The article, Democrats Plead: don’t Vote Angry by Carrie Dann from MSNBC is an example of how pathos, which is appealing to an individual’s emotions, can be a tool of persuasion (29). The article comments on how “unemployment [is] still hovering close to double digits, frustration and dissatisfaction has been running high in the lead-up to the election.” The Democratic Party has realized that people’s emotional state and more specifically the anger and frustration they feel towards the current government may persuade voters not to vote for the Democratic Party. Former President Bill Clinton’s recognition and concern of how pathos and its power to persuade is evident through this comment, “People are angry, but when you make a decision when you're mad -- about anything, not just politics -- there's an 80 percent chance you make a mistake." The thought was echoed by Obama who said at a fundraiser in Massachusetts that “Part of the reason that our politics seems so tough right now, and facts and science and argument do not seem to be winning the day all the time, is because we're hard-wired not to always think clearly when we're scared." Here Obama is acknowledging that in politics pathos and our emotions play a role in how we understand or feel about certain issues.
The Republican Party has been emphasizing how the dissatisfaction and frustration the current government has created amongst citizens. There advertisement campaigns use pathos to evoke feelings of frustration, angry, and dissatisfaction by highlighting all the empty promises and current economic situation the democratic government has caused.
link: http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/19/5317600-democrats-plead-dont-vote-angry-
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I agree that the Democratic Party is using pathos by playing on the emotions of voters for this election. It also seems apparent that people are angry; the Democratic Party has promised a lot of things and has yet to come through on them. The housing market is non-existent and the healthcare system is a mess right now. It’s like we talked about in class with the 2000 election the times were good and people were happy, therefore voter turnout was lower. However, now the economy is weak and very slowly turning around, people are still without jobs, and they need a solution to their problems. What Clinton is saying is that just because it isn’t perfect right now you shouldn’t change your views because you need to stand behind what you believe in. President Obama gets a lot of negative publicity but the Republican Party did leave the Government in a hard situation. In debt because the war in Iraq, the stock markets crash and all of the government bailouts led to the country being in the situation that it is in. Clinton does had a good run in the white house, he did a lot of good for this country we are at our peak in the 1990’s, so his word may have more of an affect then Obama’s at this point and he is also using his expertise and linking it back to a nostalgic time and trying to make people remember where they stand so they do not just throw it all out the window because things aren’t going exactly the way they want it to.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Pathos can be seen during the campaign trail this year. Both sides, Democratic and Republican, have been using pathos in their speeches and debates during the campaign. President Clinton and President Obama bring up a good point about not to vote while angry. A lot of the problem is how President Obama campaigned on "change" yet no matter how much change he brings, it won't "seem" to be enough to Americans. In addition this change is not coming fast enough, which has angered a lot of struggling Americans. Republicans can see this and take advantage of the pathos in their speeches and debates. The tea party movement is a big example of republican pathos. From what I've read, it appears the Republicans will be taking control of the house and senate this coming election and Pathos will be a big cause of that in my opinion.
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