La imagen política: estudio de caso Darío Macas

Abstract

This research aims to analyze determining factors in the construction of the image of the politician Darío Macas. To this end, several components related to the theme were studied: political communication, political leadership, electoral campaign, personal and political image, the person as a message and the dimensions of the political image. As specific objectives: to characterize the political personalization of Darío Macas as acting mayor, to describe the communication strategies used in the character's speech to communicate with his target during his time in the mayor's office and to determine key aspects of his political image with respect to his reputation in the local environment. The research is descriptive and qualitative, as it is presented as a case study, with the approach of the object of study: characteristics of the political image of Darío Macas with respect to his electoral target. To develop the proposed methodology, several investigative techniques were chosen: discourse analysis in seven videos (Tik Tok sample, Instagram reel, Facebook posts and live broadcasts), focus groups (a group of eight young people and another of eight adults), interviews with three experts in political communication. The results show that Dario Macas is an active politician, who transmits youth, lacks coherent political leadership, in most of his interventions he exposes a discourse that in substance and incongruous way with his personality. He moves with enthusiasm in everything he does; however, it has made strong mistakes that deteriorate its credibility and image giving it a bad reputation that is not as honorable as it claims to be. Macas was also found to convey an optimistic image, radiating youth. When he makes neighborhood visits in full view of everyone, he starts dancing, singing, telling jokes and that pleases people, thus attracting the trust of others and especially with young people. His speeches are aimed at a more populist audience, more of the root of the Machaleño citizen who is of medium and medium low status. Added to this, he has two tones of voice that in a certain way is usually contradictory with what he speaks and this causes that there is no concordance with his being. The experts interviewed agree that he has clear options to achieve re-election because he knows how to better interpret what the people want to hear and this in political marketing means that he assembles between the feelings of the people, his greatest advantage is to be in force in the position of mayor. It should be noted that another important aspect is its Plan 77 Movement is characterized as a Center Movement and according to Policy studies on analytics, most of the people surveyed perceive themselves as centrist, so this movement may cause the corresponding vote.