Campaign video 2008

Rand Knight is a 35 year-old Democratic Candidate for United States Senate in Georgia. His Campaign video is quite long but therefore discusses all his aims, dreams and ideas for his state Georgia. The video has a quite dramatic background music, which is often used in campaign videos. I call it the music of ‘dreams come true’. As he talks about his background in Georgia and his love for the state the music blends in well and gives it a very attractive approach. In this video the way of speaking is very important; as I noticed his rhythm of speaking is the same rhythm of the music in the background. It is a rhythm of good future, change and making things better, which is what he is aiming for to make a good impression on people.

From what I have noticed, quite a lot of campaign videos are black and white when in this video an emphasis is put on colour. The campaign video is set up like an interview where we don’t get to hear the questions asked. In the first slide it mentions a question that says ‘why run?’ He says he got his inspiration in becoming a Senator from Sam Nunn, he had visited him in the 80’s when he was a teenager and always knew that one day he wanted to be involved in the problems of America and find solutions for them. He describes the problems that have occurred since Sam Nunn left his place as a Senator, like the economy and health issues. He then uses a very common method where he goes on about how unsafe and unhealthy the place is nowadays compared to when he was a kid, he brings in the sake of the children and how he wants to make a change for the kids, which always comes along as positive. He introduces himself as the ‘saviour’ of Georgia as he says ‘it’s time for someone to stand up’.

In the second part it says qualities of a leader in which he mainly tries to describe himself. In this part he says that being able to listen to people and find solutions for people is the most important thing, I find it quite positive how he tries to act like he is there for every individual person of Georgia to listen to them. The third part therefore tries to make him look like a Senator who stands out ‘a different leader’. He links his own experiences (his children) to how he feels about how every human being has the right to have a healthy life, and how the more fortunate people do not have more rights than the less fortunate people.

The main message of the video is that Rand Knight listens to the people of Georgia and that he will bring the messages to Washington and make it happen.