I was assigned to watch both the Democrat and Republican campaign ads for 1964, surrounding the election between then current president, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Barry Goldwater. This was an interesting election because in 1963 Johnson went from being JFK’s Vise President to the President after JFK’s assassination.  I was fascinated while watching these ads because they are from over fifty years ago and the issues both candidates focused on are so different from what I am used to seeing in current political ads. I thought that it was so interesting how both Johnson and Goldwater has so many “attack ads” but not in the way that I was used to. The threat of nuclear war and communism was consuming people’s minds as the Cold War was occurring, and both candidates used fear of both to prove why they are the better choice for the US. Also, another huge topic that was focused on in 1964 that is still focused on today are the social welfare programs. Johnson was trying to increase Social Security and introduce Medicare to the nation and used quotes from Goldwater to show how he was not for these programs that would benefit all. I think that Johnson did a much better job in his ad campaigns because he used real quotes from Goldwater and his supporters liking him with the KKK, as well as using testimony from Republicans, both government officials as well as regular people, to show why Goldwater was not the right choice.

I was not expecting the amount of fear mongering these ads would have in them, but it does make sense due to the state of the world at that time. I thought that Johnson’s campaign slogan, “Vote for President Johnson on November 3^rd, the stakes are too high to stay home”, was very fitting for the times because with everyone so afraid already of the threat that the Cold War posed to them, Johnson was showing in all of his ads that he was handling it and that everyone would be safe. My favorite ad from 1964 was for Johnson, and it was entitled “Ice Cream”. This ad consists of a video of a little girl eating ice cream while a voice over plays discussing atomic bombs and what their effects can do to children, and how they can make people die. The ad goes on to say that this was thankfully stopped when the government got together to sign the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty to make the radio activeness “go away”, but that there is a man who wants to bring it back, aka Goldwater, and finally ends with Johnson’s campaign slogan. . I liked this ad so much because it really tugs at your heart strings, seeing this sweet little girl enjoying her ice cream while the threat of nuclear testing in the US is threatened if you do not vote for LBJ. I find this ad to be extremely efficient, because it reminds the viewer that the stakes ARE too high, and that innocent people would be at risk if they did not go out and vote for him.