candidate (www.livingroomcandidate.org) contains more than 500 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952, when Madison Avenue advertising executive Rosser Reeves convinced Dwight Eisenhower that short ads played during such popular TV programs such as I Love Lucy would reach more voters than any other form of advertising. This innovation had a permanent effect on the way presidential campaigns are run.

Peace Little Girl (Daisy) (1964) Museum of the Moving Image

Peace Little Girl (Daisy) 1964 | Lyndon B. Johnson The most famous of all campaign commercials, known as the “Daisy Girl” ad, ran only once as a paid advertisement, during an NBC broadcast of Monday Night at the Movies on September 7, 1964. Without any explanatory words, the ad uses a simple and powerful cinematic device, juxtaposing a scene of a little girl happily picking petals off of a flower, and an ominous countdown to a nuclear explosion. The frightening ad was instantly perceived as a portrayal of Barry Goldwater as an extremist. In fact, the Republican National Committee spelled this out by saying, “This ad implies that Senator Goldwater is a reckless man and Lyndon Johnson is a careful man.The ad was replayed in its entirety on ABC’s and CBS’s nightly news shows, amplifying its impact. Credits: "Peace Little Girl (Daisy)," Democratic National Committee, 1964 Maker: DDB: Aaron Erlich, Stan Lee, Sid Myers, and Tony Schwartz Original air date: 09/07/64 Video courtesy of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library www.livingroomcandidate.org

Laughter (1968) Museum of the Moving Image

Laughter 1968 | Hubert Humphrey Spiro Agnew was unknown on the national stage when Richard Nixon selected him as his running mate in 1968. Just six years earlier, Agnew won his first political office, as Baltimore County supervisor. He became the governor of Maryland in 1966. During a floor fight over his nomination at the Republican convention, some delegates ridiculed him, yelling “Spiro Who?” This ad also makes fun of Agnew, but suggests that his election would be no laughing matter. The ad was created by Tony Schwartz, best known for his work on the “Daisy Girl” commercial for Lyndon Johnson in 1964. In the memorable soundtrack to this ad, the uncontrollable laughter at the notion of Agnew as vice president turns into a painful cough, which serves as witty punctuation. This is one of the rare examples of humor in a presidential campaign ad. Credits: "Laughter," Citizens for Humphrey-Muskie, 1968 Maker: Tony Schwartz Video courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Convention (1968) Museum of the Moving Image

Convention 1968 | Richard Nixon This innovative and controversial ad for Richard Nixon ran eight days before the election. It was part of a series of powerful collage ads created from still photographs, music, and minimal narration by documentary filmmaker Eugene Jones. In "Convention," images of Vietnam, race riots, and poverty, intercut with a smiling Humphrey at the Democratic convention, are accompanied by "Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight." The song cleverly references both the riots at the convention and the domestic and international turmoil of the time. The ad ran as a paid spot on NBC’s comedy show Laugh-In. Sharing the show’s kinetic and irreverent style, it confused some viewers, who assumed it was part of the progam. Hundreds of others called the network to protest its bad taste. The Nixon campaign agreed to pull the ad, but the following night, The Huntley-Brinkley Report gave it free airtime by covering the controversy. As a result of his poor showing in the 1960 presidential debates, Richard Nixon’s appearances on television were carefully controlled in 1968. He refused to debate Humphrey, and "the one minute spot commercials presented Nixon’s views on his principal campaign themes—Vietnam, law and order, race, and the economy," said Leonard Garment, one of his campaign managers. Credits: "Convention," Nixon, 1968 Maker: Leonard Garment, Harry Treleaven, Frank Shakespeare, and Eugene Jones Original air date: 10/27/68 Video courtesy of the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Bio (1976) Museum of the Moving Image

Bio 1976 | Jimmy Carter It is traditional for candidates to begin their advertising campaigns with biographical ads. These positive commercials frame their life stories in the best possible light, attempting to link their personal histories to their political goals. The focus on personality was especially important in the 1976 election, which took place less than two years after the Watergate scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Many voters were cynical about their government, and character became a more significant factor than individual issues. From its modest opening, with the candidate seen in a denim work shirt on a farm, to its uplifting ending, where Carter is shown immediately after a shot of Mount Rushmore, the ad creates an emotionally compelling case for Carter as the candidate who can create a “new era” in America. Credits: "Bio," 1976 Democratic Presidential Campaign Committee, Inc., 1976 Maker: Gerald Rafshoon www.livingroomcandidate.org

Nancy Reagan (1980) Museum of the Moving Image

Nancy Reagan 1980 | Ronald Reagan In campaign ads, spouses usually play a benign role. They are there to humanize the candidate and to add some warmth. The 1980 ad “Nancy Reagan” is a striking exception. As the ad begins, she fervently refutes the charges that President Carter has made against “my husband,” stating that he is not a warmonger. She then goes on the attack, asking that Carter “explain to me” why inflation is so high, and why he has a “vacillating, weak” foreign policy. Although this is an attack ad, it is presented as an act of spousal defense. Reagan had a reputation as a staunch conservative, and the campaign felt the need to project a soft, safe image of the candidate so that voters would feel comfortable with him. The attacks on Carter are left to surrogates, including Nancy Reagan, Gerald Ford, William Safire, and—in another memorable ad using footage from the bitter Democratic primary battle—Ted Kennedy. Credits: "Nancy Reagan," Reagan Bush Committee, 1980 Maker: Campaign '80 Video courtesy of Ronald and Nancy Reagan/Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Prouder, Stronger, Better (1984) Museum of the Moving Image

Prouder, Stronger, Better 1984 | Ronald Reagan President Reagan's evocative re-election campaign ads were created by the Tuesday Team, an all-star group of advertising executives including Hal Riney, Philip Dusenberry, and Jerry Della Femina. The Reagan campaign made it clear to the team that they wanted something more effective and memorable than the straightforward "hard sell" ads of the 1980 campaign. The result was an inspiring series of picturesque ads collectively known as "Morning in America." With brightly lit montages of idyllic scenes of suburban life and swelling music, the ads evoked a Norman Rockwell vision of the country, suggesting that President Reagan had restored American optimism. By asking, “Do we really want to go back to where we were four short years ago?" the ads also gently attacked the Democratic candidate, former Vice President Walter Mondale, by linking him to the Jimmy Carter presidency. The voice of Hal Riney, who narrates the ad, is familiar from many commercials, for cars, insurance companies, and other products. According to Dusenberry, when Reagan was introduced to the Tuesday Team, he said, "I understand you guys are selling soap. I thought you'd like to see the bar." The "Morning in America" ads were run in heavy saturation early in the year, during Reagan's uncontested primary run, to set the tone for the rest of the campaign. Credits: "Prouder, Stronger, Better," Reagan-Bush '84, 1984 Maker: Tuesday Team: Hal Riney Original air date: 09/17/84 Video courtesy of Ronald and Nancy Reagan/Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Bear (1984) Museum of the Moving Image

Bear 1984 | Ronald Reagan The familiar, soothing, and avuncular voice narrating this classic ad belongs to advertising executive Hal Riney, who created this spot, and most of the optimistic “Morning in America” ads for Ronald Reagan’s re-election campaign. Using symbolism, the ad features a large grizzly bear lumbering through the woods. “Some say the bear is tame, others say it’s vicious and dangerous.” The bear represents a threat that could be real or imagined. While no mention is made of the Cold War, it becomes clear at the end of the ad that the bear represents the Soviet Union and the lone hunter represents the United States. With a soft, reassuring voice, the ad evokes fear of our enemies and makes a commonsense appeal for peace through strength. When the ad was tested for focus groups, many viewers were unsure about what the bear represented, thinking that it had something to do with the environment or gun control. Yet with its simple, ominous imagery, and suspenseful music combined with the subtle sound of a heartbeat, this is one of the most memorable of all campaign ads. It was the inspiration for the 2004 George Bush ad “Wolves,” created by Mark McKinnon. Credits: "Bear," Reagan-Bush '84, 1984 Maker: Tuesday Team: Hal Riney Original air date: 10/02/84 Video courtesy of Ronald and Nancy Reagan/Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Revolving Door (1988) Museum of the Moving Image

Revolving Door 1988 | George Bush This stark and unsettling ad from the Bush campaign doesn't mention the notorious escaped convict William Horton by name. (Although he went by William, the Bush campaign referred to him by the less respectable name “Willie”). However, with its release just a few weeks after the independently financed ad "Willie Horton" had generated controversy and national press coverage, the connection was clear. Under the direction of campaign manager Roger Ailes, Dukakis was linked with the case of the African American felon who fled Massachusetts during a weekend furlough and and attacked a young white couple in Maryland. Focus groups conducted in Paramus, New Jersey, in May showed a strong emotional reaction to the failed furlough system, and Bush decided to make this a key issue in the campaign, attacking Dukakis in a speech as "a tax-raising liberal who let murderers out of jail." Because of their strong imagery and underlying racial message, "Willie Horton" and "Revolving Door" received substantial coverage on TV news programs during the final month of the campaign. “I realized I started a trend,” said Ailes. “Now guys are out there trying to produce commercials for the evening news.” The creator of the "Willie Horton" ad, Floyd Brown, also made attack ads against John Kerry in 2004. Credits: "Revolving Door," Bush-Quayle '88, 1988 Maker: Dennis Frankenberry and Roger Ailes Original air date: 10/03/88 Video courtesy of the George Bush Presidential Library. www.livingroomcandidate.org

Journey (1992) Museum of the Moving Image

Journey 1992 | Bill Clinton The biographical film “The Man from Hope,” shown at the Democratic convention in 1992, took great advantage of two things: that Bill Clinton, the governor of Arkansas, was indeed born and raised in a town called Hope; and that a filmed record exists of the June 1963 Boys Nation leadership event at the White House, during which the young Bill Clinton met and shook hands with President John Kennedy. “Journey” is an edited version of the convention film, and one of the most compelling biographical ads ever made. In his book The Political Brain, Drew Westen summarizes the narrative arc of the ad: “Through hard work, caring, and determination, I know what it’s like to live the American dream. In my home state, I’ve done everything possible to help others realize that dream. And as your president, I’ll do everything I can to help people all over this country realize their dreams like I’ve done in Arkansas.” The film was made by Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, television producers (Designing Women) who were good friends of the Clintons. Focus groups had shown that many voters perceived Clinton as an elitist career politician. The commercial emphasizes work, and carefully avoids mentioning the name of the Ivy League law school that Clinton attended—Yale. Credits: "Journey," Clinton/Gore '92 Committee, 1992 Maker: Clinton-Gore Creative Team: Linda Kaplan Thaler, Linda Bloodworth Thomason www.livingroomcandidate.org

Surgeon (1996) Museum of the Moving Image

Surgeon 1996 | Bill Clinton "Surgeon" is an extremely effective example of the combination positive-negative ad that is so common today. Often, these ads, which support one candidate and then attack the other, use bright, colorful images for the positive message and murky, black-and-white images for the attack. The commercial uses many of the techniques on display throughout this website: we are immediately drawn into the ad emotionally by its uplifting shots of children talking about their plans for the future; these scenes are juxtaposed with scary footage of Bob Dole threatening to eliminate the Department of Education. The ad then uses guilt by association, linking Dole to the unpopular Newt Gingrich; and it uses footage of Clinton at the White House to take advantage of his position as the incumbent. It also offers facts and figures detailing President Clinton’s accomplishments, to add substance to the ad’s emotional impact. Credits: "Surgeon," Clinton/Gore '96 General Committee, 1996 Maker: The November 5 Group www.livingroomcandidate.org

Really MD (2000) Museum of the Moving Image

Really MD 2000 | George W. Bush "Really MD," which first aired on September 1, 2000, was the first attack ad of the general election campaign for George W. Bush. With the economy in good shape, and no major domestic or international problems, Bush was attempting to maintain his image as a genial, sincere person. In late August, Bush blocked an attack ad challenging Al Gore's trustworthiness. However, the strategy changed because Gore was enjoying a post-convention bounce. The ad team, led by Alex Castellanos, decided to raise questions about Gore's trustworthiness and integrity. The ad "Really" makes the attack with humor, and with the softening touch of using a female narrator. The woman is commenting sarcastically about an Al Gore ad that is playing on a small television set. As Governor Bush's communications director Karen Hughes explained, "They tried to insulate Bush from the harshness of the message. They put the words in the mouth of an anonymous narrator. They used a woman's voice. They phrased the criticism in a humorous way." Relatively mild by the standards of the 2004 and 2008 elections, this ad was viewed by the press as particularly harsh, with headlines such as "RNC Gets Really Nasty," "Bush Approves New Attack Ad Mocking Gore," and "Bush Torpedoes Himself." Credits: "Really MD," Republican National Committee, 2000 Maker: Cold Harbor Films Original air date: 08/31/00 Video courtesy of the Republican National Committee. www.livingroomcandidate.org

This selection of eleven commercials for the Google Cultural Institute Elections project is just a small sample. To see more than 500 presidential campaign commercials from every election from 1952 through the present, visit www.livingroomcandidate.org . For teachers: www.livingroomcandidate.org is a one-of-a-kind resource, with lesson plans available for download and interactive learning activities that are used in classrooms around the world.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player
• Latest Show
• Terry Gross
• Tonya Mosley
• Contact Fresh Air

• LISTEN & FOLLOW
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Amazon Music

Your support helps make our show possible and unlocks access to our sponsor-free feed.

Co-Curator David Schwartz on Campaign Commercials

The new online exhibition at The American Museum of the Moving Image is called "The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952-2004". Schwartz is the chief curator of film at the museum. He'll talk about the history of political commercials from their inception in 1952 to the present.

Web Resources

• Search Menu
• Author Guidelines
• Open Access Options
• Why Publish with JAH?
• About Journal of American History
• About the Organization of American Historians
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Dispatch Dates
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

• < Previous

The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952–2004

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Gil Troy, The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials, 1952–2004, Journal of American History , Volume 91, Issue 4, March 2005, Pages 1558–1559, https://doi.org/10.2307/3660337

• Permissions Icon Permissions

“I deeply, deeply resent—and am offended by—the attacks President Carter has made on my husband,” Nancy Reagan bristled in one 1980 campaign commercial. Nearly two decades ago, while writing my doctoral dissertation on presidential campaigning, I heard about that advertisement but could not track it down. Queries from coast to coast confirmed that the advertisement had been aired, but I failed to secure a copy. Similarly, years later, when I began teaching a course on presidential campaigning, I assembled a highlight reel of those campaign commercials I could find, not necessarily the most educationally useful ones.

The Living Room Candidate is thus doubly welcome, both as a research and as a teaching tool. Remarkably, at the click of a button, my students, colleagues, and I can now access 250 campaign commercials, representing four of the most politically influential hours broadcast over the last half century. One well-organized, easily navigated site presents the Democrats' and Republicans' greatest hits— and misses. This site offers the usual suspects —the controversial 1964 pro–Lyndon B. Johnson “Daisy” commercial; the evocative 1984 pro–Ronald Reagan “It's Morning Again in America” celebration; the inflammatory 1988 pro–George H. W. Bush “Willie Horton ” attack. The site also offers some of the early, radio-influenced jingles from the 1950s and a host of easily forgettable commercials that have clogged the airwaves at election time, highlighting the great skill and good fortune needed for commercials to become defining and memorable.

The year-by-year organization is most inviting, and the site remained updated, adding television ads and the harsher Web-based ads throughout the 2004 campaign. Yet the producers encourage longitudinal use—and thinking—by organizing commercials by Type of Commercial and by Issue as well. The categories are useful, if idiosyncratic. There is nothing wrong with categorizing commercials by Backfire, Biographical, Children, Commander in Chief, Documentary, Fear, and Real People. It is hard to quarrel with Civil Rights, Corruption, Cost of Living, Taxes, War, and Welfare as issues. Yet somehow, while no dramatic gaps emerged, both lists lacked an elegance, an economy, an implicit comprehensiveness, a consistent and parallel nomenclature that would make them definitive. Why Commander in Chief, not Leadership? Why War, not Foreign Policy? Why Corruption, not Honesty?

This site also should come with a warning. A Willie Horton history of campaigning only yields so much; electoral history, even in the television era, is more than the sum of its commercial parts. A newer, more comprehensive version of this site would expand the competent but brief introductions to each election by giving some more context, explaining the back stories behind some of the more successful commercials, providing survey results and poll results, and, most important of all, listing other sources, including some old-fashioned books and articles, that might place these ads in broader perspective.

Still, these are quibbles. This online exhibition of presidential campaign commercials is superb. My students will enjoy it and learn from it. I only wish I had had it at my fingertips years ago.

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Process - a blog for american history
• Recommend to your Library

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 1945-2314
• Print ISSN 0021-8723
• Copyright © 2024 Organization of American Historians
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

The website is not compatible for the version of the browser you are using. Not all the functionality may be available. Please upgrade your browser to the latest version.

• Social Media
• Access Points
• Print/Export Standards
• Standards Books
• Coding Scheme
• Standards Viewer App
• Course Descriptions
• Graduation Requirements
• Course Reports
• Gifted Coursework
• Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs
• Browse/Search
• Original Student Tutorials
• MEAs - STEM Lessons
• Perspectives STEM Videos
• STEM Reading Resources
• Math Formative Assessments
• CTE Related Resources
• Our Review Process
• Professional Development Programs
• iCPALMS Tools
• Resource Development Programs
• Partnership Programs
• User Testimonials
• iCPALMS Account

• Not a member yet? SIGN UP
• Home of CPALMS
• Standards Info. & Resources
• Course Descriptions & Directory
• Resources Vetted by Peers & Experts
• PD Programs Self-paced Training
• About CPALMS Initiatives & Partnerships
• iCPALMS Florida's Platform

The Living Room Candidate

In this resource, you will experience a blast from the past! Go on a journey through U.S. political history as you view various campaign ads from past presidential elections. From the earliest television ads aired in 1952 to ads from 2012, this is a one stop shop with over 300 political commercials available to watch. Each election year contains information to set the context for the collection of commercials, as well as information about the major candidates who ran, and a map that displays the final election results. Enjoy this journey into America's political past!

Please sign in to access this resource

Not a Florida public school educator?

Open Resource Page

General information, aligned standards, related resources, congratulations, you have successfully created an account..

A verifications link was sent to your email at . Please check your email and click on the link to confirm your email address and fully activate your iCPALMS account. Please check your spam folder.

Did you enter an incorrect email address?

Did not receive an email, you have not completed your profile information. please take a few moments to complete the section below so we can customize your cpalms experience., there was an error creating your account. please contact support [email protected] for assistance., modal header, feedback form.

Please fill the following form and click "Submit" to send the feedback.

Your Email Address: *

Your comment : *, teacher rating, leave cpalms.

You are leaving the CPALMS website and will no longer be covered by our Terms and Conditions.

Stay in touch with CPALMS

Loading....

This website is trying to open a CPALMS page using an iFrame, which is against our terms of use . Click the link below to view the resource on CPALMS.org.

Search Museum of the Moving Image

• Search Site

Online Projects

Explore MoMI’s interactive online-only exhibitions and archival projects.

The Living Room Candidate

The Living Room Candidate  contains more than 300 commercials, from every presidential election since 1952, when Madison Avenue advertising executive Rosser Reeves convinced Dwight Eisenhower that short ads played during such popular TV programs as  I Love Lucy  would reach more voters than any other form of advertising. This innovation had a permanent effect on the way presidential campaigns are run.

VIEWS FROM THE PANDEMIC

Much as it has profoundly disrupted how we interact in physical social spaces, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our relationship to all forms of visual media, and altered how we witness social interactions on-screen.  Every Movie Cough  and  Mask-O-Vision  are two playful yet provocative web experiences that explore our anxieties about contagion by recontextualizing scenes from film and television. Each site engages current fears of proximity and draws attention to natural human behaviors that have taken on new meaning in 2020.

Every Movie Cough  presents coughs and sneezes from throughout the history of cinema. The first database of its kind, the site explores how such bodily expulsions, whether played for comedy or for dramatic effect, take on a new significance as vectors for disease when viewed during a pandemic. In addition to an extensive compilation of clips, the site includes an interactive “Name That Cough” game, and invites viewers to suggest cinematic coughs and sneezes to add to the database.

Mask-O-Vision  addresses what its creator Jason Eppink calls “Naked Face Shock,” the sensation of being startled by a close-up of an unmasked character in a film or television show. Utilizing an experimental new browser extension, Mask-O-Vision applies state-of-the-art face-tracking technology to algorithmically detect close-up shots of unmasked faces in films and television shows. They are then covered with computer-generated masks, altering our relationship to what we see.

Every Movie Cough  was created by  Mike Lacher  and  Jason Eppink .

Mask-O-Vision  was created by  Jason Eppink , with contributions from  Mike Lacher ,  Larissa Hayden ,  Glenn Cochon , and  Jacob Reed .

WONDER ROOMS

Wonder Rooms is a collaborative archival and data collection project created by Mala Kumar in partnership with Museum of the Moving Image that seeks to fill in the stories that are not on display, and to uncover and draw attention to the struggles and triumphs of people of color who have long existed in the margins of film and television history. Wonder Rooms turns MoMI's long-running core exhibition Behind the Screen into a site of testimony and witness.

Every Movie Cough

Every Movie Cough is the world’s most complete collection of cinematic coughs (and sneezes). Since the beginning of motion pictures, filmmakers have trained their cameras at whooping, wheezing, sneezing, sniffling, hacking humans. Some of these expulsions are pivotal to the narrative. Many are purely incidental. But today, they all take on a new significance as vectors for disease. That’s why we believe now is the moment to examine them together in isolation, to see how their depictions vary across history and genre.

KEEP EXPLORING

PLAN YOUR VISIT

TOURS & WORKSHOPS

WATCH/READ/LISTEN

Search form

• Formative Research
• Digital Strategy
• Design and Development
• Rapid Cycle Evaluation
• Presentations
• Other Resources
• Job Openings
• Partner With Us

The Living Room Candidate is an online exhibition developed by the Museum of the Moving Image that presents more than 250 television commercials from every election year since 1952, when the first campaign ads aired to ads from this year's campaign. Users can watch nearly four hours of TV commercials as well as explore Web-based political advertising. The site includes a searchable database and features commentary, historical background, election results, and navigation organized by both year and theme. CCT is providing formative research to support the Museum's development of educational content for the Living Room Candidate website and will conduct audience research in order to determine the reach of the website and its affect on teaching and learning in metropolitan area classrooms.

• Key Activities
• Minnesota Adult Education
• MN ABE Connect
• Applications
• Submit Invoice

Find resources for online meetings/presentations/classes/events !

• All Topics 100 questions  (3) Academic Conversations  (3) Academic Vocabulary  (7) Academic Writing  (2) Add-Subtract-Multiply-Divide  (3) Adult Career Pathways  (1) Adult Diploma  (38) Advanced ABE  (1) Advanced ESL  (32) Algebra  (1) Alphabetics  (9) Anatomy  (1) Area  (1) Assessment  (9) Beginning ESL  (38) Beginning Numeracy  (5) Biology  (1) Branches of Government  (5) Career Pathways  (7) CCRS  (51) CCRS Level B  (5) CCRS Level C  (5) CCRS Level D  (2) Cell Biology  (1) Central Tendency  (4) Citizenship  (2) Citizenship Prep & Test  (3) Civics  (7) Classroom Management  (19) Close Reading  (8) Coherence  (10) Common Core  (12) Comprehension  (14) Computer Skills  (7) Conceptual Understanding  (14) Conversation  (2) Course Design  (1) Critical Education  (2) Critical Thinking  (22) Culturally Responsive Teaching  (3) Curriculum Design  (5) Decimals  (1) Developing a Future Pathway  (1) Digital Literacy  (10) Distance Learning/Education  (7) Earth & Space Science  (1) Earth Science  (1) Ecology  (1) Effective Communication  (1) EL Civics  (4) ELA  (7) Electoral System  (8) Emergent Readers  (11) English for Work  (2) Environmental Science  (1) Equations  (4) Equity  (9) ESL  (33) Evidence-Based Reading  (1) Evidence-Based Writing  (3) Evolution  (1) Exponents  (1) Expressions  (1) Factors  (1) First Nations  (3) Fluency  (18) Focus  (1) Formative Assessment  (5) Fractions  (2) Functions  (1) GED  (45) Genetics  (1) Geometry  (1) Global Math Department  (1) Grammar  (7) Graphs  (14) Growth Mindset  (5) HiSET  (17) HSE  (3) Human Geography  (4) IET – Integrated Education and Training  (5) Immigrants & Refugees  (7) Implicit Bias  (3) Inequalities  (1) Intermediate ABE  (3) Intermediate ESL  (29) Internalized Racism  (1) Job Skills  (12) Language Acquisition  (3) Language Experience Approach  (2) Learning Strategies  (3) Lesson Planning  (16) Levels of Knowing  (1) Life Science  (2) Linear Equations  (1) Listening  (14) Local Government  (3) Local Workforce Development Boards  (10) Low Literacy ESL  (9) Manipulatives  (2) Maps  (3) Math/Numeracy  (7) Mathematical Practice Webcast Series  (8) Mathematical Practices  (1) Mental Health  (5) MP.1  (5) MP.2  (3) MP.3  (9) MP.4  (4) MP.5  (2) MP.6  (1) MP.7  (7) MP.8  (4) MTBOS  (29) Natural History  (1) Naturalization Process  (2) Navigating Systems  (1) Number Sense  (7) One-Room Schoolhouse/Multilevel  (10) Online Learning  (6) Operations  (2) Peer-Editing  (1) Perimeter  (1) Personal Finance  (5) Phonics  (7) Physical Science  (3) Place Value  (1) Pre-GED  (31) Progressions  (1) Project-Based Learning  (3) Pronunciation  (6) PSE  (2) Ratios  (1) Reading  (28) Remote Instruction  (4) Remote Learning  (5) Research  (2) Rigor  (13) Routines  (7) Science  (6) Science Methods  (1) Secondary Traumatic Stress  (3) Self-Editing  (1) Self-Management  (2) Social Studies  (8) Social-Emotional Learning  (1) Speaking  (19) Spelling  (1) Standards  (14) State Government  (4) Student Centered  (18) Teaching Strategies  (89) Technology  (2) Text Analysis  (3) Text Complexity  (8) Text-Dependent Questions  (11) TIF-Lens Webinar Series  (6) Transferable Skills  (1) Transitions  (2) U.S. Constitution  (8) U.S. History  (2) Vocabulary  (26) Volunteers  (4) Word Lists  (1) Word Parts  (1) Workplace English  (2) Workplace Literacy  (2) Writing  (13)
• All Types Articles & Publications  (281) Assessments  (35) Classroom Activities  (256) Curriculum  (132) Learner Activities  (86) Lesson Plans  (127) Online Collections  (94) Online Courses  (15) Online Groups  (1) Podcasts  (8) Program Devel/Management Tools  (51) Teacher Development Activities  (31) Teaching Tools  (108) Videos  (130) Webinars  (43) Workshop Materials  (16)
• All Libraries ACES  (66) Adult Career Pathways  (214) Adult Diploma / HSE  (29) CCR Standards  (126) Cultural Competency  (62) ESL  (170) MN Adult Ed (ABE) Staff  (13) Numeracy  (142) Project-Based Learning  (16) Reading  (92) Science  (21) Social Studies & Civics  (43) Writing  (27)
• Clear Filters
• Electoral System

Living Room Candidate

Created by the Museum of the Moving Image, The Living Room Candidate website contains more than 300 candidate commercials from every presidential election since 1952. Commercials can be filtered by election year, type of commercial, and issue. The ads can be viewed individually and incorporated into classroom activities, or there are a number of ready-made lesson plans on topics such as “what makes an effective ad” and “understanding the language of political ads.”

Designed for high school level students, the lesson plans use various ads from different elections as support and include discussion questions, assessments, and suggested extensions. In addition, the site has links to other online resources about political commercials and presidential elections.

• Civics & Government
• Citizenship
• United States
• Social Studies – Multidisciplinary

Newsletter Signup

Get MN ABE Connect —the official source for ABE events, activities, and resources!

1996 Clinton VS. Dole

"next century".

"Next Century," Clinton/Gore '96 General Committee, 1996

Maker: The November 5 Group

From Museum of the Moving Image, The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952-2012 . www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1996/next-century (accessed May 16, 2024).

To link to or forward this video via email, copy and paste this URL:

To embed this video in a web page, copy and paste this code:

Thanks to a robust economy and the absence of divisive foreign-policy issues in the presidential election, Bill Clinton enjoyed a relatively trouble-free ride on his way to becoming the first Democrat since Franklin Roosevelt to be elected to a second full term. Clinton’s victory represented an impressive political comeback. In 1994, Republicans had won control of both houses. Wielding enormous influence, House Speaker Newt Gingrich had forged the Republicans' "Contract with America," a conservative legislative agenda. During intense budget battles between the president and Congress, the federal government was shut down twice. Clinton blamed this on the Republicans, which enabled him to position himself in the center and portray the Republicans as extremists. The Clinton campaign repeatedly linked his opponent Bob Dole to Gingrich, while championing mainstream causes such as the Family Leave Act, college tuition credits, and a ratings system for television. Dole tried, without much success, to use the "character issue" to his advantage. Yet the public showed little interest in Clinton scandals such as "Whitewater," "Filegate," and "Travelgate," and allegations of campaign-finance abuse.

"Building a Bridge to the 21st Century"

Bill Clinton’s ads consistently associated Bob Dole with House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Grainy black-and-white footage of Dole standing next to Gingrich exploited the public’s disenchantment with the Republican-led Congress following the shutdown of the federal government. In contrast with these ominous images, colorful, upbeat montages outlined Clinton’s achievements in a wide range of social programs. These ads took credit for the robust economy, and also played on the fear that the Republicans' assault on "big government" might threaten programs that the public supported, such as Social Security and education.

Other ads focused on micro-issues, such as Clinton’s support for school uniforms and a TV rating system. Using the phrase "protecting our values" as one of their slogans, the Clinton campaign was able to seize the political mainstream. Clinton’s support of the death penalty and intention to cut welfare were among the traditionally conservative positions heralded in his commercials. Above all, the consistency, high production values, and upbeat nature of the ads reflected competence while subtly raising questions about Dole’s advanced age.

"A Better Man for a Better America"

Bob Dole’s commercials portray him as a war hero and a man of simple integrity, in contrast with Clinton’s questionable morals. However, polls repeatedly showed that, with the economy in good shape, the public was more interested in President Clinton’s job performance than in the numerous minor scandals that had emerged during his first term. Dole’s commercials, inconsistent in message and tone, failed to establish an effective target. One spot, "The Threat," began with footage from Lyndon Johnson’s famous 1964 "Daisy" commercial about the danger of nuclear war, and stated that the biggest threat was drugs. But the ad never made clear how this problem was linked to Clinton. Dole’s proposal of a 15 percent tax cut was cited in numerous ads, yet without any explanation of how it would have been funded. With a healthy economy, and a shrinking budget deficit, a tax cut was not a high priority for voters.