Agenda-Setting
For most of the election Trump did not shy away from a few
of his main platforms. Trump was stern on his stances when it comes to
immigration reform, the wall, guns, abortion and pro big business. This
election was devastating to a lot of Americans solely because Trump and Clinton
were so vastly different and. They had directly opposite opinion on important
topics that people hold close to the heart so when one candidate won the
followers of the other candidate felt at a total loss. When analyzing the
different stances of candidates, where this opinion comes from, and the
influence of the media I chose to stick to the topic of abortion. Abortion and
the funding of Planned Parenthood was an actively discussed topic this election
and it is easy to analyze the differences.
Trump on Abortion
One of the issues that provoked a very heated debate was the
topic of abortion. Trump does not believe in the benefit of Planned Parenthood
and Clinton is very pro funding and supporting Planned Parenthood. When this
topic was debated between Trump and Clinton often times it was in painfully
gory detail. One saying Trump loves to use is to refer to abortion as the baby
being ripped out of the womb. I am sure I am not the only one to find this
graphics explanation painful to hear.
Trumps stance on abortion does not surprise my as a conservative this is
usually a circuital issue to take this stance on. I feel like Trump may have
this stance because he feels it fits his political persona more than actually
being passionate about the topic.
Clinton on Abortion
Through out the election Clinton has been very vocal about
her strong stance to support Planned Parenthood. Clinton has received a lot of
criticism for being labeled as a being “pro-abortion” and in response Clinton
reminds people that Planned Parenthood is not solely an abortion clinic but a
women’s health clinic as well. Clinton most likely has her stance towards
Planned Parenthood and abortion due to her extensive work with mothers and
women. Clinton is a women’s activist that supports the choice and rights of
women so it only makes since that she too supports the choice of abortion.
Media Influence
When Google searching “2016 Election abortion” the results
were surprisingly mixed. It seemed the majority of the media I was exposed too
was supporting pro-choice and the support of Planned Parenthood but when
looking further into it I see how truly split the media is. Another major media
topic that brought in a lot of attention towards the topic was the releasing of
the Planned Parenthood video that revealed a Planned Parenthood worker
discussing in detail the idea of selling dead baby carouses. This caused a
media frenzy it was almost impossible to get on the Internet and not see an
article about it. In return it forced the candidates to continue to speak on
the topic and address their stances. I firmly believe that the media is setting
the agenda people care the most about topics they understand and know about. So
when the media tells the public about controversy or various topics the public
creates their own opinions which circles around and forces the candidates to
address The topic. It is a never ended circle.
Now here is a funny gif to end on a lighter note..
https://www.google.com/search?q=planned+parenthood+sells+baby+parts&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiz_b2Sh6LTAhXF7iYKHdiqCJAQ_AUICCgD&biw=1117&bih=732&dpr=1#imgrc=rCgFGykjd232fM:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/24/donald-trump-signs-executive-order-defunding-inter/
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/10/19/hillary_clinton_s_debate_answer_on_abortion_is_why_we_need_more_women_in.html
https://giphy.com/gifs/barack-obama-hillary-clinton-ifttt-ZEmYj5XWiPoti
Megan, you brought up a great point that the planned parenthood video that was released caused an uproar among many American's, which even further divided people on the subject matter. I'm glad you chose the topic of abortion and women's health because although it definitely wasn't highlighted by the media as much as foreign policy, it was still a key issue that brought people to vote. Great comparison and analysis!
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to read an agenda-setting on Trump, Clinton was getting boring. I like how you compared the two parties stance on abortion because it lets us see the differences. I agree with Aaron as abortion was lost in the pack with other issues drawing more attention, such as education and equal rights. It's interesting that on his website issues seem to be hidden somewhere. Overall, great blog post!
ReplyDeleteWith Hillary as a woman and mother, it's no shock that she is pro-choice. And with Trump as the Republican candidate, it's obvious he's pro-life. I believe this issue was possibly what separated the two Candidates the most in the 2016 Election. Abortion is a very huge issue, and can get emotional at times. I also think its good that you talked about this issue in your blog, because abortion often gets over looked by other issues, such as Immigration and the Economy. Also, The GIF you posted was hilarious!
ReplyDelete