People use a wide variety of techniques when attempting to persuade one another. One of the most commonly used persuasive techniques is rhetoric; A language utilized by speakers and writers as a form of persuasion. Some of society’s most prominent influences use rhetoric, such as politicians, celebrities, and the media. Politicians use the rhetoric ethos to emphasize their trustworthiness by describing past experiences as a politician, and pathos to focus on examples of the vulnerable or emotionally appealing in order to persuade voters. Politicians sway voters by using past experiences in order to build credibility among an audience. This form of rhetoric is visible in speeches by politicians such as, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. For …show more content…
At times, a politician might attempt to establish credibility by using a past experience to compare themselves to other politicians.In this case, the politician claims he was against a decision that brought a negative impact to the nation.When a politician can display to an audience that they are capable of acknowledging the equitable thing to do in a situation they are able to build trust and credibility, among voters. Bernie Sanders also happened to state something along similar lines regarding the same topic in his“Presidential Campaign Announcement” speech. Bernie says”As a member of Congress I voted against the war in Iraq, and that was the right vote”(Sanders 3). Politicians may discuss the past to highlight some of their previous actions, allowing …show more content…
A few prime examples of this rhetoric can be seen in speeches made by politicians Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. In Hillary Clinton’s campaign rally speech, Clinton states,”Well, I may not be the youngest candidate in the race. But I will be the youngest woman President in the history of the United States”(Clinton 5). Like Clinton, politicians use appealing subjects such as gender equality to persuade voters. Women getting equal opportunity in society is a fairly controversial topic, therefore making it an appealing subject to an audience. It is intriguing to voters to know that they could be part of a collective achievement or historical event by supporting a politician, therefore influencing their decision. Similarly, in Bernie Sanders announcement speech Bernie states,“Today, shamefully, we have 45 million people living in poverty, many of whom are working at low-wage jobs. These are the people who struggle every day to find the money to feed their kids, to pay their electric bills and to put gas in the car to get to work” (Sanders 2). When a politician illustrates the struggles of the less fortunate, it may evoke a sense of pity among the audience and among voters.Evoking a sense of pity into voters can make voters feel as if they to take action to help these people in need, causing them to support politicians for the benefit of these people in need.. In