Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Presidential Debate--TO YOUR FACE



The question asked by Mr. Scheiffer was at it's core an emotional one, concerning personal attacts to the credibility and integrity of the candidates, and as such it is no surprise that Sen. McCain began on an emotional tone "it's be a tough campaign" he says, making an attempt to cultivate some ethos with his quick reference to his long campaign experience. He then uses logos in saying that had they only participated in town hall meetings the campaign would not have to be waged so completely in negative adds. directly after this Sen. McCain plays to our pathos in reminding us of how John F. Kennedy, a president with deep emotional ties to respectability and mourning with many Americans, conducted his campaign. He follows with an even stronger pull of pathos by talking about how offended he was at the allegation of him being connected with the attrocities of "the worst chapter in American History, Segregation". He was also suprised and hurt that Sen. Obama hadn't refudiated these allegations. Leaving us in an emotional state, he moves to Logos stating the facts that Sen. Obama has spent more on negative ads than any campaign in history. He then moves to tell us where and when Obama gave false promises about his campaigning, adding an emotional twinge by addressing Sen. Obama directly.

Sen. Obama begins by dismantling Sen. McCain's ethos by stating that campaigns are expected to be tough, and that Sen. McCain is using more negative ads than he is. He does this with a cool praction of logos, stating percentages of ads and polls done by reputable news organizations. He also attacks a point of Sen. McCains while attempting to rebuild his own ethos by commenting on the debate format they are currently in and it's validity in electing a president. He implicitly challenges Sen. McCain's willingness to have a tough discussion of issues important to the people. Sen. Obama challenges Sen. McCain's logos in summing up his apparent explaination that the lack of town hall meetings justifies harsh negative ads. He then tries to pull us away from the heavy pathos of Sen. McCain's speach with the the ethos building statement of what he thinks should be discussed in a presidential campaign.

Overall this question is a microchasm of the debate, which is in itself a microchasm of the last few weeks of thier campaign. Sen. McCain makes statements first, attacking his opponents credibility and making statements raising his own ethos and thus his worthyness to be president of the United States. Obama follows these attacks and statements, depending more on dismantling the flawed statments and pointing out the falicies of his opponents campaign than talking about his plan for the future.
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