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.