Pathos in Politics

What is clearly shown in the presidential debates in this year's election that contrast traditional professionalism is each candidates use of pathos. Both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were well known prior to this election, Clinton was the first lady and Secretary of State as Trump stared on Reality T.V and sponsors beauty pageants. Never the less, this reputation they each hold is their opponents first target. Hateful ads and slogans are thrown at each other, phrases like 'Love Trumps Hate' and 'Trump That B*tch may be completely different but both are just jabbing one another.

This is my problem with modern politics, the unnecessary insults and hatred thrown from each political party towards the other. The feud between Democrats and Republicans has gone to the extreme, people are stereotyped and reprimanded for picking the 'wrong' side. In the most recent debates between Clinton and Trump some extremely important questions were not answered. Instead, Trump brought up the email scandal and Clinton exposed Trump on being the sexist and racist person we already knew he was. There is so much destruction and hate in this world right now, and these presidential debates are meant for each candidate to share their plans to fix everything. So many citizens, especially younger people, are still undecided because it's unclear what side Trump and Clinton are taking. At this point, I could care less about what happened to those emails and the 'locker room' talk. I care about how to handle the wage gap, abortion laws, immigration, and every other form of oppression still here today. There is too much pathos in politics, and not enough logos in this election. 

Putting Hillary Clinton in Her Basket of Deplorables

In this ad for the 2016 presidential election Donald trump is trying to convince people to not vote for Hillary Clinton. He is trying to convince people of this by using pathos, ethos and logos.

In this ad it shows Hillary Clinton is giving a speech to a room of upper class Americans and during her speech she calls the middle and lower classes a basket of deplorable. In this ad Donald trump uses pathos by making the ad more personal to the viewer. He does this by saying she’s calling “you” a deplorable. This makes the viewer feel more personally offended and hurt by Hillary Clinton's words.

In this ad Donald trump tries to turn voters against Hillary Clinton by using ethos. At the end of the ad it takes Hillary Clinton's words and uses it against her by calling her “deplorable for viciously dehumanizing hard working people like you.” This tries to smear her image by showing that she would openly insult people that don’t agree with her or people who are not on her side. This also shows that she is a hypocrite because she would generally stereotype a group of people negatively, but still judge Donald trump for doing the exact same thing.

In all, this ad tries to convince people of not voting for Hillary Clinton by making her seem like she is personally offending the voter. And by shining her in a bad light by making her seem hypocritical, stereotypical and willing to offend anyone that is not on her side.

The Most Diverse Country and its Political Representation.

The United States of America is the most ethically diverse country by population. However the government is not diverse at all. Countries around the world have more diverse governments than the U.S. A country that is roughly 50% female has had no female leaders and a congress that is 81% male.

Politicians in the U.S. serve a wide assortment of different minority groups. Each group has its own needs; Mexican immigrants require different things than disabled people. When we have a government that is mostly white upperclassman we aren't really able to get any other perspectives besides a white upper class male's.
Part of this problem is that the voting turnout in the United State's is really low. But this is usually because they feel forgotten buy their government.

Another part of the problem is that both women and people of color face much more prejudice than their white male candidates. There are even recent examples of this happening during the current election campaign with Clinton and the past two with President Obama. Hillary Clinton has faced so much hate from the media on her appearance that male candidates would have never even thought of receiving. Trump has also taken advantage on the fact that she is the woman by saying she is not well suited or "does not have stamina."  Obama has been called racial slurs, and many people even claim that he was not even born in the U.S. 

Good luck America

After watching several presidential ads from both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton I have found common themes from the two of them. I noticed that while Clinton does have some attack ads against Trump, the majority use pathos to find connections with her audience. Trump’s ads however were majorly attack ads against Hillary and used ethos to show how he is strong and powerful.

I find it strange that the two presidential candidates use such different modes in which they inspire people to vote for them. I found that after watching many of Hillary Clinton's ads I had a sense of innocent happiness, such as after watching the ad titled Betsy. This ad told the story of Betsy’s long friendship with Hillary and how she was when she was growing up. It is strange that hearing the story of a presidential candidate would make me want to vote for her but the deliberate use of pathos in the ad made me feel a connection with Hillary and make me feel like I can trust her. This is not the connection I felt with Donald Trump.

Donald Trump’s ads used ethos throughout his ads to make him seem strong and powerful. One ad titled “Two Americas” repeatedly showed vibrant photos of Trump making him seem so powerful and tall. I even noticed that the angle that the photos were taken at made him look like is a god-like figure. In his ads he even makes Hillary seem like the enemy that he has to fight against. The way that Donald Trump portrays himself as a hero makes Americans more inclined to vote for him, but as for me, his ads scare me.



These two presidential candidates have two very different way of gaining supporters and not much of each involves logos. Good luck American :)

Hateful Rhetoric to justify a wall

Donald Trump's latest ad attacks Hillary Clinton's weak border policy. He seamlessly uses pathos to demonize Clinton. The ad begins with a mother who is has a tear in her eye, talking about her son. She tells of how her son was murder by an illegal immigrant and then set on fire in a field. The setting on fire was really powerful because people here about murder every single day, but burning a dead body in a field really stands out. This makes the viewer's heart skip a beat. This ad is a perfect example of appealing to the heart.  

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHLi0sj5-vE&feature=youtu.be

The ad uses both negative and positive ethos. It uses negative ethos by showing Hillary Clinton's incompetent border policy, and how it ended up killing an innocent person. This attacks her reputation as a politician and attacks her stance on the border. Trump uses positive ethos to promote his policy. He claims that only his policy would help prevent crimes like this. Of course this is an anecdotal piece of evidence. As sad as it is, most immigrants are not dangerous, but Donald Trump would like to slander all of them as "rapists and criminals". This is example of negative ethos directed at illegal immigrants. In order to justify his policy he has put down immigrants so he can fund his wall.

Reality Show or the Future of America?

Every presidential election feels different from the last, but the changes seen in the demeanor of the 2016 presidential are more drastic than many expected to see in just four years. Maybe it’s the fact that Donald Trump ran half of his campaign through Twitter posts. Maybe it’s that both candidates often seem to be competing for the best one-liner instead of discussing policies. But putting the behavior of the candidates aside, the most shocking thing about this election is how much the American people are buying into all of the drama stirred up by these un-presidential actions.

During the 2016 election, the line between social media casualness and proper presidential procedure has become severely blurred. During Obama’s presidency, a new level of silliness and personal-ness developed in the relationship between president and American people. Social media allowed a more personal insight into the Obamas’ life. We learned about his whole family and fell in love with his wife and dogs. We saw his goofy interviews and occasional snap chats. The small taste of Obama’s goofy and more “human” side, left us with a picture of his personality. When it came to speaking, however, Obama found a way to still be personal without dragging his social media endeavors into his speeches. Because social media has become such a large part of the everyday lives of most Americans, it is almost natural that is would become a part of the rhetoric of the election. Using what is said on Twitter or Instagram to make a point in a debate is valid in an era where people tend to be more true to themselves when hiding behind a screen. However, Trump and Clinton seem to take it one step further and carry the aggressive and uncivilized-ness that comes with hiding behind a screen onto the debate stage or podium.

The inability to follow debate procedure comes from the ability that social media provides to say whatever is on your mind the second you think of it. Trump is very active on Twitter. His ill-formed and frequent tweets often seem like spur of the moment brain- vomit. This might be one reason for his inability to let anyone talk without interrupting. The second an idea pops into his head, or he disagrees with something, he feels the immediate need get his own thoughts heard, instead of taking a second to process the ideas of his opponent. Both candidates seem, on some level, to have lost respect for the debate process as a whole. The debate is supposed to provide undecided voters with a chance to hear the ideas and policies of each candidate spelled out, while getting a chance to see their speaking skills and body language. Instead, it has turned into a chaotic free-for-all filled with personal jabs and interruptions. Both the candidates and the American people seem to be more interested in the social media reactions that come afterwards than being engaged in the actual event and discussion.

The American people seem to have shifted in the way they receive the election rhetoric, viewing it as a reality show rather than the future of America. For many, this reaction might be masking the fear that comes with hearing the sometimes terrifying policies of Trump. However, regardless of reason, most Americans seem to have their focus on Trump and Hillary memes than their actual policies. The last few weeks have been very dramatic and tension-filled, but it is important for the American people to stay focused and remember what actually matters.

Have You Heard? Apparently Trump is a Bully

On Monday Oct. 17, Hillary Clinton released another campaign ad, America's Bully. This ad is a blast campaign against Trump that mostly uses negative ethos for its argument. This ad is special in that it also uses some comedy and culture in its argument.  The ad starts off with a dictionary definition for the work "bully" It then fades to a scene of the character Scut Farkas, the neighborhood bully from the movie A Christmas Story. The clip shows Scut bullying the main character, taunting him into crying. the ad also incorporates clips of bullies from other movies such as Mean Girls and Back To The Future. This is a comical approach to calling out Trump for his harsh, blunt, and bullying attitude in some situations. It especially appeals to those who have seen these movies, which are just old enough to capture some of the younger voters, but not too young to only appeal to people unable to vote yet. The Ethos in this ad comes directly from the clips of lines from bullies in the movies meshed with clips of similar lines from Trump. It highlights Trumps actions as that of a bully, and not someone who should be the leader of a country.

The second Half of the ad shows a little girl asking Hillary a question. She asks what Hillary is going to do about bullies in America. Hillary asks why she asks this, and it is because the girl has been bullied before for having asthma. This section is a split of positive ethos for Hillary and pathos in the form of sadness for the girl. The ethos comes from Hillary's apparent wonder and want to help this little girl with her problems, and eventually the whole country with its issues. Hillary commends the girl for being brave to ask the question as well, bringing some happiness into the pathos argument as well.

The big issue I see with this ad is that the Trump is an asshole river has long been run dry. I can't imagine anything from this argument will sway anyone who is undecided or planning to vote Trump. One of Hillary's largest appeals to many is that she isn't a bully like Trump, and that's the problem. Anyone that cares about if the president is nice or not is already voting Hillary, so I can't see this ad swaying anybody. One of Trumps largest appeals to his voters is that he is a jerk who is straight to the point, no matter if it offends people, and that is a trait of someone who can and will get things done the right way.

Overall, I see the appeal and rhetorical strategies this ad uses, and its  pretty cool video with all of the movies referenced within, but I can't see this ad moving around the polls at all. Anyone with a preference on how nice the president is has already locked in their opinions, only to be swayed by some other argument..

Third Presidential Debate (Not So) Live Blogging

The fact that Trump was able to ensure his defeat in the election with just one sentence should not surprise me at this point, yet it does. When asked if he will accept the result of the presidential election, Trump did not answer with a "yes, of course", which was surely what everyone was expecting. Instead he said to the country "I'll keep you in suspense", essentially meaning that unless he wins, (which he won't) he is almost promising us that he will not accept defeat in a respectful and dignified manner. Trump fails to realize that this response was frankly un-American. Isn't respecting the outcome of the presidential election essentially the definition of a democracy?

The Political Gap

One of the newer issues in America's current politics is the increasing gap between Republican voters and Democrat voters has grown. This means that many more people are strictly Democrat, and many others are strictly Republican. Many fewer people are now inclined to have opinions from both parties. This could cause more tensions between the two parties, as both are continuously having less and less shared values. People-press.org shows are graph of three studies, 1994, 2004, and 2014 that show the percentage of voter inclined towards each party.

From this graph it's very clear how dramatically voters positions have changed over time. As the percentage of voters went down ten percent, the amount of voters strongly inclined to each party has tripled. If this flaw in the system doesn't return to normal, ever more extreme candidates will be elected giving us potentially unqualified candidates whose only good quality is their appeal to extremists.

Third Presidential Debate (Not So) Live Blogging

When asked about the way Trump would like our country to interpret the Constitution, he does not even hesitate to say that in 2016, he would still like America to interpret it in the same way that our Founding Fathers did. When Trump says he will "Make America Great Again", is he picturing America in 1787? Is his idea of "great" all of the racism, sexism, and homophobia that our Founding Fathers brought over to America with them? It was a time when it wasn't absolutely unnecessary and dangerous for every American to have the right to own a gun, and that is the only factor he is considering. Trump and many others greatly misconstrue what our second amendment is supposed to mean.

Third Presidential Debate (Not So) Live Blogging

Right out of the gate, Hillary highlights one of her favorite things to talk about, which is getting regular American people more involved in the government. She hits the ground running by eloquently stating the importance of letting the working class and all minorities in America have a larger say in what goes on in our country. This appeals to ethos because it makes her appear more just and trustworthy.

Trump Doesn't Need a Recount, Unless he Loses

One of Donald Trump's most recent claim has been that he will wholly accept the results of the upcoming election. There is one catch though, he will only accept the results if he wins.

During the most recent debate this Wednesday night, Trump not only undermined the entirety and accountability of our nation's election system, but he also clearly exposed his arbitrary and hypocritical thinking. To justify himself, Trump pointed to the election of 2000 between Al Gore and George W. Bush. During this election, Al Gore had demanded recounts from many counties, and ultimately caused Florida to rescind its vote to Bush. Bush eventually sued Gore from continuing the recounts in other places and eventually won in a Supreme Court ruling causing Gore to concede.

Now, there are many holes in Trumps argument. Al Gore had a real reason to call for a recount in Florida. The votes in Florida were so extremely tight that Gore had no choice. Also, throughout the election of 2000, Gore and Bush were completely confident in the legitimacy of the electoral college and the voting process. In no way did they question it like Trump. If Trump were to demand a recount, it would be on the basis of his own anger and hissy fits. Why are the American people allowing Trump, a possible leader of our country, to throw temper tantrums whenever he does not get what he wants?

To look on the bright side, if America does end up having to recount the votes, at least Trump will have lost in the first place.

VP Debate Review

I don't think both Kaine nor Pence succeeded is coming out the victor of this debate. Most of this debate seemed to be a exchange of Kaine interrupting Pence to state all of Trumps misshapes, and Pence interrupting Kaine to try to explain these misshapes. Kaine was more or less forced to go on the aggressive with this debate and use the recent news to try to win the debate, Pence being stuck on the defensive had to keep on relying on facts of Trumps' successes. I think however this debate boded much better for the republicans then the outcome of Trumps recent debate, as Pence seemed to keep is cool through and not let Kaine to get to his head too much, having a lot to do with preparing before the debate. In all, I don't think this debate had a clear winner. Pence did a good job reducing the ethos of Trump, however Pence did well keeping his cool and countering lots of these attacks with facts.

Live blog, Debate 3 (3)

The way that Hillary Clinton claims that she want to "Invest in people" makes us feel that she really cares about us as people.  The way she wants to invest in new jobs, education, and skill training are all things that we as Americans find as necessities, and by making us think that she will help us, she is more likely to gain votes.

Live Blog, Debate 3 (2)

On the topic of immigration, Donald Trump uses pathos to its full extent.  The way that he describes illegal immigrants as "rapists, murderers, and drug lords".  This kind of language seems like a very harsh stereotype for all immigrants, most of which are just looking for a better life.  But this language also makes us fear what these people could do, for no reason, which is a very elective use of pathos.

Live blog, Debate 3

Clinton begins the debate with some very strong words about how she feels the supreme court should be run. She seems to, at least in this part, want to try to pull some voters that are part of the LGBT community, and women rights activists that might have been on the wall. She also has laid a strong foundation for her debate.

Live Blog. Debate 3.

It's funny how Hillary makes Trump look bad when calling him out by using a "scare tactic," when talking about abortion, but she turns right around and does the same thing when talking about border control. Doesn't seem too fair, even sounds a little hypocritical.

Live Blog. Debate 3.

It really shows how much more civil Hillary is than Trump, she only ever interrupts when it comes to something she is extremely passionate for example pro choice. You can tell the change in her tone when she starts talking, really showing true, genuine, raw emotion. I think this helps her as a candidate, to be seen as someone who people can relate to.

The Best Quote Of The Third Debate

"Let's please be quiet, for the candidates and the American people"

This quote was uttered somewhat exasperatedly from tonight's debate moderator, Chris Wallace. He actually did a much better job than the past two debate moderators at a few things. Wallace kept the audience in line, the few times they threatened a cacophony of boos or laughs, shut them down very quickly. The first time the audience even gave so much as a collective thought to yelling out, Wallace said "Let's please be quiet, for the candidates and the American people." Most of the time, and he was consistent with it throughout the debate, he told (mostly) Trump and Clinton that they had to shut up when their speaking times passed, as hard as that is for them to do.

The Literal Demonization of Hillary Clinton

In a recent advertisement, "Shut It Down", put out by the Trump-supporting Make America Number One PAC, the creators use a variety of visual and auditory techniques in order to enhance their ethos based argument that the Clinton Foundation and Hillary herself are entirely corrupt and unsuitable for the presidency. The background music, flashing words, and lexicon used in the ad create a sense of fear or trepidation about Hillary, which enforces the negative attack on her character.

The most noticeable thing about the ad is probably the background music, which consists of the soundtrack to an opera that could only be set in Hell. It's foreboding, loud, frantic, and downright terrifying. On top of this, the words on the screen are flickering and glitching, and are laid over a background of flashing lights that look like fire.

If these borderline-demonic visuals weren't enough to make the viewer fear for their life at the mention of Hillary's name; the word choice within the ad clinches the deal. The ad is a negative attack on Hillary's morality, calling out her corruption as a political candidate. The ad calls on Republicans and Democrats alike in order to prove her corruption, showing that the accusation is not biased, but instead common knowledge. Apparently, everyone knows how immoral Hillary is.

Of course, the word corrupt frequents the screen, but what I found more surprising was the use of the word "bedevil". Yes, bedevil. It certainly enhances the attack on Hillary's character by equating her actions with those of Satan himself, and since America is a majority Christian nation, it plays a bit into pathos and people's religious fear of sin.

This ad against "Crooked Hillary" uses mainly ethos in order to make Hillary look corrupt and unsuitable for the Presidency. This argument is enhanced by the video techniques that make the ad appear terrifying and even hellish, and the religious word choice that associates the Hillary campaign with the devil and sin.

Live Blog #3

I think their closing statement were perfect reflections of the way they debate. Hillary spoke well about wanting to improve America and make it fair and create jobs and a better education. Overall the whole closing statement flows from one word to the next. She presented it with a strong tone and ends on a good note. While Trump first starts off with insulting Hillary (which isn't all bad for arguments but has no place in a closing statement) to then talking about military and our treatment of immigrants and our police men with no justice and this and that. It jumps all over the place, he's on the next topic before you even got to comprehend the first one. It was almost like he was just cramming as many issues into one minute. Then he ends it with yet again insulting our current president. It seems pretty clear who is winning the election this year...

Tacos Trump Hate

Today, a Trump protest was not your typical protest. Protesters built a "wall" made out of taco trucks around Trump's Las Vegas hotel. 

The wall was a pretty strong wall- made out of about 40 taco trucks, signs/posters, and many protesters. The protest was held in Las Vegas; where the population is about one third Hispanic.

The idea was inspired by Trump's call for a wall to be built between the U.S. and Mexico, as well as the Latinos For Trump founder, Marco Gutierrez, saying that taco trucks would be "on every corner," if Trump lost this election.

This rally was organized by the Culinary Union, along with Latino Victory Project, United Here, American Bridge, Center for Community Change Action, For Our Future, PLAN Action and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Debate #3, Post #3

In conclusion, I think that both candidates repeated themselves a lot, Trump more than Clinton. Also, both candidates were vague on their plans for the country and how to get the country in the right direction. Trump made digs at Clinton about how she hasn't made any changes in the thirty years she was in office, her role in the middle east, her husband, etc. Clinton talks about Trumps statements about women, his tax returns, etc. Both of the candidates focused largely on how the other candidate is flawed instead of mainly focusing on their own political plans for the country. Clinton spoke to all Americans in her last statement which I think helped her campaign. When Trump made his last statement, he focused on how Clinton will not make a difference in the country, instead of making statements that would help him get votes in November. Overall, this debate was more civil than the first.

Live Blog #2

When the question about how to create more jobs Hillary explains how she wants to make education system better from preschool to college to prepare young people for the jobs ahead of them. Also for people who make under $125,000 will not have to pay for college to try to make their life debt free. She is very forward and to the point with all of her arguments which makes them seem even better. Then she talks about Donald Trumps plan to make tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations adding to our debt and costing is jobs. He responds he only speaks of how Hillary's plan would increase taxes and then he switches to talking about Germany, Japan and  other countries having to "pay up". He constantly states random facts to change the subject and at one point Hillary almost starts laughing because listening to his nonsense is laughable because of how ridiculous it is. Its hard to choose a candidate when they don't even make arguments.

Live Blog #1

Trump constantly explains how things are going to get better but never explains how to do so. Trump was asked about creating more jobs. He talked about how the gdb will rise from 1% to 4% or even 5 or 6%, but then he rambles off about creating new companies (which he still does not explain how to do this). He also is constantly insulting our current president. First by talking about the horrible leadership of today, to just ranting about needing to repeal and replace Obama care and how much of an issue it would be if we didn't. He has obviously come a long way from the first debate, but he is still interrupting and criticizing Hillary's comments instead of waiting. At one point while she was talking about an issue Trump just leans into the mic and says "your husband disagrees with you", which shows his true immature side he has been trying so hard to hold back.

The Good, The Bad, and Trump. Live Blog

I really wanted to get to Hillary this blog but there is just so much material to be covered on Donald. To compete with the abundance of experience and expertise that Hillary has, Donald makes up insignificant anecdotes to make himself look qualified. Any viewer who takes the time to look into what he says will quickly find that what he uses to boost his character mean nothing. Donald said he visited "Little Haiti" to learn about the Haitian economy and crisis that ensued after the disasters years ago. While at face value this might make Donald look like he goes out of his way to learn about what is going on in the world. In reality however, Little Haiti is a 5 by 6 block neighborhood in Miami. Visiting Little Haiti certainly did not make him an expert on Haiti. That is only one example. Watch for your self

Debate 3 Live Blog

Hillary's response to some of Donald Trumps recent actions with the outbreaks of sexual and verbal attacks was truly moving. Trump claims that he has not and will not apologize for his actions because they are not true. Hillary brings up some of the things that Trump has said such as, "she's wouldn't be my first choice" to show how he is degrading to women. What extended her response above and beyond was the expansion on the other controversial topics such as his mocking of a disabled reporter on national television. With all of this evidence, and him not responding and apologizing, it puts Trump in a bad situation when it comes to popularity.

Debate 3 Live Blog #3

"Nobody has more respect for women than I do" says Donald Trump in response to Hillary Clinton in the third and final debate. However, there have been multiple accounts and reliable sources saying that he has mocked women as well as sexually degrading them as he pleases. No person has respect for women if he or she states that they will kiss or do other inappropriate things to them without there permission. Can we really trust someone such as Trump with our country if he continues to lie to the people of the United states. Any person who says "Grab them by the Pussy" has no respect for themselves as well as women and furthermore people in general.

Trump's Harassment of Women: Live Blog

On the topic of the women that Trump allegedly harassed, Trump claims that the stories are "debunked" and that all 9 women who came forth are lying. He even goes as far to share that he did not apologize to his wife for the incidents that have been occurring because he claims that they did not happen. As this is a tall claim to make, I believe it is statistically unlikely that all 9 women who came forth are only interested in the fame that it will bring them. Hillary argues that Trump is unfit to run this country because he belittles women to make himself bigger, going after their dignity and their self-worth. I agree that anyone who does not recognize gender equality is not prepared to run the United States of America.

Debate #3, Post #2

Both candidates say that the other candidates economic plan for the country will cause the national dept to go up significantly. Both of the plans are somewhat vague and both of the candidates think that the other plan is the worst for the country. It is very hard to tell which plan will be the best for the country based on watching this debate.

Trump vs. Clinton Final Debate, part 3

When Trump is asked if the stories of assault were true, he firmly stated that they were not true. He told the mediator and the American people that he did absolutely nothing, stating that the reason this is a rumor is because of Clinton's campaign and because the women want their "10 minutes of fame." Trump also tells the audience that he did not apologize to his wife because "it was lies and it was fiction." Trump sticks with his claim that he did not assault women and that nobody has more respect for women than he does.

Debate 3 Live Blog

It is clear that Trump has improved his debate techniques since September 26. He is still interjecting and interrupting both the moderator and Hillary, which is not surprising, but he is trying to keep his cool. He is presenting his beliefs and sticking by what he has said in previous debates and speeches. Trump is far more prepared for this debate and he is doing his best to intimidate Hillary for the first time in a while.

Building the Economy: Live Post

Under Obama, the economic debt has grown to 20 trillion dollars, which will only increase under Hillary's tax plan, which is to massively raise taxes on Americans. Trump's argument to facilitate economic growth is the best option because he plans to ask other wealthy countries to help America, something that Hillary is reluctant to do. Trump, as well, recognizes that we have horrible deals in America, and jobs are being sucked out of the economy. Trump plans to renegotiate NAFTA, and if that does not work, he will create new deals. This will work because Trump is a great businessman and as he cuts taxes on businesses, they will hire more people, improving the economy, which will in turn "get the economy rolling".

Trump vs. Clinton Final Debate, part 2

Trump has come a long way since the first debate in terms of respecting the mic, but he could not seem to help himself when arguing with Clinton about immigration. Trump interrupted Clinton more than once- he said that she was wrong and that she has been known to be a liar. He spoke over the mediator and over Clinton. This type of rhetoric does not appeal to anyone because it's rude and does not get any point across.

Live blog #3

Donald Trump is way more prepared for this debate than he has been in that past two. However Hillary is also prepared, so this debate so far, seems more fair. Also more educational on how they actually feel about certain topics.

Debate 3 Live Blog

Trump's views on being pro-life when it comes to abortion are relatively reasonable until he gets to the point in which there should be a form of punishment to the mothers who do decide to get an abortion. For example, a woman who gets pregnant due to a rape should not have to be punished for wanting to have an abortion. On the other hand, Hillary's argument does have a flaw as well, in that a woman can decide to have an abortion in the final weeks of the baby's due date. I think that the two ideas of the candidates could be combined to make a more stable argument and law.

Live blog of 3rd and final debate post #3

Donald Trump has stated previously that if we have nuclear weapons why not use them, and from that Hillary says that the people who control the launching of the missiles do not trust Donald Trump with the codes. This alone goes with Ethos, it appears as if Donald Trump is uneasy or trigger happy. It seems like we are bound to have a war it he is elected

Scare Rhetoric:Láqueo rhetoric

Hillary digs at Donald for using "scare rhetoric" with his word choice when talking about late term abortions. She reprimands him logos, his character, by saying this, mentioning a few other times that his language is representative of his character (not great, she says). It will be interesting to see how many times she might cite his language throughout the night, and vice versa.

School yard Bickering. Live Post

I am very unsettled that the two nominees for this country's president interrupt and insult each other. It is infantile and a far cry from presidential behavior. To quote Trump "  Im not a puppet, you're a puppet". As I am typing he continues to barge into Clinton's answers; "Wrong", "Wrong", "Wrong", and "No you wont, you wont find a quote from me" this is the type of childish banter that is found among toddlers and people who generally do not know what they are talking about and lack any impulse control.

Hindsight is not always 20/20 Live Post

On the issue of immigration Donald Trump attempts to change the record of his opinions by saying that what he said in the past was something else. He even goes as far to say that what Hillary Clinton has said and done in the past is something else. The very attempt to change the record of what people have said or done is insulting in my opinion. To speak on the assumption that people will just believe your every word is crazy.

Building the Wall: Live Post

It is brought up that Hillary voted for the wall the be built in 2006, however it did not happen. Hillary argues how her opinion on the wall has changed since then because border control as well as the deportation of undocumented immigrants requires that we focus all our efforts on the issue of illegal immigrants when they could be better spent elsewhere. Hillary suggests a more democratic option called her comprehensive immigration reform policy, which attempts to bring undocumented immigrants out of the shadows to get economy working again and decrease exploitation by employers. I think Hillary's option is a better alternative because it will not tear families apart, nor punish people for coming to America in the hope of a better life.

Debate 3 Live Blog #1

Donald Trump has finally responded to a question that has requested his response in a clear manner and mature manner. He gave his response and how he would assign the new Justice (s) and why he would assign them. So far Trump is off to a good start in this debate.

Live blog #2

When the topic of immigration was brought up both candidates brought up the same two main points they always do. Trump says "We need to build a wall"  and Hillary says "we cant rip families apart. However Hillary continues to elaborate and talks about bored security and keeping violence out. But then Donald goes on to prove that she said she wanted open boards. So I think both candidates both don't really know what they are talking about when it comes to this topic.

Live blog of 3rd and final debate post #2

Donald Trump speaks of building a wall and having a strong border because other countries are making profits off of drugs that come into this country, we the drugs and they get the money. When Hillary replied he goes in by stating that the nafta deal signed by Bill Clinton was one of the worst deals to happen. By doing that he appeals to ethos by trying to take the heat off of him by making her character look bad because he also stated that Hillary went along with it.

Trump vs. Clinton Final Debate, part 1

When talking about the right to choose, Trump and Clinton use logos and pathos to defend their views. Clinton uses facts about the Roe vs. Wade to state that a mother should be able to have an abortion late in the term if the mother's health is considered. The facts and logic she uses are defended by Trump using pathos, saying that Clinton would allow someone to "rip the baby out" in the ninth month of a pregnancy. Trump's diction exaggerates and twists Clinton's words.

Debate 3 Live blog #2

Clinton and Trump are both very much so calm and collected and aren't going back and fourth with each other as they usually do with the new moderator. However, Trump just stated that we can rip a baby out of the women who have every right, according to Clinton, to choose whether or not they want an abortion or not and then can discard of the baby. Trump started off in a good way and is well behaved during this debate but I believe that comment will cause him to lose many voters who stand by abortion.

Live blog of 3rd and final debate post #1

It was stated that Hillary Clinton said that the fetus has no constitutional right and she thinks that you can only regulate abortion laws if you take account the health of the mother and child. She does not think that the government should have no right to decide what women should do in these cases. Hillary applies to pathos by stating that she has met women who health comes into danger due to pregnancy and who have said that this is the hardest decision that anyone ever has to make.

Debate #3, Post #1

Trump answered the first question about the supreme court very well. Trump stated what type of judge he wants to appoint; someone that will interpret the constitution how it was supposed to be interpreted. He answered the question directly and didn't go off on another subject. He was very clear with his opinion in his answer.

Live blog #1

The first question asked was under the topic of the supreme court. Hillary spoke first and brought up points about how she wants to stand on the side of the american people. Also said to not reverse marriage equality, woman's rights and other points similar to what Obama has said. She continues to repeat things like this when talking about these issues. However its much better than what Trump said about it.. He talks about statements the supreme court made against  him, and then brought up the point that Hillary was not going to win. It definitely shows how he never answers the actual question.

Hillary v. Donald: ROUND 3

The introductions were as they usually are, both candidates were introduced and the rules and goals for the debate states. This time, like in the second debate, did not shake hands. This time, they both made a beeline for their podium, not even crossing paths or standing next to one another. This could very well set the tone for the debate, although with these two candidates, the formality of the debate can soon be lost. So far, so good.

Why Uncle Sam is upset?

As this elections season is nearing an end, we are watching American politics come to an all time low and it sure is not good for the country.  The real problem with American politics is the growing policy among them to consider victory above all else and their desire to win.  Through doing this, politicians are treating politics as war between sides which is hypocritical to the basic Democratic values.  All though it is ok for politicians to have a desire to win , they need to start paying attention to what's best for the society.  This ultimately cripples Washington D.C.'s abilities to reach solutions, agree, come to a consensus, and capture the smartest thinking of both sides.  Politicians no longer care about representing their people and doing what's best for their country.  They care about winning in the end and proving that they are right even if its not representing the people.

This gets at the bigger issue of disinterested politics versus Interested politics.  Disinterested politics is when a politician is not influenced by considerations of personal advantages.  Interested politics is when a politician works to better themselves and give them advantages rather than doing what is good for the American people.  Right now in politics, America has a lot of interested politicians and we need disinterested politicians.  We need people in office who put the people of the United States before themselves and sacrifice things for the better of the society. This allows for the country to be put ahead of individuals and help to make the it better.  If we can put people in our capital who are disinterested rather than interested, American politics will change for the better.

While their are still many things wrong with American politics there are two major steps we can take to getting our politics back on the right track.  First we need to stop making politics all about victory and winning and second we need to put people in power who put the country before anything else.  If these two things are accomplished, American politics will be back on the right track.

Donald trump Vs. the lies

These past few days Donald trump has suffered a huge set back during his campaign, women have been making multiple accusation against him that through the years he has been sexually assaulting them. When really these are lies conjured up by Hillary Clinton campaign and other people trying to slander Donald trump’s name and prevent him from winning the presidential election. Before this election there has been no talk about trump sexually assaulting anyone then, coincidentally the moment that the end of the presidential debate nears one women makes these accusations against him. But, where were these women before the debate, what made them come now. Another suspicious thing about this entire scandal is that these women filed a civil suit against Mr.trump, instead of filing a criminal suite like most rape victims. For those who don’t know, a civil suite means that these women are suing trump for money instead trying to put him in jail his alleged crimes. Plus, they have no proof of trump hurting these women, except one recording of him talking to billy bush about how he wanted to kiss this girl that he was with for the show days of our lives. But, just because someone says something doesn't mean they necessarily did it. And since this scandal happened Donald trump's polls has dropped and many of the republicans has stopped backing him.

So, because there is no proof, these women decided to sue him for money, these claims only surfaced recently and these allegations have only helped Hillary Clinton in the race by ruining Donald trump's name. The allegation made against Donald trump are false and are only made to ruin his name.

Pence v.s. Kaine

I personally thought Tim Kaine won this vice presidential debate.

Mike Pence, much like Donald Trump, seemed unprepared and on edge during the debate. I thought that both Pence and Trump were having trouble in their debates controlling their anger/emotions, and seemed to be letting their opponent get the better of them. Kaine and Clinton seem to have found that sitting back and letting the other man talk is a solid strategy.

Furthermore, Pence and Trump did not seem to be on the same page. You could tell Pence was really struggling to justify Trump's actions, and he ended up hurting himself because he was not able to give a solid stance. Kaine was giving him a hard time, and he couldn't defend himself.

I think Donald Trump and Mike Pence will, themselves, be the ones responsible for losing the election, if they keep going like this.

Vice Presidential debate

In the debate between Mike Pence and Tim Kaine, the two vice presidents faced off stating there views and defending their presidential candidates. In this debate the clear victor was Tim Kaine as he kept Mike Pence on edge asking him questions about Donald Trump and whether or not Pence backs up Trumps actions. In response Pence tried the best he could to keep his cool and justify Trumps actions as best he could but the more he defended the more Kaine came back with questions and concerns and facts that show how much of a prune Donald J. Trump is. Trumps actions with Russia and Vladamir Putin are still unknown but the fact that his Vice President doesn't even know what has really been talked about or exchanged and how Pence and Trump don't agree with each others statement really hindered Pence's argument and trustworthiness as well as Trump's. So in the end ultimately Clinton and Kaine were really the true victors in this.

President Addresses National Threat

     As election day approaches, the American people and media continue to discover more about Donald Trump. I stumbled across this video today and thought it is significant to the discussion of rhetoric on the campaign trail. While Obama is not running for a third term he has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president. This speech directly pertains to why Hillary should be president because Obama explicitly says why Donald Trump cannot be president.
     The prominent rhetorical argument in the speech is ethos. Obama reacts to the recording of Trump talking about sexually assaulting women. Obama says that Trump clearly does not have the morals and values that the republican party claims to promote. Obama also points out that the Republican party cannot control Trump. He connects Trumps actions to the decline in leadership and responsibility of the Republican senate. This indirectly characterizes Trump as noxious. If Trump is dismantling the Republican party from the inside out, what will he do to America if we give him the chance? Obama further explains why Trump is a terrible option and is does not represent the American people or American values. Obama says that no decent person would brag or joke about the things Trump has. No decent person would even think about doing those things (in reference to the recording of Trump talking about sexually assaulting women). This argument is at face value logos. Obviously the American people want a decent person as president. The argument is much more effective when looking at a ethos perspective. Trump is not a decent person if he is the type of person to treat women so poorly.
    I am worried about this election because the more I learn about Trump the more I fear for the country's future, considering he is the republican nominee. At the same time I have a twisted form of excitement. I wonder "What more has Trump said or done?" what I already know is crazy and almost surreal. Should I be ashamed of that feeling given that he has the potential to be my next president? I do know that the rest of this election is going to be a wild ride.

Get Used to Hillary

Hillary’s growing popularity continue to escalates as the election moves on. In a campaign shirt, as pictured above, she illustrates how her campaign appeals and is supporting women’s rights and feminism. The shirt is making a point not only is Hillary going to be president, but  America needs to get used to a woman being in charge. This campaign uses ethos and pathos to send a powerful message to her supporters.

Hillary is boosting her popularity and previously known reputation. Being a woman, she is especially subjected to sexist ideals as scrutinization. Being “bossy” and “annoying” is a common insult towards her. Instead of trying to combat this statement, she simply embraces it in a positive way. “Get used to it” as stated on the shirt appeals to emotions of the viewer. The viewer is automatically demanded attention as well as given a shock value. It doesn't matter if you agree or disagree with her, you are still emotionally awakened.

Hillary is going into this election with a fury that will not be easily dulled. She stands strong and continues to use her “disadvantages” to her own strength. She continues to empower women throughout the election and will hopefully further her push to break bounds and stereotypes in America. Her powerful campaigns continue to generate a stir and reactions throughout the nation.

Pence Trumps Kaine

Mike Pence seems to be Trump's knight in shining armor, who saved him from his spiraling campaign. With Trump's campaign on thin ice with some of the recent information released, such as the tape of his conversation with Billy Bush, Pence needed to get a win for team Trump. Although Tim Kaine still had a good debate, he seemed over prepared and his arguments sounded a little too scripted.  

During this debate, Pence acted more like Hillary. Remaining calm is always an advantage in any debate, and that is exactly what Pence did throughout the debate. Pence showed how he represented Trump and that he backed up most of his campaign choices. The argument that stood out the most to me was on Trump's view on taxes. Pence helped get Trump's message through by appealing to the lower and middle classes to shrink their taxes in order for them to strive in business. 

Another way Pence's debate went smoothly was that he did not give in to Kaine's negative remarks. Kaine brought up the "You're Hired, You're Fired" saying, Pence responds with "Thank you for that". His ability to avoid confrontation is something that he needs to teach Donald Trump. Pence stayed in his path to win the debate by avoiding Kaine's attempts for confrontation and pushing through to explain how he can solve issues in the United States. 

All in all, Pence kept his cool and unlike Kaine, was not over prepared for this debate. A victory for team Trump may not be expected when Trump is on stage, but Pence is a confident speaker and a reliable win. Although more citizens are interested in the heat between the two presidential candidates, the Vice Presidential debate of 2016 was a very important debate. This amplified Trump's beliefs and ideas in a positive light and may help Trump in the long run.

I remember watching the debates between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama 4 years ago. I was in 7th grade and I was assigned to watch the debate and take notes. I remember the debates being long and boring and not having any strong opinions towards a certain candidate because they both seemed trustworthy. Now as a Junior in high school and having watched the past two debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton I cannot say the same. The actions of mainly Donald Trump disgust me and I do not think that it is suitable for any 7th grader to watch, let alone younger.


I found myself filled with rage when I saw a video of Donald Trump describing in an interview how he can sexually assault women because of his status. The things he described doing to women are disgusting and straight up illegal. I cringe at the fact that young children are being exposed to these things. Donald Trump is supposed to be a role model and I cannot associate those words with him in anyway. Donald Trump is instead dismissing his behavior and telling people that it is just distracting us from what is really important, like ISIS. Is he really trying to tell our country's youngest generations that sexual assault and prejudice against women is not a pressing issue in our country? Nearly one in five women say they have been “raped or experienced an attempted rape” (Nytimes.com). Clearly this is a problem that must be addressed in our country. I am truly disappointed in scared for the future of this country.

Pence comes up with the W

Mike Pence won the VP debate by a landslide. Unfortunately for Donald Trump, VP debate are pretty much meaningless. Mike Pence not only won on policy, but he was much better at at debating and having a conversation than Kaine. This likely is due to the fact that he was a talk radio host before a politician. Pence won the debate because his composure was better, he rationalized his running mate's actions better than Kaine, and his points were clear.

Pence kept his composure very well during the debate. Kaine was on the attack for much of the debate and Pence just shrugged him off and didn't let him get to his head. Unlike his running mate, he is capable of still getting to his point without having to protect his ego. He was being interrupted at almost every question and still got to his points. Tim Kaine's interruptions came off as rude and inconsiderate, rather than commanding. While Mike Pence had his fair share of interruptions he used them to finish what he was saying rather than disrupt.

Mike Pence had a tough job, he had to defend Donald Trump's statements and policies. Pence did an excellent job of this. Whenever Kaine brought up an offensive of stupid comment Trump made, Pence looked into the camera and shook his head in a way that made seem as if Kaine was out his mind. Undecided voters know that there is a lot of lying in a political debate, and the way Pence shook his head helped persuade voters that Kaine was lying and he is right. This has a real impact to how voters perceive the candidates administration.

Pence's points were cohesive and direct. Whether or not his policy would work is up for discussion, but clearly he presented his argument far better than Kaine. Kaine's answered were scattered all over the place, he had inconsistent answered that were correctly rebutted by Pence. Kaine's interruptions didn't help him seem correct. He came off as defensive and scared, rather than confident and correct.

To finish Pence clearly won the debate because of his debating skills, his conscience points, and ability to defend his candidates statements.

Bernie Burning Across America

This campaign ad, while has no words displays a very clear message to the American public. Bernie doesn't attack any other runners in the video which almost makes him seem higher up in a way.  Like Michelle Obama says, Hillary Clinton these days too, "When they go low, we go high." Which I thought was very interesting because all that both current candidates seem to be doing is attack the other on basically everything.

Bernie uses a very strong ethos approach in the ad. The scenes of all the citizens is very reminiscent to the scenes of an Obama ad. Displaying farmers, some sort of industrial workers, people in the suburbs, and crowds of supporters shouting Bernie's name with signs waiting to hear him speak. Bernie is greeting his supporters and speaking on his beliefs. Which really shows how much of a true person he is.

Second Presidential Debate: Are Any of Us Winners?

The second Presidential Debate did not go particularly well for either candidate, nor did it reveal anything about the candidates that U.S. citizens weren’t already aware of. However, the way that the candidates handled themselves and answered questions said a lot about the values of American citizens.

Although many people believe that Hillary lost her head- and- shoulders lead over Trump in this debate, I think she proved that she had learned from the first debate that Trump will end up digging himself into a hole if she just lets him talk and does not interrupt. Her lack of interruptions also served as a way to make up for her Vice President, Tim Kaine who, in the Vice Presidential debate, lost his composure and interrupted Mike Pence many times. Hillary reestablished her party’s and her own debate integrity and respect for the process.

Once again, Trump had questionable body language and aggressive and reckless debate tactics. While Hillary was answering questions, Trump paced back and forth along the back of the stage like a lion stalking his prey. It ended up benefiting Hillary because it showed how well she could keep her composure in weird situations. While Trump was antsy and distracting during her questions, Hillary made an effort to make occasional eye contact and still make the audience feel as though they were being addressed.

One of the most questionable things Trump did for the second debate was his stunt of holding a pre-debate news conference with a handful of women allegedly assaulted by Bill Clinton. Exploiting the stories of the women to get people riled up before a debate is disrespectful and takes attention away from the actual problem of their situation. The uncovering of these stories should not be brought about to squash an opponent, it should be brought about to get justice for the women that were assaulted. It is a serious situation, not a debate tool.

From even lightly following the debates and overall Presidential election, most Americans have picked up on Hillary’s strong debate skills and Trump’s awkward body language and aggression. Americans’ reactions to these things and the debate in general say a lot about where we are as a country. The fact that Trump believed that he would be able to use the stories of women assaulted by Bill Clinton as “hook” to get people on his side and watching the debate shows how Americans are more focused on the drama than the actual policies of the candidates. Not that sexual assault isn’t something that should be openly and widely discussed, but at this point in the election process, a debate should be more focused on policies and ideas than family drama and personal attacks.

In a recent speech, President Obama said, “Democracy in a big, diverse country doesn’t work if you constantly demonize each other.” No candidate is getting anywhere in their campaign by commenting on the physical appearance or stability of the marriage of the other candidate. Americans should start placing more value on the person with the best and most inclusive policies instead of the one that can dig up the most dirt on the opposing candidate.

Hillary likes Pant Suits and Equality

On Hillary’s shop website, she sells a shirt that has a line of rainbow paint suits going across the front. This is one of my favorite shirts of her campaign so far because it shows how good of a sport and how focused Hillary’s campaign remains.

Instead of being frustrated by the constant comments being made about her attire when those same comments are never made about male candidates, she embraces them and jokes about it herself. By making jokes about her frequent wearing of pant suits she is making it realized that it is not a big deal and that it shouldn’t be a focus of the election. It is just something light-hearted and funny and has nothing to do with whether or not she “looks presidential”.

The rainbow pattern of the pantsuits brought all of the joking back to ideas that actually matter. Straying from the typical red, white, and blue of campaign shirts and making the shirt rainbow represent the inclusiveness and support of LGBTQ+ community that is a large part of Hillary’s campaign. Without getting deep into policies, one of the the most appealing things about Hillary, that Trump lacks, is her acceptance of people of all sexualities and identities. As as we get closer and closer to election day, it is important for her to emphasize these ideas so that undecided voters can realize that, putting all other policies aside, being accepting and inclusive is what matters most in the leader of our country.

Republicans for Hillary?

     In this campaign add "Doug", Hillary uses Doug as an example to show that republicans can vote for her too.This commercial is short and sweet with not a lot going on, which is a nice break from all the usual complicated backstabbing that has been going on in this campaign. Hillary shows a middle aged man ,who has voted republican his whole life, voting for her. Not because her ideas are all so great, but mostly because Donald Trump is "bullying people and trying to divide us". This is a strange route to take as a campaign ad but it is an angle Hillary can work. Especially in this campaign, it seems anything goes.

     In the commercial Doug tells his story of voting republican since his very first vote as a college student at Iowa. There is even a picture of him shaking a Republican candidates hand. Then he explains why Donald Trump is ending his streak of Republican voting because he can't have his children growing up in an America that Donald Trump has ruined. Another thing that is well thought out in this add are the clips from the two presidential debates. The ones from Trump are of him arguing and looking angry while the clips of Hillary are her looking calm and collected while giving a speech. These small things can make a big difference on your outlook of the whole commercial.
     One more thing this add does that I thought was kind of weird was when Doug talked about his views on Hillary's plans as president. Doug said "I don't agree with Hillary on everything". This seems like a bad thing to say for a campaign add but I thought it was almost laughable. It is as if Hillary is saying, I know neither option for president is really good, but at least I am the better of the worst. Again although this is a strange approach, candidates seem to take any chance they have to get more votes.

Mike Pence for VP

Mike Pence won the debate so noticeably that respected CNN newscasters were quoted saying he won the debate handedly. The social media world agreed with the claim made by CNN, with tweets saying things like “There is no doubt who won this debate,” and “Mike Pence won the debate hands down.” Pence deserves recognition for his success in this debate, after having been left with a large responsibility to clean up the mess that Trump had created in the first presidential debate. Mike Pence won the debate by remaining level-headed throughout the entirety of the discussion, despite being repeatedly provoked by Kaine, and by also arguing his points efficiently, giving clear examples of how he and Trump plan to make change as the Republican nominees.

Mike Pence was the winner from the very beginning because he remained calm, cool and collected even as Kaine made attacks at Pence’s running partner, Donald Trump. Throughout the debate, Pence professionally ignored the attacks made by Kaine on Trump and rather focused solely on arguing his point or blasting the Democratic party, specifically the mistakes of Clinton and Obama, and repeatedly shaming Kaine for his constant interruptions. Pence also came prepared to perform, as he addressed the camera often, recognizing that he had to connect with the audience at home rather than only those at the debate in order to attract undecided voters.

Pence offered concise points about the Republican party’s plan and exemplified how they will help America reach its peak again. One of his main arguments was made as Pence recognized that America’s place in the world has weakened as the economy has stifled. He argued that because Donald Trump is a very successful businessman, who has built businesses through good and bad times, he will facilitate the bounce back of the economy. This statement was supported further because Trump has the track-record of bringing up extraordinary business acumen and employing thousands of people. Pence went even further to say how he and Trump plan to get the economy moving again, just as it has in the past. By lowering taxes across the board for working families, small businesses and family farms, ending the war on coal that is hurting jobs, repealing Obamacare, and repealing all of the executive orders that Barack Obama has signed that are stifling economic growth in this economy, Trump and Pence will create a better economy. By using this specific instance and many more, Pence is appealing to the voters because it shows them that if he and Trump are elected, they would work for change.

In conclusion, Pence aimed the focus of his side of the debate on his and Trump’s strongest pitch, making change in America. While delivering all of his arguments professionally, Pence remained level-headed and calm in the face of adversity, as Kaine challenged his and Trump’s intentions. Pence won points on substance during the 2016 Vice Presidential debate, using his former radio talk show host manner to deliver what the audience wanted to hear.

Children Of America

In this particular campaign add Hillary is very much using pathos to bring across her argument. She is using footage of little kids and adding it into videos of Donald Trump saying or doing stupid things to make him look bad. What she did here is very snaky but very smart at the same time. It really is true though, the point she brings up about how this is what these kids country will look like if we elect Trump as our president.

Many children and teenagers do watch the debates and speeches and view many other things having to do with the election. As brought up in the last debate someone asked as candidates if they thought they were being appropriate and or making a good impression on the younger audience watching for school purposes. I don't quite think either of the completely answered the question but overall I think they both know they are not.

Especially, as shown in this commercial the way Trump has imitated disabled people, sexually assaulted woman, and has mostly talked about himself that he really has no filter on what he does ans puts out into society. He is clearly a bad role model for the children of america. No child wants to grow up in a country with a president like that. I think that is why this advertisement is strong on Hillary's part.

You In?

When the first presidential nominees were announced, the joke on everyone’s mind was “what if we got stuck with Hillary and Trump?” Well look what happened, no one saw this coming. Everyone thinks they have to choose between the lesser of two evils, when really there is a regular presidential candidate, that is too often overlooked, Gary Johnson. Gary uses Trump and Hillary’s reputations as an advantage in his campaign.

This is seen on a t-shirt that has Hillary and Trump crossed out, and Johnson in bold letters, which is sold on Gary Johnson’s official site. The message is simple and easy to understand. He using ethos by suggesting that both Trump and Hillary have horrible credibility, are untrustworthy and should be disregarded as presidential candidates altogether.

At the bottom of the shirt it comes out and directly states, “There's a better choice, you in?” This is intriguing and leaves the viewer thinking about their decision, when it comes to who they will or won’t vote for.  

Over all this t-shirt does a good job of grabbing people's attention and pulling them in to read and find out more. He is using Trump and Hillary’s reputation to further better himself and to contrast how different he is from them, which is just what a lot of Americans are looking for.

Donald Trump's New TV Ad: Corruption

 
This ad does exactly what it states, it attacks the Clinton family on the idea that they are corrupt. From rags to riches, broke to hundreds of millions due to money being pouring into their account by criminals, foreign enemies, and dictators. It does not stop there, it continues with accusations of her selling out american workers and handing over american uranium rights to the Russians. By using this ad to attack Hillary Donald Trump is appealing to pathos. As he often does, Donald Trump tries to "expose" Hillary and her character to take heat off of his wrongs and it is no different with this ad. The ad makes Hillary look like a terrible person by including accusations but we can see what type of person Donald is with recordings of his locker room talk.

Not only does this heavily focus on pathos but it also shows hints on logos by stating all of the ways that she is possibly corrupt. If you state a list of accusations like these, the logical thing to do would be not vote for her but only to the citizens who do not heavily follow politics or know the wrongs of the other candidate.

The music in the ad switches from mysterious to more down which also goes along with the depiction of Hillary they want to present. In my opinion this ad is full of accusations to make Hillary look worse than she is and take heat off of Donald Trump.

Women for Trump

The button above is being sold on Donald Trump’s online store, donaldjtrump.com. This large light pink pin stands in contrast among the rest of the buttons, mostly because almost all of the others use strictly the colors of the American flag. This button, however, is not only an entirely different color, but it also has a ‘T’ in a beautiful, feathery font in the center, wrapped delicately with the phrase “Women for Trump”.

Now I understand why Trump would want to sell these pins, especially in light of a recently discovered clip of audio in which Trump says some less-than-gentlemanly things about women. Though this clip was only recently discovered, it is no secret that Trump has wanted to build a strong defensive community, a wall of sorts (no pun intended) of female supporters due to the crude and blatantly sexist comments he has said in the past. Trump wants this community of women to wear these pins proudly and defend his name. He would like these pins to appeal heavily to ethos, convincing women that he really is on their side and that he will defend them and their rights in return for their vote.

Spoiler alert, he won’t.

I am sure that there are some women who are unbothered (unbelievably) by the things that Trump has said about them, but the vast majority of females in America are finding themselves unable to stand by a candidate who has said such awful things. Those that do defend him typically either rationalize his words by using the “but that was years ago” and “everyone says things they don’t mean” excuses, or just completely ignore his red flags altogether.

The irony here, though, is that though this button is being sold for Trump to convince the public that he is in support of gender equality, the button itself upholds gender norms and stereotypes. Through the color that is different from all of the other pins in his shop as well as the delicate font and lacey text, the button promotes exactly the opposite of Trump’s intended message.

Not A True War Hero?

The ad “War Hero” was created by Clinton’s campaign team to promote Clinton and show Trump’s degrading comments. This ad reminds us of what Donald Trump said about Senator John McCain and ultimately about all POW’s, vets, and current servicemen and women. Trump said that McCain is “not a war hero” because he was captured. The ad shows a veteran (Joel Sollender) who was captured by the Nazi's during WW ll in 1944. “My war was 70 years ago, and yesterday.” This ad uses pathos when Joel shows us the effects war has on veterans, and how they can still be struggling 70 years later. Trump doesn’t understand what McCain or other POW's went through. Trump’s comments, I feel, just make these struggles worse for people like Joel.

This ad uses ethos, it shows Trump’s character and how he feels about what makes a true war hero. Trump said “I like people who weren’t captured, OK?” This shows his lack of respect for POW's and all servicemen and women and ultimately his character in general.

The music in the background represents sadness, anger and disappointment. This ad makes you feel sad that these comments were made towards our veterans, mad that Trump feels like he has the right to make those comments and lastly, disappointed at Trump and his childish and immature comments. Overall, this ad shows Trumps real feelings towards the military, and personally, this ad and Trump's comments make me sad.

Live Blog 3

The final question asked was, in my opinion, the best question in the debate. There is so much negative rhetoric coming from both sides and to hear the debate wrap up with positive comments from Trump and Clinton about each other was nice and gave me a little bit of hope that politics will go back to a degree of normalcy.

Live blog #3

"Energy is under sieged in this country by Obama"... he cannot possibly be serious. He never answers a single question and he continues to lie constantly. Everything he says is straight out of his ass, then he said there is such things as clean coal... no there is not coal never was and never will be a clean energy source. Did he even ever take a history class in his life other than the history of idiots of this country. I'm surprised he didn't put two and two together when he saw his picture in the book.

Clinton-Trump : Round 2, blog 3

Now Hillary is trying to be the hero now, and to build her ethos.  Hillary talks about how she has allowed children to become healthy, and how she has allowed more that 100,000 children to be adopted.  Hillary is trying to strengthen her votes in the rising families. No parent wants their kids to be sick, and if they know that Hillary can make sure that this is happening, they will be more likely to vote for her.

Live Blog #2

Donald J. Trump just said that he pays hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes and that you can ask the United States Government for his sheets. However, just in the last debate he said that hasn't paid taxes in years and not only was that the best choice but that he was smart for doing it. Then when asked about it he said he doesn't ever remember saying it. Again do people really want a boldface lie (er) as the leader of this country and then can't even remember or keep with the lies he's telling people? Wake up and smell the common sense people.

Clinton-Trump : Round 2, blog 2

Hillary's views on Muslims makes us feel good, while at the same time evoking fear into our hearts of what could happen.  When given her two minutes on the subject of Muslim terror, Hillary claimed " My vision for America is a place for everyone, and that includes Muslims". This claim makes Muslims feel confident that Hillary will do good for them, and that there will be change.  At the same time though, Hillary does claim that she needs their help to prevent terror attacks, and if they don't help, there could be catastrophic events. All of these two minutes played on pathos.  

Presidential Debate 2: Live Blog Post 3

Next in the Obamacare argument, there is plenty of pathos in this argument, just invited in by the question. Hillary brings up all of the shortcoming that affect the Americans without Obamacare. She brings up the many people who will lose benefits if trump were to appeal the act. Trump uses the same argument on how it is too costly and it is harming the economy and the American people. He states how it is "bad, very bad healthcare" and how it is causing unrest with the businesses, the people, and the government. He states on how Obamacare will take some power away from the people and into the big government's control. Small business owners are being destroyed and how it is a completely flawed system. Hillary then brings up the people who may be too poor for health care, the elderly who are retired from jobs, or people with nothing at all will be harmed and in a horrible state without the act. They will likely continue to bring up the sadness and heartache that will be caused on both ends of the spectrum for their arguments.