In Rhetoric, Aristotle maintains there are three types of persuasive appeals; Logos, Pathos, and Ethos (Simmons, 2001, p. 48). Logos represent appeals to reason; Pathos refers to appeals to emotion, and Ethos represent appeals based on the character of the speaker. Political campaign tactics aimed at persuasion often rely on all three types of persuasive appeals, whether transmitted through speeches, debates, or television advertisements. In the current presidential nomination race, Barack Obama is often accused of promoting "rhetoric" over "substance;" while others view Hillary Clinton as lacking the "character" qualities of Senator Obama. Larson (1983) maintains that political candidates are frequently condemned for stressing "image" over "issues" in their campaigns (p. 297). From speeches and debates to advertising and television appearances, political candidates employ a variety of tactics aimed at persuasion. This analysis will discuss a number of different strategies of persuasion employed by political candidates during a campaign. A conclusion will relate the findings of this research with the current presidential campaign.
Politicians understand how critical it is to gain voter confidence and how to persuade constituents to agree with them. They hire speech writers that are media experts in persuasive writing and media techniques. This is sometimes considered political propaganda, but it all relates to the power of persuasion.
Some of these political persuasion techniques are designed to get attention and establish trust in the audience before introducing other messages.
Media Techniques to Get Attention
- Fear. Fear is a strong emotion that can garner immediate attention from an audience. A politician might say, “The coming recession will cause unemployment levels to rise dramatically.” The fear of job loss causes many people to listen because they want to know what solution the politician is offering. Media specialists choose topics of fear that apply to a wide range of people. Who isn’t afraid of losing a job?
- Flattery. This is evident when politicians mention how hard people work, or how upstanding and honest people are. They may take this a step further, aligning themselves with those same qualities by promising to be a hardworking, honest representative of the people. It is up to the listener to find out if the politician has such a record.
- Bandwagon. The bandwagon technique works by playing on people’s desire to be one of the crowd. No one wants to be left behind. The bandwagon technique uses topics that seem beneficial, so the person that disagrees will appear to be an outsider. “The American people want lower taxes,” a candidate might say. Most people will agree with that, and if not, they may feel pressured to agree.
Persuasion Techniques that Establish Trust
- Plain Folks. This technique gains trust and credibility by making the messenger appear to be just like the audience. Candidates may paint themselves as a working mom, or a family man. By putting themselves on the level of the working class people, they give the impression that they understand and relate to the problems and issues important to those constituents.
- Sentimentality. An extension of the plain folks technique, sentimentality paints a picture of the candidate in a warm, happy family relationship. Photos of the candidates with their children, all smiling and happy, are an example of this technique. Stories about the candidates’ dogs also work on sentimentality.
- Charisma. Charisma is a quality that draws people to another person. It includes charm, flattery, confidence, and strength, all in one package. The social theorist Max Weber first introduced the idea of charismatic leadership over 100 years ago. According to a study done by Alex Todorov of Princeton University, people tend to choose leaders that are charismatic and photogenic