A different kind of RA

*I chose the Bob Dole ad, "The Story" from the 1996 election series*

Bob Dole gets right to the point in this ad by getting at Americans' guilt, as well as their children. He tells Americans that they have a moral obligation to give their children a country with the same opportunity and values of the nation they themselves grew up in. Right away people's emotions start to stir, and they think, "Yeah! My kids deserve the best." Bringing up children makes this emotional appeal very effective in my opinion (although not effective enough obviously, given the outcome of the election), because the strong ties that parents have with their kids is a strong impetus for action.
After he's done telling Americans about their obligation to create the same, if not a better, America for their children, Bob Dole's life story begins.
As an audience, it is always a positive thing to get to know who is speaking to us. In this case it is even more crucial because we need to know why we should listen to this guy in the first place. So they put it all out there. He grew up in Kansas, learned wonderful values from his parents like hard-work, honesty, and responsibility. He served in the military, got seriously wounded, and had a miraculous comeback story to show, if for no other reason, that he is not a quitter. All of these sappy, nostalgic details appeal to and bolster Dole's credibility (and possibly authority) as an individual as well as an American. His audience now knows a little about him, and even more about his true-blue American values. I think this is more effective for the average Joe than the thinking individual, simply because it is so vague and gushy.

If it weren't obvious enough at this point that Bob Dole is an American "just like you," the narrator comes back in with the words "Like many Americans." He then elaborates on how life experience has given Dole a moral compass, and further emphasizes the principles and some of the goals he has for his presidency. By bringing up these goals I'm not sure if it nails a specific appeal, but it allows American voters to know what issues he is targeting, which I think is effective for letting voters identify with him.

The ad concludes with Dole explaining the importance of values: how they are what you stand for and sacrifice for. Thus, he wraps it up with another emotional appeal. Practically every single American can identify with the importance of values in our lives. Since they are so important, it is probably important for the man leading the country to have strong moral values. Now that I'm writing this it seems more like an appeal to logic than emotion, as if to say "Since Bob Dole has good moral values and values are so important, you should vote for him." Perhaps it just works both sides of the street, and does hit two different appeals.

Whatever the case, Bob Dole is chock full of values.



And apparently that's not all you need to win an election.