The Living Room Candidate
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September 17, 2008
The Museum of the Moving Image hosts a website, The Living Room Candidate, which features presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2008. This is a valuable resource not only during the election season, but also as a supplement to any unit which explores issues such as propaganda, political campaigns, and voter behavior. As part of a Facing History and Ourselves course, this resource would make a great companion to the study of how the Nazi party platform gained popularity during the Weimar Republic.
Discussion Questions
- What do presidential campaign commercials reveal about voter behavior?
- At what point does a presidential campaign commercial become propaganda? According to whom?
- Besides commercials, what are other ways voters can get information about candidates? Which sources do you think have the most powerful influence on voters?
Note: The media selections posted in Facing Today do not necessarily represent the views of Facing History and Ourselves.
