The commercial (Priorities) was made for George Bush’s presidential election campaign of 2000. George Bush is talking about his vision and his agenda. Major priorities of the then-candidate were strengthening of economy, education and the military.
Apart from the reflections of Bush’s vision, this commercial can be regarded as a reflection of the situation in the USA. Thus, the economic boom of the 1990s was about to end and several signs of the future recession appeared in 2000.
Admittedly, people had numerous concerns about their financial security. Americans witnessed gradual weakening of the US economy. Being a governor, Bush signed two significant tax cuts.
Though this policy was a hot potato and lots of people claimed it was ineffective and even harmful, the cuts led to certain relief. The laws reached short-term goals. A lot of Americans thought that the policy would be beneficial in the long run as well.
People got used to the growth and were unprepared for economic turmoil which was about to start. George Bush promised to ‘save’ Americans form the financial constraints.
As far as the education is concerned, the education system in the 2000s was a burning issue. Educators, policy makers as well as parents argued that the quality of the education was rather low and the entire system needed changes.
Remarkably, many Americans believed they needed an increase in educational standards, though there was no single strategy to achieve the goal. Companies and organizations needed high-profile professionals, but the graduates did not meet the necessary standards.
It is also important to note that immigration was closely connected with the need in qualified labor force as immigrants were ready to fulfill a variety of tasks for low salaries. Thus, immigrants were forcing Americans out of low-paid jobs. A new educational system was to help handle that issue.
Another important issue revealed in the commercial is the state of the US military. George Bush claimed that the US military needed strengthening and there were growing concerns about terrorism in the world.
Politicians kept talking about the threat coming from a variety of terroristic groups. Importantly, the US military participated in different peacemaking campaigns in the world.
The commercial is also a good reflection of the distribution of power in the 2000s. Thus, it is not difficult to see which groups could benefit most from Bush’s priorities. Large companies and very rich (or the so-called super rich) people benefited most.
Tax cuts were favorable for large businesses and were harmful for ordinary Americans in the long run. The strengthening of the military also meant reduction of investment in such spheres as health, education, etc.
Even though Bush claimed he intended to develop those spheres, in reality most funding was used for military purposes. Clearly, the middle class became less empowered and more vulnerable to the future economic constraints.
On balance, it is possible to note that the commercial in question reflects Bush’s presidential agenda as well as the distribution of power in the American society in the early 2000s.
The middle class was losing points while super rich people and large businesses benefited from the policies implemented by George Bush.
Admittedly, there were certain positive outcomes, e.g. raising educational standards, to certain extent, or temporary improvements in the sphere of health care. Nonetheless, those in power (as well as large businesses and rich people) tended to become more empowered.