Political Debate

In this Q&A, both parties do well of remaining calm and collect throughout the debate. Within this question and answer, ethos is predominately used by both parties. Right off the bat, Obama uses his knowledge of the unemployment rate before he was sworn into office to defend himself against the argument that his policy is the reason for higher unemployment. The republican representative Mike Pence, takes a different approach by giving facts about past republican presidents and their policies that they have advocated. Ethos and Logos are predominately used in this Q&A. President Obama, and the Republicans use their prior knowledge and facts of the economy in order to start up a professional Q&A.

We also see examples of pathos in the first few minutes of the debate. Mike Pence, appeals to Obama's emotions by discussing the little African-American boy that had written Obama a letter. Mike then uses this to his advantage to explain that the boy's father is struggling in the modern economy due to the high unemployment rates. Another example of pathos is republican Paul Ryan introducing his family and thanking the president for being there in order to, again, appeal to the president's emotions. A third republican representative exclaimed to President Obama that he was disappointed when the health care debates were not broadcasted on C-Span even though he promised that they would be aired. This representative used specific examples of promises made that were not kept by the President.

Toward the end of the debate, there were some questions that could have potentially turned the Q&A a bit hostile. However, the questions were either cut short or the parties both remained calm and respectable while asking or answering the questions.