° Consider a well-known speaker, for example, the current President of the United States (or Presidential candidate). What is the speaker’s strongest characteristics as a speaker? Is it credibility, attractiveness, power, or all three? In what ways could the speaker build ethos in these areas?
Barack Obama is a well-known speaker who possesses all three of the characteristics mentioned in the question. Barack creates credibility through internalization by making connections with the American people which then creates a shared value system. People relate to Barack and feel that he will be the best candidate to run our country. Ultimately, Barack builds trust.
Well, I can’t say that Barack isn’t an attractive man, because he is, but I want to describe another form of attractiveness that Barack possesses. When American people feel that they have commonalities with a presidential candidate; it’s huge! They begin to feel a relationship based upon identification which creates a positive outcome for the candidate. It can be the beginning of a trusting, emotional, rewarding bond between citizens and the presidential candidate.
Lastly, Barack offers material incentives to his audience causing compliance amongst American voters. Barack in turn is perceived as having power and the ability to affect member’s lives directly.
The ways in which Barack could build ethos is through continued efforts to build trust amongst American citizens, build character, and by his association with those individuals who are experienced and respected.
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2 comments:
I believe that Mr. Obama has been thrust into the consciousness of the American thirst for change. He has come into focus in a time where we are ready as a society to make a significant shift in how we see ourselves. No longer will our society say that the highest office is held for those that are privileged and from a certain color or family. Our President will be able to relate to the discrimination and the struggles of the blended family. He will have compassion for the single divorced mother and for the struggling youth in college. He will appreciate the hard work of middle America and understand the grandparents who are parenting their grandchildren. The positive message he manifests in his mantra of change is all encompassing and demands your attention. The message has been so powerful that his opponent has started to join the bandwagon of change.
I would have to agree with you in that people definitely listen to Barack because they feel that they can relate to him. This is huge in getting people to listen to what you have to say. If people did not feel as though they had anything in common with him or if he was not able to pull at their emotions in some way then they would be less likely to, not only, not listen to him as a public speaker, but also they would be much less likely to vote for him as president of the United States. People want to follow someone who’s values and opinions they agree with. Not someone that they can not relate to in any way.
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