Post #11 Presidential Elections

In this clip, Senator John McCain brings up the idea of Senator Barack Obama's tax plans and how that would effect small business owners. He uses the example of "Joe the Plumber" by saying that he has worked at the same job for many years and worked many hours, probably 10 to 12 hours a day, and now he wants to buy the business and become it's owner. Because of Obama's tax plan, McCain fights that Joe the Plumber didn't get the chance to own the business because his taxes would become so much higher that he couldn't afford to pay his workers. Obama fights back by saying that he's cutting the taxes for over 90% of the people in America and that Joe the Plumber wouldn't be as effected as McCain said. Pretty much, it's two men arguing over the same thing again and again.

McCain appeals to logos when he says the line "nobody likes taxes so why raise them." It's a pretty, "well duh..." kind of statement. Obviously no one likes taxes and all the people would love to be able to beleive in that statement. It's only logical that the people don't like the taxes so it will make the people happier if you promise not to raise the taxes. I think he makes this statement because he just wants to be able to say what everyone's been thinking all along. Why raise them any higher? Everyone is already stressed enough about what they have to pay now, why in the world would to people be happy to hear that they are yet again going to have to pay more.

McCain appeals to pathos here when he says the line "why would you want to raise taxes now? when the economy is so horrible?" This appeals to pathos because many of the American people are very scared with the economy and the recent stock crashes. It really plays of people's emotions when the each senator talks about taxes because they are all scared of loosing all of their money. with things being so bad as they are right now, the last thing the American people want to hear is that their taxes are going up. By doing this McCain is making Obama out to be the bad guy in the situation because McCain makes it seem that he is the only one who is going to be raising any taxes.

Both candidates appeal to ethoes when they talk about each other. They seem to never stop criticizing each other and what the other stands for. Neither of the men seem to be able to even see the other man's point of view. I hate it how in politics they talk down each other by calling them hypicites and liars. It makes it seem as if the men for get that they even have any beliefs in common. In this situation they use ethos in a very negative and degrating way towards each other. All they focus about is the other person's flaws.

I think it's so hard to not be jaded in these present day elections because of all the slander the politicians use against each other. I wish that there exsisted some person who what truely unbiased who could just come on and say, "This is what McCain stands for and doesn't stand for and this is what Obama stands for and doesn't stand for. Now you make your decision." I want the facts without all the crap and petty topics. I just want to know simply what YOU want to do for our country, not what your oponent DOESNT want to do.