Obama: The Salesman-in-Chief

Drawing on the techniques President Obama employed during his campaign and lessons from predecessors, he seeks to shape public attitudes regarding the economic downturn by conveying his message to the public directly. The president is expected to show Americans how all the pieces of his financial puzzle fit together to make the economy sound again. There's the $787 billion just-signed stimulus bill, plus an even more expensive mix of rescues for the financial industry, auto companies and troubled mortgage holders that needs to be defended before the public. The difficulty this administration faces is in selling this bill to the American people and in order to successfully do so, the administration must effectively frame their political message to the media.

A successful political frame is one that can be summed up by a simple message. It is important to use themes to communicate a frame’s message because a frame is an individual’s interpretation of a person, group or organization. By communicating a story through different themes, people are able to better bond with the frame you are trying to sell them. Themes also create a better story. They allow you to consistently say the same thing without sounding like a broken record.

Obama's message is put in this way: "We all have a special responsibility to do what we can to put this country back on the right track and to see it through back to prosperous and better days." The political theme dominating the White House is a New Era of Responsibility. The frame of blaming the failing economy on the previous administration has thankfully run its course. Instead, this new frame emphasizes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a responsible resolution to the financial crisis. The positive name of the Act was a great place to start but the administration has got to do a better job of convincing the public (me included) to support this enormous bill.

This is probably why the Obama administration recently took their message on the road. In search of where the people are, the president has landed appearances on shows such as The Tonight Show, CBS’ “60 Minutes”, and ESPN with Andy Katz, as well as holding a primetime press conference.



During these interviews, Obama framed his financial plan as helping the “little guy”. His attached narrative to that frame is that the nation will get through the economic hardships and this stimulus plan is the only way to do so. Rather than winning me over, the president’s cross national tour to befriend the middle class had an adverse effect. Instead I feel as though I am being backed into a corner to support the stimulus plan or else and I do not seem to be the only one who feels this way. There is a sense of desperation by the administration in the way we are constantly bombarded with information on how the nation will continue to suffer if this bill is not passed. Well, excuse me if I am not eager to hand over more of my hard earned money to solve the problems of a political system that has lost the money in the first place. I understand that this bill will probably aid our country through this recession, but I would like to catch my breath before once again being drowned in a pool of information. There is a line between reaching the people and annoying them. Obama is getting scarily close to crossing that line. However, to be fair any president would have a difficult time rounding up support for his policies with such a strong counter-attack from Republicans.


While Obama remains a popular figure, the country and Congress are reluctant to embrace his budget proposals. Aides say that the more the president talks about his plans — and frames his budget proposal through real-world needs — the more Americans would be swayed.

I’m not sure how effective this method will be. I find it hard to believe that rhetoric alone will heal our recession.

Meanwhile, Republicans have not taken the President’s attempt to influence the American people lying down. According to the concept of competing frames, politicians vie to push their framed rhetoric on the public. They use repetition to embed these frames in our brains in hopes that we will adopt these messages into our subconscious. Republicans have launched a counter-frame that the economic plan is just governmental pork spending. This counter-frame has already had an effect on Congress. In fact, the opposition’s frame has forced compromises in the stimulus legislation that limit its potential effectiveness. Whether or not this frame will be effective enough to destroy American support for the stimulus plan remains to be seen. Jamieson and Waldman argue that negating the oppositions’ frames will only reinforce them, so it is possible that this Republican tactic may backfire.

It has now become a frantic race for both parties to successfully frame a message that will illicit the support of the media and public.

“Yes, we can” got Obama into office, now what message will keep him there?