Rhetoric is defined as using all forms of language, either through writing, speech, or visual representations, to persuade audiences. Bill Clinton is one of the most open-minded and debatable politicians on the American political scene. Adored by the democrats through his ideological principles while loathed by the firm republicans, Clinton demonstrates an epic role in the Democratic presidential campaigns of his time.
Clinton’s ideologies quail the republicans, whereas they serve as symbols of harmony, success, and economic development for other Americans. At the end of his presidential term, he received the uppermost end-of-contract support ranking making him the best president since the Second World War. As such, he still is significant for that reason and remains a substantial participant in today’s Democratic operations using television adverts and public speaking forums. During the 2012 election campaign, the perfect candidate for the America ad that Clinton filmed for Barack Obama is a very persuasive linguistic, political advertisement.
The campaign strategically exploits the appealing nature of Bill Clinton through persuasive philosophy, economic row symbols, and a plea for the people and potential voters in the country. The clear choice ad by Clinton comes up at a very fragile moment in the history of the American people.
The advertisement seems to be addressing the middle economy people who have been through a difficult economic crisis and are suffering the consequences of the great economic depression since the 1930s. This way, the commercial brings up emotions in the people who have suffered the effects of the great depression. The concept of emotion is one of the most important philosophies in Aristotelian rhetoric (Lakoff and Johnson 90).
The ad comes as a hope towards revamping the country’s economy and contentiously leaving them with the difficult choice of the decision they are yet to make. In his clear plan, the republicans alongside Mitt Romney intend to pull the country back into the economic depression for which they have so strenuously worked to creep out of. Therefore, he proposes that it’s crucial to reelect Obama to continue with his restoring plan.
However, the usefulness of the ad is unquestionably crippled by Bill Clinton’s persona. First, the republicans who out rightly did not support him during his presidency are alienated. Of importance is the scandalous sexual misbehavior facing him, which draws mistrust from the independent voters? Consequently, the Bill Clinton advert had a significant impact on the precise choice campaign of 2012. The ethos relating to the orator, Bill Clinton, is the particular most notable and influential convincing feature of the advert, first, his natural capability to capture the attention of an audience and expound his opinion.
The second and most important is what he and his presidency mean for America. Most Americans can relate to Clinton’s rhetorical skills as experienced during his term as president. The natural demeanor in the conveyance of his speeches led his listeners to invest a significant amount of integrity and confidence in him. Hidden in the ethos related to Clinton is the apparent fact that he represents a sign of success for current-day America. The ad portrays two relevant historical situations.
First, the current economic crisis burdening the Americans since the great depression, and this is the historical situation that the advert is trying to air. To contrast this painful condition, Bill Clinton is used as a remembrance of his considerable confident presidency, moving the audience to a better economic time in the history of America’s economy (Osborn 120).
This symbolically augments some pathos to the discussion by emotionally taking back the people to the good old times, which they again long for. During Clinton’s tenure as president, 23 million new jobs were created, and the budget shortage became a budget addition. There was an improvement in innovation and technology, and unemployment hit its lowest mark than there had ever been in 30 years. After Bill Clinton finishes describing President Obama’s plan, he refers to his presidency, saying that it’s what happened during his time and therefore giving hope that it will too occur in Obama’s time.
This metaphor holds values that are deeply embedded in culture, and it simply means that there will be more in the future. Thus, the Americans are convinced to support Obama so that he can take the country’s economy back to where it was.
Furthermore, concerning the philosophical strategy that the commercial uses, the developers create a logical argument regarding the country’s economy. The advert is straightforward and straightforward to follow yet very persuasive. Mr. Clinton initiates his rhetoric campaign with a vital idea, leading the rest of the debate.
He states the important thing about the election is the candidate who will take them back to maximum employment. The following ideas are then centered on why Obama is the perfect choice based on the opening idea. After explaining his idea, he now discusses his view on the republican ideas and significant shortcomings. He logically argues that the Republican plan is the type that led their economy into the economic pitfall in the beginning.
The listeners now relate with these as they remember that the economy started wavering towards the end of the Bush presidency. Clinton then describes how Obama’s plan will take action, and he mentions that the project will build America from the foundation. Arguing that investing in the invention, technology, and skills training will be his take-off strategy.
Lastly, the advert successfully convinces the voters to reelect President Obama by providing an influential outlet for the audiences to relate to the commercial via a call to the middle class. As it is in today’s civilization, it is an obvious benefit to both a country’s economy and its people to support the middle class. In his speech, he explains how the republican ideologies will cripple the middle class while stating that the Obama strategy will support them.
Such a statement could be viewed as though alienating the upper and lower levels, but ideally, most Americans consider themselves as middle economy people. The upper-class people hate to be coined rich, whereas those of the lower class do not want to be coined poor, and as such, a significant number of Americans move towards the mid-level. These are clear plans that would receive very few will go against. This, therefore, makes the people relate to the middle economy hence adding up to the rhetorical strategy.
This particular commercial employs a great persuasive strategy as compared to any other advert of the time. The advert uses the ethos, pathos, and logos rhetoric strategies utilizing the excellent orator skills of Bill Clinton which easily convince the voters to vote for Barrack Obama for a second time.
This is the Aristotelian approach to analysis of rhetoric in an advertisement. Through the logos arguments, the advert reasonably persuades the audience to vote for Obama and his strategic plan. The use of such convincing ethos through a credible orator heightens the democratic cause in the advert. Also, the simplistic structure in which the ad is organized makes it easy to follow, thus drawing more attention to what the speaker says.
This easily convinces the listeners that the clear choice is ideal for America. Obama’s reelection may have resulted from other factors; this too adds up as one of the most important keys that led to his win in the reelection. The use of rhetoric is for sure a plus to anyone who puts it to use.
Works Cited
Lakoff, George, and Mark Johnson. Metaphors We Live by. U of Chicago P, 2017.
Osborn, Michael. “Archetypal Metaphor in Rhetoric: The Light‐Dark Family,” Quarterly Journal of Speech, vol. 53, no. 2, 2009, pp. 115-126.
