Rhetorical Analysis Of Obamacare: More Than A Glitch Campaign

More Than a Glitch
Many political campaign ads are full of logical fallacies and metaphors which contribute to a candidate’s downfall or success. In fact, they are known for it. It is often rather easy to manipulate people to vote a certain way by using deceptive persuasion or making metaphorical comparisons. When trying to persuade someone else to adopt a position, these rhetorical tools contribute to the overall purpose of each campaign. The video campaign, “Obamacare: More Than a Glitch,” is a perfect example of this.
“Obamacare: More Than a Glitch,” was a campaign ran by The Heritage Foundation in 2013. The Heritage Foundation is a forty-one year old institution which promotes conservative ideas and values. “The Heritage Foundation
is the nation’s most broadly supported public policy research institute, with hundreds of thousands of individual, foundation and corporate donors. Heritage, founded in February 1973, has a staff of 275 and an annual expense budget of $82.4 million. Our mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense” (“About Heritage”). Based on this conservative way of thinking, the idea of a government ran healthcare system is an issue that has sparked a considerate amount of controversy. Together with its strong financial backing, The Heritage Foundation is able to promote its viewpoints which include strongly opposing Obamacare. Thus, the advertising campaign, “Obamacare: More Than a Glitch,” was put out to expose the many hiccups and agenda of Obamacare.
The video clip begins and is introduced as a typical ad similar to those promoting Obamacare. However, the voice of the narrator chimes in with some humor and sarcasm. “With Obamacare’s seriously bumpy rollout, it was only a matter of time before the parody ads mocking President Barack Obama’s signature health care law started popping up. A new video put together by the Heritage Foundation puts a comedic spin on all the glitches, endless wait times and premium rate increases that are now associated with Obamacare… Sometimes you have to laugh so you won’t cry” (“‘More than a Glitch’”). Although the advertisement was meant to be comical, the actual content and reference of Obamacare is quite a serious issue to many Americans. So many have felt the drastic impact of Obamacare in many ways that have included huge financial restraints and quality of living.
The video from The Heritage Foundation is a parody of the Healthcare.gov’s “Get Covered” video.
It uses almost the exact same video, only the narration as well as the content of the computer screens shown are humorous in the way that mocks Obamacare and the negative impact that it has on the people of the United States. “Get Covered” is an ad that was released about a week prior which promotes Obamacare through the use of emotional manipulation and metaphors. There are multiple images of families shown as well as a single woman with her young baby all saying as well as text showing “We’re covered.” Jib Fowles explains this use of these images best in this excerpt from Common Culture: “And that is the immediate goal of advertising: to tug at our psychological shirts sleeves and slow us down long enough for a word or two about whatever is being sold” (1). These psychological tugs are done through the manipulation of emotions. Every single image and person used in this video serves a purpose which supports this. They were chosen to appeal to single mothers, teens, families, and couples. Each group is shown saying, “We’re covered.” These appeal to Fowles’ emotional advertising appeals especially number three: “3. Need to nurture. Akin to affiliative needs is the need to take care of small, defenseless creatures, children and pets, largely” (6). Every parent has the natural urge to want to protect their family and children. These emotional tugs were chosen perfectly for a health insurance commercial and to entice viewers to want to sign
up. “Get Covered” appeals to emotional needs which are to be sure the health and well-being of our families are well taken care of and safe. “Obamacare: More Than a Glitch,” however, takes a humorous jab at these emotional appeals and exposes the “Get Covered” video’s agenda. Its humor starts right from the beginning explaining that the people shown in the beginning of this video will be “covered in mandates, regulations, and new fees.” The video continues by showing different content on the couple’s computer screen than what was shown in the “Get Covered” ad. This screen shows the image of the Healthcare.gov website being down. It exposes problems that one might have when actually accessing it on their own computer. The Obama administration has received quite a backlash for the many malfunctions of the Healthcare.gov website. It is advertised in the “Get Covered” video so flawlessly and shown as user friendly. However, when the majority of Americans went on their own computers to access the site, it had many technical issues which has led to the failing number of sign-ups for Obamacare. The Heritage Foundation made a priority to point this out in their comical video.
The video moves on by using the images shown in the “Get Covered” video of a young man jumping into a lake on a rope swing and, then, an image of another young man with his leg in a cast resting on a table. The narrator mocks these images saying, “Approach life with reckless abandonment. Kick your feet up cause you’re going to be in the waiting room for quite a while.” He then goes on to explain that people may not actually be covered. The video, then, presents itself as a drug warning video with the healthcare.gov website in the background. “Obamacare may cause wait times, a decline in health care quality, money loss, political activism, anger, despair, hopelessness, frustration, European envy, dependence and nausea…If you wish to opt out of Obamacare for any reason, please start a multimillion dollar business, join a union or run for Congress” (“More Than a Glitch”). This metaphor to the side effects of a drug is quite comedic. It shows that while some things are created to be healing and for good use, they also have negative side effects. The Heritage Foundation uses this ad to help explain their views to the American people of the negative effects of Obamacare. It also makes a point to expose the fact that businesses with great money or those of congress are exempt or have special rights that are protected that the common people of America don’t have. Just like many other political ad campaigns, “Obamacare: More Than a Glitch,” uses multiple metaphors, fallacies, and rhetorical appeals. Each of these metaphors and comical relevancies of the “Obamacare: More Than a Glitch” video to the “Get Covered” ad, serves a purpose. They are used to persuade, manipulate, and influence its viewers to see the negative impact that Obamacare has had on the people that it is supposedly trying to protect. After seeing and comparing these two ads, the American people have the ultimate decision of which viewpoint they chose to side with and which position they will take.

Works Cited
"About Heritage." The Heritage Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June 2014.
"Campaign 2013." PCL: : ObamaCare Ads. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 June 2014.
"Campaign 2013." "Get Covered" PCL: : ObamaCare Ads. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2014.
"‘More Than a Glitch’: Watch the New Hilarious Yet Scathing Obamacare Ad From the
Heritage Foundation." The Blaze. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 June 2014.