Your midterm essay will consist of an analysis of one or more 2008 presidential election campaign ads. In preparation, for homework you should visit the Democratic and Republican candidates' webpages and watch the following advertisements. Think about what each ad is really trying to say. What claims of fact, value, and policy do you hear? Do you notice any attempts to manipulate the viewer?

As you are watching, if you hear a claim of fact that seems especially important or especialy doubtful, pause and go to the website FactCheck.org or another fact checking website to see whether news organizations consider that claim of fact to be true.

You will receive homework credit for one page of notes on the ads which should include two quotations from a fact checking website's information.

McCain's recent ads:
Rein
Promise
Chicago Machine
Mum
Jim Johnson
Advice
Dome
Foundation
Enough is Enough
Fact Check
Education
Original Mavericks
Alaska Maverick
Tiny
3 AM
Debra

Obama's recent ads:
Six Years
A Stronger Economy
Foreign Vehicles
Need Education
Who Advises
Disgusting
Plan for Change
Fundamentals
General Alternative Energy
Challenges
Still
Real Change
What Kind
No Maverick
General Heart
Over and Over
Return-ABC

Fact checking resource:

FactCheck.org