Rhetorical Analysis: Political Advertising

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Rhetorical analysis: Political advertisements
Presidential campaigns, in most cases, have been characterized by features of the competition, which has led to formulation and presentation of goals and objectives of each candidate involved. This is considered to be the most tactical activity in the political arena. Some of the major common issues addressed by presidential candidates includes poverty levels, unemployment, the economic situation and resource allocation. Standards of living in the United States have encountered a major decline since 2010 (Understand, Web 26). The 2012 presidential election between President Barrack Obama and Mitt Romney comprised such issues as taxes, national debt, unemployment, healthcare and defense cuts.
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But he did make a mistake of framing himself. He makes an important point by saying that he is not a crook in Lakoff’s, “Don’t Think of an Elephant.”To make it funny, everybody thought that he was a crook. This was a lesson on the basic principle of framing. It is important not to use the language of the other opponent when arguing with them. In his comment, Romney said that he was not going to do the same mistake that Obama did and was going to do successfully what Obama did not. This was the significance of a failure, and it enabled the voters to perceive Romney’s promises as empty therefore framing him negatively (Fowls …show more content…
The advertisement uses some words that show direct people’s involvement in planning for the activities that the prospective president should focus on. This puts emphasis on the need to work together. In this campaign ad, President Obama uses the phrase, "It is critically important to go out and vote.” This is persuasive and gives the people an insight of the importance of voting. The phrase shows the need for taking the matter of voting as a personal matter. Images of remedy in Osborn’s text have been used to show a form of reassurance and recommendation of the results expected from the promises made to the people. This shows how metaphorical words are used by politicians enlightening the voters on what they should do; which is relatively evident from the author’s work.
Osborn’s statements show the inclusive aspect of all other individual and do not focus on a particular personality. This is a major way of motivating the audience and reassuring them of support and deliverance. In the advertisement, President Obama consistently used the phrase; "Let's get out there and vote.” It is a form of reassurance and shows commitment to unity. This symbolizes the public appreciation and declaration of confidence in the candidates. The author’s use of metaphors, as well as those used in the campaign ad, is a symbol of specific