Politics and Propaganda

            Political advertising is often considered a deceitful and scheming idea. Advertisers carefully word everything they include in an advertisement to give off a claim that many viewers do not realize is not really there. These false claims are meant to alter the public's outlook in favor of the advertisement. Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton's advertisements are primary examples of the devious techniques that are exemplified in the works of William Lutz and Donna Woolfolk Cross through the use or weasel words, stroking, and euphemisms. .

             During his first presidential election in 2008 for the Democratic candidate, Barrack Obama launched an advertisement titled Defining Moment. He says he will launch a rescue plan for the middle class and provide a tax cut for ninety-five percent of working Americans and will make low-cost loans available to small businesses. Obama promises to focus on our urgent national priorities by reducing the cost of health care and provide children with the education help they need to compete. In order to raise the money he needs for these promises, he plans to eliminate programs that do not work (Political Communication Lab).

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             According to Lutz's essay about weasel words, Obama's advertisement is full of words that can force the audience to make assumptions that they should not. In the first part of this advertisement, he promises a tax cut, but never specifies the quantity of percentage of the tax cut. The tax cut percentage could be so slight that it does not make a difference at all, and really would not affect a viewer's judgment. However, this advertisement is designed to allow the audience to assume the cut will be of a large sum and will benefit them. Obama also never declares what he considers to be a low-cost loan or a small business. What he considers to be low-cost and small may very well be different than that of a viewer. Obama adds those cunning words 'help' and 'reduce' that Lutz was sure to warn about in his article.

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