The anger versus joy election

OAKVILLE, ONT.—In Bad Boy, his biography of late American political consultant Lee Atwater, author John Brady writes “like the old carnival barker, he (Atwater) needed a hook to get them (voters) into the tent ... simple impressionistic issues that appealed to attitudes, created a reaction, not a thought.” Of course, Atwater was a trendsetter for employing emotion-laden political tactics, but I’d argue even he might have been shocked at how both candidates in the recent U.S. presidential election used “simple impressionistic issues” not just as “hooks,” but as the main centrepieces of their respective campaigns. In other words, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and her Republican rival Donald Trump each made their communications strategies about appealing to “vibes.” The vibe Harris chose to emphasize was “joy,” whereas Trump chose “anger.” Thus, we had two opposing emotions battling it out for the heart of America. How did we get here? Well, as we all know, Harris was a last-minute presidential candidate, replacing U.S. President Joe Biden who was more or less forced to step aside in July. Essentially, then, she was starting her campaign from scratch, meaning she also had to reach out to voters as quickly as possible to define herself and her candidacy. Her solution was to embrace the “politics of joy." Rather than engaging in the usual guttersnipery of politics, Harris was always smiling, always happy, always exuberant. It was a campaign style that won many a rave review during the election. For example, commentator Andrew Cohen noted of Harris: “She smiles, she jives, she laughs. Cackles, too. America may be on the cusp of authoritarianism, we know, but just choose me, she implies, and we’ll live—and laugh—another day!” Meanwhile, writing in Time magazine, Kara Alaimo, a professor of communications, asserted of Harris’ strategy: “Adopting a joyful approach has simultaneously highlighted Trump’s biggest weaknesses (his age and cantankerousness), taken the spotlight off him and possibly endeared Harris to the majority of Americans who’ve had enough of our country’s uncivilized politics.” Mind you, there’s nothing really all that new about campaigning on joyous optimism. Former U.S. president Barack Obama, for example, triumphed on “hope and change” messaging, while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s “sunny ways” attitude helped him sweep to power in 2015. It should also be noted that when Obama and Trudeau first won, voters were in the mood for rosy optimism. But that perhaps wasn’t the case for Americans in 2024. That, at least, was the hope for Trump’s campaign, which he himself defined when he stated: “In 2016, I declared: I am your voice. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution." Trump was clearly tapping into an already existing sense of anger and resentment that was percolating across America. And it worked. Simply put, a great many American voters weren’t looking for smiles or for exuberance or for joy, they were seeking a leader tough and strong enough to solve the country’s problems. Trump, despite his age and cantankerousness, seemed to fit the bill. I’d also note that one “act of God” that worked to cement Trump’s reputation for determined toughness was his immediate reaction to that failed July assassination attempt, where he defiantly pumped his fists into the air, an act which resulted in one of the most iconic photographs in American history. Okay, so what does all this joy versus anger stuff teach us? To me the lesson is this: if you’re going to campaign solely on emotion, make sure that emotion is in sync with the public mood. Gerry Nicholls is a communications consultant. The Hill Times

The anger versus joy election

What does all this joy-versus-anger stuff teach us? If you’re going to campaign solely on emotion, make sure that it's in sync with the public mood.

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