The video clip linked here is Barack Obama's first political advertisement. Watch the political advertisement. Then, in the comments section, publish a posting that responds to the following three questions.
- Identify at least three different forms of pathos employed by the Obama campaign. Remember, pathos is utilized when someone makes an argument that appeals to emotion as a force of persuasion. A few examples of pathos might be fear, love, comfort, humor, patriotism, etc.
- Analyze the style: that is, how are the camera angles, colors, music, and sound bytes used to create Obama’s ethos?
- Symbols are powerful weapons in any rhetor’s arsenal. Identify one symbol that you see in the advertisement and argue what that symbol’s purpose might be.
- Once you have made your comment answering parts 1-3, you are not done. Engage in a conversation with someone else by commenting on their posting. Try posing a question to them about the ad or their response.