The Background
It should be no surprise that the United States is having a presidential election this November. Both major political parties are vying for voters to hear their voices.
Candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump are actively persuading voters that they are the better choice for president. Maybe you have strong opinions on politics, or maybe you don't. Either way, keeping a healthy involvement in the legislative decisions being made that will affect us is the basis of democracy.
In order to keep the will of the people in place, the people must interact with the government. So, I took it upon myself to interact.
I responded to an approval poll for Donald Trump. As I clicked submit, I was filled with a spirit of dread. I knew that something bad was going to come as a result of submitting. I would not have expected the outcome.
By submitting my email information, I had been automatically subscribed to his email list.
The emails began trickling one after another. I receive emails almost on an hourly basis. At least four times a day, I receive a notification from the Trump campaign. Each one leaves me slightly more rattled than the last.
I keep telling myself to unsubscribe, but these emails have provided me with insight that I never knew I needed.
The rhetoric, language, and tone of the emails are all similar. Each notification is filled with anger, pride, and extreme prejudice. I don't mean prejudice in a racial context, but rather, a political one.
The Email Subject
The use of emojis and capslock in the email subject seems childish. However, it is efficient.
The siren emojis denote the email is either high priority or time-sensitive, drawing in subscribers casually viewing their inboxes. The red symbols stand out against any inbox background, while the capitalized letters make the heading clear and distinguishable.
It is meant to catch your attention and disarm you.
It's meant to pique curiosity and make readers want to know more. The curiosity and confusion a reader feels after scanning the headline is enough emotional engagement to get the ball rolling, and that's exactly what it does.
The Hostile and Accusatory Language
The subject text itself "HUNTER BIDEN" is obviously meant to be taken in a hostile manner due to the alarm emojis that surround his name. This is followed by the email using phrases such as "Fake News" that is trying to "prevent you from hearing about this."
This verbiage is meant to make the reader angry, feeling as though there is a disconnect between "real" politics and what the media allows to be aired.
Yes, it's true. Politicians and the government try to do damage control from behind the scenes as to not reveal information to the public.
Both sides are guilty of this. It's not just the Democratic party.
The Republican party is extremely guilty of having insider information regarding COVID-19. The administration is ignoring the flaw in their own logic by simply denying and overlooking their own shortcomings.
The full email comes off as aggressive, seeking out and demanding information from the other side without giving any room for defense of reasoning.
They don't allow for any doubt that Democrats might not be corrupt. Instead, they fuel the idea of corruption. They claim that the American people are against fascism.
Ironically, the emails have fascist diction and strategies so intertwined in them, that it would take another article to point out all examples.
The Takeaway
If you would like to have your curiosity satisfied and your fear fed, I would recommend subscribing to the email list.
The growing feeling of an aggressive administration is beginning to suffocate me.
If you felt a feeling of uneasiness while reading this, please vote.
I don't know if my anxiety can take another term like this.
