THE FOCUS GROUP METHOD, POLITICAL ADVERTISING, CAMPAIGN NEWS, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF CANDIDATE IMAGES

This study demonstrates how the focus group method may be linked to simulation to produce a new tool for analyzing campaign discourse. It provides evidence about the origin, development, and dynamic revision of candidate schemas over time and shows how political information is interpreted and utilized. Stimulus materials are drawn from the 1990 Jesse Helms-Harvey Gantt Senate race. Results show that advertising messages are far more likely than campaign news to stimulate discourse, and that negative ads can be highly effective against the target even as the author is penalized for dirty campaigning. Analysis of the discourse illustrates the impact of televised political messages that resonate with an individual's deeply held values and affects, such as attitudes toward race and homophobia.