For several decades, the United States has exported not only its particular
definition of democracy to developing nations but also the style of modern
televisual politics. As a result, the nature of televised commercials in election
campaigns in many nations is designed by US-based, -trained or -inspired
consultants. This article examines ads run in the 2003 Israeli elections by the
Israeli Labor party. Findings show that the ads (a) are indistinguishable in style
from American ads; (b) follow a particular American formula of counter-imaging, that
is, creating images of candidates and parties contrary to stereotypes held by
voters; and (c) obfuscate the actual issues that the embattled nation faced and
still faces. The article thus argues that the
‘American–modern’ style of campaign ad damages
substantive and constructive political communication in nations wrestling with
intensely complex issues.
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