Kre' - Blog Post 3 - Analyzing Pathos

Pathos, is it the strong method of persuasion? Many believe it is by analyzing the use of fear and love to get people to do what the want. Based off www.livingroomcandidate.org you the use of fear appeal in just about all of the campaigns. Whether it was the scene of the little girl counting the pebbles and then a nuclear explosion to the safety of national security. No one wants to see their little girl die or loose the safety of their own homes. These campaigns used the fear tactic which is a very effective method of persuasion. Also guilt is used in the same sense, are you the one that wants to be responsible for this little girl dying? Are you to blame?
In a time where racism was an issue in the U.S. an African American male was shown talking to the President of the United States and asking questions about the safety of the nation. This would show other African Americans that this man does care about us and not only whites. This uses an affectionate and integration approach to persuade viewers.
In just about every campaign patriotism was used. If you are proud of your rights and freedoms then do something about and vote for me. The campaign wants to show they have the same interest as the people of the U.S. If you are not with the candidate and the people that support the protection of their homes and freedoms then you are considered against all proud Americans. This can also be considered a guilt tactic which can be just as effective as the use of fear to persuade.

Kre' - Blog Post 2 - Target Audience

From analyzing www.theperfumespot.com it seems that the targeted audience from the man's perspective is the 'ladies man' The male's cologne targets men from late 20's to late 30's. It is shown from the pictures that the cologne makes you the man. The cologne also tends to lean towards an African American group based off of pictures, or it could very well be seen as an attempt to reach all middle class men. After use of this product men would picture themselves as a stud or that guy everyone wants to be. Esteem needs would be the strongest trait shown by the website. The product is displayed to give you a strong positive self image. The shape of the male's colognes is a muscular males torso. This could persuade one that only real sexy men wear this product, and this goes back to esteem needs.  As stated before these products give off that you're the man vibe, and while doing so could also help you value individuality. Also a new image could mean a new you. Newer is always better in the value of change and progress.

Once again www.theperfumespot.com is a good example for targeted audiences. Women have higher esteem needs than males which is why this website is pushing more for female customers than male. For the female audience women in early 20's up to late 30's are target. This supports the case on that women are more of a targeted priority than women. Big beautiful eyes, a slim body type, and beautiful face structures are what draw's attention to these products. These feature also show that this has a broad targeted audience which would be a middle class women. From the way these products are displayed, once you have them you will be beautiful, sexy, the woman of a man's dream. Esteem needs could be something given off from this product as a self achievement realization from the American Value System.

Jordan Johnson - Blog Post 3- Analyzing Pathos

http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1980/nancy-reagan

Nancy Reagan (Reagan 1980)
In this ad, we see Nancy Reagan pleading for the case of her husband. She goes on about how he was mis-represented by his opponent, President Carter, saying that she is "deeply offended" by his attacks on her husband's character. She then starts to question Carter's character to ultimately say that there should be a new head of state. At the end of the ad there is a voice over saying that there should be a "new and strong leadership". This ad both appeals to guilt and appeals to pity. Also, it appeals to pride when Reagan character is in question. It also correlates with Maslow's need of esteem with Nancy Reagan pleading to cleanse the name of her husband. This ad also creates pathos with Regan using his wife as a "bargaining chip" because she is trying to protect her husband and her intentions seem pure.


 http://www.livingroomcandidate.org/commercials/1964/peace-little-girl-daisy

Peace Little Girl (Daisy) (Johnson 1964)
In the ad, we see fear appeals, appeals to guilt, and appeals to patriotism at their finest. The ad starts with a young girl picking flowers in a meadow. She is plucking the petal and counting from one to ten. the camera gets closer and closer and eerie music starts to play. A man's voice starts to play over hers and the countdown seems more rushed. When the countdown finishes, there are multiple mushroom clouds due to explosions. The voice over starts talking about how if we, as Americans, do not start to love each other, the result could be nuclear warfare. This ad seems to strike fear into each viewer and calls their pride and patriotism to a front. This ad also seems to connect with Maslow's need for safety , in which, if we do not begin to bond as Americans, then the end is definitely to come.

Buendia - Blog Post 3 - Analyzing Pathos

Never Had It So Good (Eisenhower, 1952)

The previous video is one of “Eisenhower Answers America” ads which ran in 1952. The ad beings with a man who shares how the democrats say he have never had it so good. Eisenhower responds with the condition of American rebutting the idea that citizens need a change in the government.
The ad uses a fear appeal since it makes the audience realize the country's true condition and need for change. Eisenhower uses the American value of change and progress in his ad as he calls for change to America. He also appeals to the need of safety since he portrays America in a state of tragedy.

Peace Little Girl (Daisy) (Johnson, 1964)

This ad is a campaign for the re-election of Johnson. The video shows the video of a adorable girl counting down the petals of a flower juxtaposed with a video of a bomb countdown leading to an explosion. Johnson conlcudes the video by saying, "we must either love each other or die."
The ad uses a fear appeal in the sense that it makes viewers fear for the safety of their children and seek a president that is aware of potential global clashes. This fear appeal also feeds the need of security from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Johnson's words regarding love towards mankind appeals to the American value of equality.

Katie Smith - Blog Post 3 - Analyzing Pathos

The Bear Ad (Reagan 1984) plays mainly into the fear appeal. It was designed to make people fear Russia because of The Cold War. However, some people didn't even realize it was related to the war, so I'm not sure how affective it was. The scene is all quite gloomy. There is just a bear walking along by itself. The narrator says, "Some say the bear is tame. Others say its vicious and dangerous." Then at the end, the bear walks up to a human, and they are standing there face to face. Then the bear slowly starts to back away. This fades to a screen that says, "President Reagan; Prepared for Peace." The fear appeal was really the only motivational appeal they used in this ad. Who wouldn't be scared if they walked up to a bear? Also, there is ominous music and a heartbeat in the background, reminding viewers of a horror film soundtrack. It really sets the mood for the readers mind to be fearful for what is about to come.


Peace Little Girl (Johnson 1964)
This ad in particular did a disturbingly fearful appeal. It begins with a sweet, innocent, little girl, who is plucking the petals from a flower. She gets to the end, and looks toward the camera with a desperate face. A countdown has begun, that of a nuclear explosion. The camera zooms in to her eyeball until all you can see is her pupil. At that moment, the bomb goes off. The ad personal scared me; I can't imagine the type of fear it invoked in people who had children at that time and were genuinely concerned about things like warfare. Johnson can be heard saying, "we must love each other, or we must die." He is appealing to pride and patriotism here, I feel, because he is saying that we all need to come together as one and love each other or our fate will be that of the child's in the video. Whether that was her actual fate, or just supposed to be a vision of her future planet, it was designed to scare people into action. I believe this very vivid ad was efficient in its appeal to frighten the public. So much so, that it was even aired several more times on the news that night.

Ashley Webster—Blog Post 3—Analyzing Pathos

The first ad I chose to analyze was the McGovern Defense ad (Nixon, 1972). It showed many appeals to fear while poking holes in the McGovern proposal for cutting back on our nations defenses. The narrator even quoted, “It’s not just cutting into manpower. It’s cutting into the very security of this country,” which deals with the American value of efficiency.  The goal is to get us to feel like McGovern’s ideas would put our nation at risk for an attack, so we should vote for Nixon to protect ourselves, which would fulfill Maslow’s need for safety. The ad also appeals to patriotism because it is showing representations of the men and women who fight for our country and encouraging people to take a stand and vote to keep them in our line of defenses. It also has slightly humorous appeals in that it uses toy soldiers as representations to demonstrate how large the cutbacks would be, instead of just listing off numbers. Lastly, the ad showed warmth appeals by stating that Nixon “believes in a strong America to negotiate for peace from strength,” which coincides with the puritan and pioneer morality of the American Value System.

The second ad I analyzed was Peace Little Girl (Johnson, 1964). Warmth appeals are present in that it uses a young girl that people with children could identify with and the background features the sound of nature with birds chirping. This ad also appeals to fear by showing a countdown to a bomb exploding as the girl is pulling the petals off of a daisy. Johnson is heard saying, “We must either love each other, or we must die,” in an appeal towards pride and patriotism. This ad makes you feel guilty that if you don’t vote for Johnson you might be putting the little girl (or others like her) at risk. On Maslow’s hierarchy, the need it appeals to is security because he is making it seem like we need protection from threats on national security. It is also unique in that most of the appeals it makes are not in word form, but are implied through imagery and sound effects.  

Jordan Johnson - Blog Post 2 - Target Audience

 

 

- The product/ advertisement above represents the Proactiv brand. In this advertisement, they seem to be targeting women with acne. Although there is not a specific age, one might tend to believe that they are targeting teenage females. This advertisement also seems to appeal to all cultures and ethnic backgrounds, basically every woman that is single. This ad seems to appeal to a more urban community and it might tell a teenage girl that getting a boyfriend can be easy if she were to use this product.This correlates with Maslow's Needs of belonging and esteem. Furthermore, it connects with the American need to Change and Progress to keep up with today's changing world.

- Above, we see two ads for the product AXE body spray. These ads and the products seem to only appeal to teenage/young adult males. It does not seem to address and specific ethnicity or culture. However, it is targeting the urban community. These ads and others like them seem to try and relay the overall message that using these products will transform an "average joe" into a "ladies man" with a couple sprits of the product. This ad, like the previous, seem to directly correspond to Maslow's Needs of both Belonging and Esteem. In addition, ads like these associate with the American values of Change and Progress, in order to true get what you want, you must alter yourself.

Blog Post 2- Target Audience- Olandera Dunn

Product 1- Polo Blue (for men)
*This product appeals to a certain age group by advertisement. Advertisement shows that the type of man that wears this cologne as a "ladies man" around the single and free age.
*This product does not appeal to a particular ethicnicity
*The geographic appeal for this product is mainly urban
* People wearing this cologne will more thatn likely view themselves as "the ladies man" they will also view themselves as above avearge because of how expensive the product is
* This product meets the American value of Achievemnt and Success because success is measured bt power, status, and wealth.


Product 2- Micheal Korrs HandBag (for women)
*This product does not appeal to a certain age group of women.
*This product appeals to all ethnicity groups both national and international.
*This product as different geographic appeals. It appeals to the rual because of its class but also to the urban because ofits popularity
*Women with this product would more than likely view themselves as a woman of class, wealth, and subsatance.
This product meets the American Value of Achievment and Success

Katie Smith - Blog 2 - Target Audience

Viva La Juicy is a perfume whose ads target young adult woman. These particular women probably view themselves as fabulous and believe they have good taste. Women who know they are sexy and successful, and want the smell to accompany how they feel. Women that wear juicy most likely enjoy a glamorous and confident lifestyle. Styl ladies of all kinds, and from all over the country wear this perfume. This product most likely satisfies the Need for Esteem and the Need for Self-Actualization for most of its wearers. When you look good and smell good, you feel good; it allows you to be more confident when approaching someone. It also goes with the Ameripca values of the individual and achievement and success. Most of the people that wear this perfume probably (as before mentioned) already view themselves as successful and important, so why nos mell like it?

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Homme is a cologne for men that easily identify with the women who wear Viva La Juicy. D&G say their target audience is a mal who is "sensual and modern, he likes to take care of himself, enhancing his healthy body with sports." They say this is easily captured in this bottle by the scents of the Mediqerranean. This cologne is for young adult men who affiliate themselves with the finer things in life. He most likely wears suits to work and lives in a more urban area. It satisfies the same needs and American values as Viva La Juicy. Because, again, if you are a successful, fit, attractive young man, why shouldn't you smell like one?

jlewis - post 2

The new Tom Ford skin products line from Gucci are a perfect example of the American values of youth and wealth. The "style" of the fragrance "Tom Ford Noir" is "sophisticated and intriguing". The ads for this product are aimed at the 30's something, urban, up and coming, business man who likely views himself as young, well-off, and well on the way to becoming a success.  In Maslow's Hierarchy these adds would appeal to the Need for Self Esteem and, and the Need for love. This link shows the new fragrance.  http://www.sephora.com/productimages/product/p384743-av-01-hero.jpg     But for a better look at the new line see this:  http://www.neimanmarcus.com/NM/Tom-Ford-for-Men/cat49020765/c.cat?icid=video_tomfordmens1113_na

The same can be said for the new fragrances for women by Tom Ford. Appealling to the younger upwardly mobile women, the youthful appeal to these 30's something would tend to help them forget their "internal clock ticking." The ads aim at the youthful fun loving side of this generation of women,  See the link for more clues. http://www.sephora.com/productimages/product/p378133-av-02-Lhero.jpg

Buendia - Blog Post 2 - Target Audience

For The Man With Drive

Polo Red by Ralph Lauren "captures speed, seduction, and adrenaline in a sexy, bold scent." Although the daring, seducing, and thrill-seeking style of Polo Red can be apply to any male, specific details about the product can give clues for its target audience.

 


Age
It seems that Polo Red is targeting males who want to keep their vibrant twenties spirits. Guillaume de Lesquen, president, worldwide, of Ralph Lauren Fragrances says that Polo Red is targeted to the thriving 35-year-old.

Ethnicity/Culture
One of the psychological attributes of the color red is dominance. This product is most likely targeting a culture that values male dominance. Such cultures may include include Latinos and African-Americans. However, the official webpage for Polo Red portrays a Caucasian male wearing a biker jacket which signifies the product could be targeted to individualistic Caucasian males seeking to be the ones in control of their lives. 

Geographic
The style of the cologne implies a high-end community with yachts and sport automobiles. The location must have expensive and rare attractions to meet the daring and thrill-seeking style of the fragrance. Also, through the description of the cologne as seducing, the location feels like a location that would mesmerize any most females.

Self-Concept
The Ralph Lauren product appeals to the value of the individual which seeks to have the right to seek a life of thrill. The product also appeals to Maslow's self-actualization need. Although the packaging seems to fit a wealthy Caucasian, the appeal could be for males who seek to reach such status.

The World of Daisy

The fragrance Daisy by Marc Jacobs is a "sparkling floral bouquet, spirited and fresh, wrapped in comfort and warmth."

 Age
At first glance, the product seems to target young adult females with its description that says, "fresh and feminine, with a playful innocence." Online results say the fragrance is for females between the ages of 17 and 24.

Ethnicity/Culture
The colors yellow and white used in the packaging of Daisy give clues of the target audience. Attributes of white include unspoiled, youthful, and enchanting. Yellow is charming, clever, captivating, and outdoorsy. The colors seem to point to a culture of women that are sophisticated, yet like nature.
The ethnicity for the fragrance is not clear but is uses a Caucasian female in its advertisement. 

Geographic
The atmosphere of the fragrance aims for a setting in nature with sophistication. The style description, "Bright. Alluring. Eternal.," could be describing a private beach where the sun glistening off white sand makes it bright, the sight is alluring, and the waves are eternal.

Self-Concept
Daisy appeals esteem and aesthetic needs from Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. The fragrance makes the user feel attractive and youthful as well as mature. It also makes the female feel she has a sophisticated style. A sense of worth is provided by the fragrance which brings out the value of the individual from the American Value System.

Ashley Webster-- Blog 2-- Target Audience



Product: Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional

 

Age:

The illustration on the packaging and the product’s name appeal to young professional adults.

Gender:

Based on the image on the box I would have assumed women were the target audience, but I came across this item on the Sephora website in the section designated for men as well. They also chose to use blue for the main color of the box, perhaps to appeal to men.          

    Ethnicity/Culture:

The description doesn’t really imply any specific ethnicity or culture to be the target, but based on the product’s intended purpose to minimize the appearance of pores and imperfections I would assume it is aimed at a culture where make-up is prevalently used (like the Western world).

Self- Concept of Users:

Users are likely to feel like they are concealing flaws without anybody knowing it.

Maslow’s Needs:

This product appeals to the need for esteem both in feeling good about oneself by boosting self-confidence and the need for affection one gets from others when they are accepted.

American Values:

Achievement and success are appealed to by the briefcase and the use of the word “professional”. It also takes a somewhat puritan approach by stating that it is an oil-free formula that contains vitamin E, which is known to protect skin from free radicals.

Geographical Appeal:

With phrases like “Just a dab’ll do ya!” in the how to use section, I think this would appeal to countries like the US where those types of slang words would commonly be used.

Product: Viktor and Rolf Spicebomb

 

Age:

This uniquely designed product package appeals to a broad age group from late teen to retirement.

Gender:

The grenade bottle definitely appeals to men and it is described as a “masculine combination of leather and tobacco as well as the brute force of vetiver” showing just how manly it is.

Ethnicity/Culture:

I think its main appeal would be for Americans who have a great sense of pride in military, however other cultures may find it appealing as well.

  Self-Concept of Users:

Users are likely to feel explosive, manly, and seductive.

Maslow’s Needs:

This appeals to safety needs since it is shaped like a weapon used for protection.

American Values:

I think effort and optimism are the values it appeals to, targeting military veterans and those protecting the country.

Geographical Appeal:

Although other countries may find the product appealing, I doubt you would see many of these being toted around in countries where real grenades are still a threat.

 

 

Kre McMahon - Log 1 - Ethos

The beautiful state of Louisiana has seen many credible senators.  Senators are elected by the people and for the people in order to represent and protect the interests of those who elected them. As a person in power these senators are given certain duties and responsibilities such as passing or writing laws, denying or approving presidential appointments, and creating and implementing foreign treaties. Mary Landrieu, Bill Cassidy, and Rob Maness are all contending to persuade the people of Louisiana that they will uphold these duties by these ethical methods they have chosen.

Mary Landrieu
Expertise: According to congress.org, Landrieu has shown her expertise throughout her time in congress and has become one of the top ten most effective legislators in office. 

Trustworthiness:
Goodwill: She is perceived as a caring person due to the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act.  The Gulf Coast Act is a "regional approach to address the immense economic and environmental damage to America's working coast."
Composure:  By being the leading voice in the Gulf Coast Act Senator Landrieu has shown confidence towards her values.
Sociability: She is a likeable person.  This is seen through her election to the Senate as the first woman from Louisiana to serve a full term.  Though after the Healthcare Act was passed, she lost popularity.
Inspiring:  Landrieu serves as chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a member of the Energy and Natural Resources, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees.  It is her vision to see that each of these committees succeeds. 
Dynamism: Although the clip was short, the advertisement shows that Sen. Landrieu has vocal energy as she stated she would vote for the act again. 

Bill Cassidy
Expertise:  Bill Cassidy is an accredited and experienced doctor.  He continuously teaches students at the LSU Medical School. 
Trustworthiness:  Cassidy has the same motive as most people in the U.S. which is he opposes Obama's healthcare law.  This shows his trustworthiness by allowing him to relate to Louisiana citizens, which breaks down the barrier between him and his constituents. 
Goodwill:  Cassidy is perceived as caring.  He cofounded a clinic that aids in the treatment of uninsured people. 

Composure:  In the video, Cassidy displays complete confidence in what he is saying. 
Sociability:  Cassidy relates to the people of Louisiana because he is against to Obama's healthcare act. 
Inspiring:  The vision that Cassidy has is to protect the patient and the taxpayer from the healthcare plan.
Dynamism: Through his speech on the videos, Cassidy demonstrates that he is strongly concerned for his constituents in his opposition of Obama's healthcare act.  Cassidy's non-verbal gestures are easy to depict whenever there is something that he is not comfortable with. 

Rob Maness
Expertise:  As seen on his website, Maness has demonstrated a strong sense of competence.  "Rob has proven his competence at the local, state, and federal levels of government with his demonstrated leadership and effectiveness as a steward of citizens' tax dollars."
Trustworthiness:  Rob Maness has served more than 32 years in the U.S. Military and retired as a Colonel.  This commitment shows his immense integrity and commitment.
Goodwill:  Maness is an active member in the community.  He is a founding board member of NOLA Patriots, Inc.  This organization is "a non profit veterans advocacy organization dedicated to assisting spouse and dependents of our military members."
Composure:  By being a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, Maness has to have shown confidence to his subordinates in order to be an effective leader.  Having served 32 years, it is known that he is confident.
Sociability:  Maness "created an annual scholarship fund for graduating high school students."
Inspiring:  "His leadership and combat experience, gleaned from over 30 years of military service, provides Maness with a invaluable perspective when considering national actions and their resulting impacts on our country’s families."

Dynamism:  Maness showed little enthusiasm for his topic as he presented the speech in the video.  Although he may stand for what he believes, it is difficult to get enthusiastic about his message. 

Bill Cassidy has the highest credibility of the three candidates, mainly due to his sociability. 

Jasmine Threatt- Blog Post 1- Ethos

Mary Landrieu does display expertise in her career. She's was elected to the Louisiana State Legislator at the age of 23. She served eight years as a state representative and two terms as State Treasurer. In 1996, she was elected as the first woman to a full time State Senate. She's has a great experience in government.
Bill Cassidy displays the ethos aspect "goodwill". One of his issues are his concern for the uninsured. His website says, "Dr. Cassidy’s concern for the uninsured and for families led him to co-found a clinic for the working uninsured; create a private-public partnership to vaccinate 36,000 school children in a 10 parish area against Hepatitis B; and led a team of volunteers to turn an abandoned K-Mart into a surge hospital to care for Hurricane Katrina evacuees". Anyone would feel more protected with insurance. He sympathizes with the audience that needs that assistance he's willing to provide for those who can't afford it.
Rob Maness displays trustworthiness. He comes from a military family--his dad served in the Air Force, and when Rob turned of age he followed in his footsteps. He shows his respect and honor for this country which gives people the impression of having our best interest at heart and a insight on warfare issues.


Mary Landrieu enhanced her credibility by becoming the first women to be elected to the full time State Senate. That's a major accomplishment.
To enhance Bill Cassidy's credibility he opened up a clinic to back up his position on providing care for the uninsured.
Rob Maness enhanced his credibility because he took an oath to protect our country and that's what he went and did his senior year.


In my opinion, Mary Landrieu has more government experience. Rob just has military experience which doesn't actually mean he will protect us better than Mary Landrieu will. Bill Cassidy will back up what he says, we see that with his clinic. However, how does that ensure his ability to serve on the Senate? That's why I see Mary Landrieu as the better candidate for Senate.

-Jasmine Threatt

Ethos - Ryan Klare

Mary Landrieu

As far as experience is concerned, Landrieu is the clear winner. As the incumbent, she has served since 1997 as a State Senator for Louisiana. With such a long track record, her history speaks for itself. Perhaps her most influential act of her time as Senator is the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief and Economic Recovery Act of 2005, which she co-wrote with Republican David Vitter. To me, this shows that she is not against crossing bi-partisan lines to do what is best for her state. This also brought her scorn, however, when she changed viewpoints on the Affordable Care Act after it was changed to bring $300 million to Louisiana. 

As a politician, she is well-liked, as evidenced by her long standing career in the senate. Her website conveys a simple and professional candidate, but the point of the site seems to be raising funds more than informing. She offsets this with involvement in in charities and causes like supporting the efforts of adoption agencies. It has apparently worked, as her approval rating is the 4th highest of any LA Senator. 

Bill Cassidy

As the up and coming candidate after Mary Landrieu's seat,  Bill Cassidy has tried to make a name for himself. Originally a doctor, Cassidy's strength is his approachability. Running on a campaign of small government, tries to relay that he isn't part of the big Washington machine that many politicians appear to be. Highlighting his current service as a medical professional between obligations in D.C., he also touts his direct aid in Hurricane Katrina as an earmark of his career in helping his state. Cassidy and others transformed a K-Mart into a hospital in the aftermath. 

His appearance is professional, yet approachable. He has a very simple website, which needs some work. For instance, under the "Issues" tab, amendment is misspelled. 

As a medical professional, much of his political career has focused on medical issues. He set up a clinic in Baton Rouge for lower income individuals as well as instituted a system that provides free Hepatitis B shots to children. This skyrocketed his empathy in the eyes of voters.

These facts bring Bill Cassidy into a more direct role with the voters than Landrieu and perhaps give him the edge. His accountability is extremely high just because so many people in his state have seen his effects. 

Rob Maness

At the back of the herd is grassroots candidate Rob Maness. After a long career in the US Air Force, Rob Maness is now challenging Landrieu for her seat. Maness's campaign is a simple one. He appeals to the frustration and anger that many "tea party" republicans are feeling and is hoping to use that momentum to carry him to D.C. 

He appears to be much less of a politician than the others, and more like an angry city council member. Though he doesn't have much(or any) political history, he has garnered nationwide attention for his comments on the incumbent Landrieu, asserting that she may have been pro-slavery in another era. Inflammatory comments like this may gain respect and admiration for those who agree with him, but will hurt his overall acceptance. 

His image is that of an everyday man who wants best for his state. On his website, his address to the reader is told from his perspective, I would assume, to better connect with his audience. 

Conclusion

Like most elections, it's more likely that the more established politicians will be taken seriously. Landrieu has experience and a strong following and Washington pull, but Cassidy brings the support of those he has more directly influenced in his state. They are very closely matched. 

Personally, I would choose Bill Cassidy, just for his stances on smaller government and he seems to do more to help the voters NOW. 

Buendia - Blog Post 1 - Ethos

Mary Landrieu
Senator Landrieu's official website is very simple with a large confident self portrait and a donation link. The site has no list of accomplishments, experience, or associations, but her modern and appealing website design makes her look credible.

However, the lack of information on Landrieu's website is not enough to make conclusions of her credibility. Additional information on Landrieu's senator website portrays Senator Landrieu as a competent leader with her extensive responsibilities and accomplishments. She also comes across trustworthy with a very defined list of priorities. The website lists committees Landrieu participates in as well as her past record of community work. Landrieu also has designated page for each priority showing she is transparent. The FAQ section makes Landrieu be perceived as likable and motivational as she candidly shares her struggles as a female senator.

Landrieu's YouTube channel gives a visual glimpse of programs she is involved with such as adoption which makes her be perceived as caring. Although she gives a caring demeanor such of that of a mother, she comes across very confident.



Bill Cassidy
The name and an image of a rural river is the attention grabber on Cassidy's official website. The lack of an image of Cassidy on the homepage design makes it difficult at a glance to connect the name to an individual. Rather, the website appears like an organization which makes Cassidy appear trustworthy in the sense that Cassidy is a team instead of an individual. However, not having an individual connection with an image takes away the perception of personal expertise, composure, sociability, and inspiration.

The about section on Cassidy's website is very brief and it seems as if it was written in a couple of minutes. Motives and experiences are somewhat vague without specific details. Also, some paragraphs are incoherent such as a three sentence paragraph that tackles abortion, gun control and healthcare. This section hurts Cassidy's perceived ability to express effectively and show professionalism.

Cassidy's announcement for senate video is a mixture of outgoing, caring, confident, and empathetic characteristics. The videos starts with Mr. and Mrs. Cassidy introducing themselves in soft tones seeking likability from the viewers. Mr. Cassidy then changes his vocal energy to one of confidence as he shares what he will fight for as a senator. Finally, Mr. Cassidy assures his viewers that he will fight for the people of Louisiana portraying empathy along with soft piano music in the background.

Rob Maness
Maness' casual self-portrait on his official website makes him seem like an average person. At first glance his camouflage looking cap and flannel shirt do not depict a senate. However, his bio expresses his experience and background about government including his education from Harvard making him seem like very competent candidate.

Maness shares about himself on the website through an essay expressing his reason to run for senate and list of principles on his website. Maness describes his upbringing and desire to run for senate in first-person coming across open and trustworthy. Also his list of principles shows that he cares for his government.

At the 2013 RedState Gathering in New Orleans, Maness spoke about his campaign. He began thanking those who invited him and God with a calm voice. Then quickly, with vocal energy, began describing issues he would fight against. Although Maness came across confident and competent, his lack of taking time to acknowledge the local area and audience hurt his goodwill and sociability characteristics.



Winner
I think the candidate that came across most credible for me was Mary Landrieu. At first her sleek modern website design made her at first glance look professional and relevant. Additionally, her extensive list of experience and accomplishments in public service made her stand out form the other two candidates.

Steven Russell - Blog Post 1 - Ethos

     In accessing the three candidates for the Louisiana State Senate office, I am not surprised to discover within myself a deep rooted sense of cynicism directed toward all candidates.  However, each candidate does possess unique pros and cons, some of which I will briefly highlight in this blog.
     Mary Landrieu (D) has been Louisiana's reigning elected official for many years, with over 30 years of service.  If seniority is advantageous in politics, than Sen. Landrieu should certainly gain re-election over her opponents Bill Cassidy (R) and Rob Maness (R) through her credible experience in office.  However, the fact that Sen. Landrieu has consistently sided in votes with 95% of President Obama's policies and proposals mean that many Louisiana patrons may feel betrayed by Landrieu's staunch support of an unpopular president according to Obama support (or lack thereof) within the state.  Furthermore, Sen. Landrieu's recent denouncement of Obama care may strike some Louisianans' as disingenuous, being that she supported Obama care completely until it was eventually pushed through the house and senate.  Now that the new health plan is in effect, and many citizens are displeased, Sen. Landrieu seems to be playing both sides of the fence and retracting her once blind support.  Aside from her fickleness on Obama care, Sen. Landrieu has been at the corrupt helm of Louisiana politics for far too many years to not shoulder a hefty responsibility for the hurricane cleanup and re-building processes created by five, severe hurricanes over the last decade, including Katrina.  Big government expansion, sweetheart deals and no-bid contract jobs have left New Orleans and surrounding areas leached upon by corporate profiteering.  Sen. Landrieu has at worst facilitated this picking clean of the bone, and at best, turned a blind eye to the scavenging.  The people of Louisiana should elect someone new in hopes of putting a stop to the pattern of poverty that plagues much of the state.
     Her more serious opponent is republican and former house member Bill Cassidy (R).  Rep. Cassidy, a once Mary Landrieu financial campaign contributor, has now decided that he can do a better job - unless he looses of course, at which time he may likely regain his support of Sen. Landrieu.  With the healthcare crises in full bloom, I would like to believe that Rep. Cassidy could be of great use to the people of Louisiana, being a doctor and former teacher of medical students.  He has worked to vaccinate over 36,000 school children from diseases and he established a free medical clinic for working families who were struggling to afford medical care as well as oversaw construction of field hospitals during hurricane Katrina.  However, there is something unsettling about a former house of representatives member who boasts to not be a politician.  As far as I'm concerned, once you have completed a term of office, you have already become ineffective as an advocate of the American people, and are rather subject to the insider deal making performed daily behind closed doors.  "Quid pro qua" becomes the name of he game, not idealistic and fundamental change through restructuring and effective policy vetting.
     The third candidate (who I don't believe has a real shot at defeating Sen. Landrieu) is retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness.  Col. Maness served in the military for 32 years, beginning at age 17.  He is new to the political arena (why I believe he will not find victory) and is a self titled "true conservative".  While I applaud his military service, I'm not sure his credentials are solid enough to run the business of the state on a daily basis.  I do not believe he has the political connections to be effective in office, because he is not accustomed to playing the hand in hand bi-partisan charade.  As a small business owner and operator, he likely has some financial ideas on moving the state forward.  However, a major selling point in his recent 2014 campaign ad focuses on his being in the pentagon during the September 11, attack.  While his leadership can perhaps be assessed via his actions that day, they seem slightly irreverent in state legislation and more pro-motive of his previous line of work (Air Force Commander).  While I favor many former military members for public office, they also need to be adequately armed for the political arena.
     If I were casting a vote, I suppose I would throw it to Col. Maness.  However, I believe the vote would not actually matter as it pertains to actual election result.  My prediction is it will be Sen. Mary Landrieu by a wide to landslide margin.                        

Katie Smith - Blog Post 1 - Ethos

Mary Landrieu clearly represents expertise and goodwill. She has the clear political experience advantage over both her opponents. She has been involved in politics for 35 years, including being a LA representative and the state treasurer. She emphasizes her goodwill by standing behind issues that are truly dear to her, such as flood insurance and the extension of Women's violence prevention acts. She is very likeable, especially among women and the Democratic party. When she speaks, she seems quite confident, however, she could stand to have more vocal energy. She motivates people to support her and her issues, out fundraising her closest opponent by more than double.

Bill Cassidy has some experience as far as politics go. He has been a political figure for 8 years, and even served in the House of Representatives. He exemplifies trustworthiness in a way that I could not find with Mary Landrieu; he is endorsed by an extensive list of senators, representatives, parish and city officials, and Republican Parish Excutive Committee Members. He gives off a goodwill vibe, especially with the help of his previous breast cancer surgeon spouse. I would say of the three candidates, he is the most stiff when he speaks. However, he still comes off as confident. He does not lack vision, either. It is very clear what he stands behind; issues such as job creation, coastal restoration, storm protection, pro-life acts, and benefits for veterans. In my opinion, he picks good issues to head his campaign, because these are all things that are important to the people of Lousiana. But also, it would make me worried if I were a voter, because I would fear he may be hiding his view on other important issues that I wouldnt agree with.

Lastly, retired US Air Force Colonel Rob Maness has the least amount of political experience, but in my opinion, is at the very top of the secondary aspects of ethos. He does have experience in the military, which is helpful. However, he has never run for public office before. He, like Bill Cassidy, uses breast cancer as a path for empathy. But he uses his wife, a breast cancer survivor, as part of his campaign. I think he loses some of his goodwill aspect, because he is anti gay marriage. Not that I believe that people don't have a right to have an opinion, I just think it makes him seem less empathetic for people that don't stick with his traditional views of marriage. He also is endorsed by many organizations, including but not limited to: Gun Owners of America, Conservative Majority Fund, Senate Conservative Fund, Patriot PAC, Marine Vet for Freedom, Restore America's Voice, and Special Operations Speaks. I think these organizational endorsements speak to what he cares about as far as issues. Going on to the secondary aspects of ethos, he definitely stands head and shoulders above the other two candidates. He is a dynamic speaker. He knows what to say and how to say it to get a crowd excited about what he is saying and standing for. He is outgoing and confident and has an abundance of vocal energy.

In my opinion, Mary Landrieu has the highes credibility, due to her experience. She has more political experience than either of the other two combined. However, even with his lack of experience in public office, I believe that Rob Maness has more perceived credibility than she does. He is just an all around better speaker and crowd pleaser than she is.

Ashley Webster- blog post1- ethos

While examining the three candidates, I noticed that each one used persuasion to try and sell their good points and downplay their bad ones in order to build credibility in the eyes of their voters. I tried to pinpoint these techniques as they were used by each candidate and evaluate the effectiveness they might have on voters. I made my judgments based solely on the official statements from each of the candidates' websites and/or public videos, so I did not evaluate the statements for accuracy, just on how true they seemed based on the way the candidates presented themselves.  

Rob Maness plays on his 32 year long military career for the expertise and trustworthiness factors of ethos. Serving from the age of 17, he worked his way up the ranks all the way to Colonel, leading combat operations and disposing bombs. He shows perceived caring with his principles of protecting the rights of the citizens as laid out in the Constitution and is an avid fighter for 2^nd Amendment Rights.  He also has inspiring visions to create energy independence from foreign oil, better school systems, tighten our borders, and maintain national security while honoring our veterans. Despite his strong arguments, I think he comes off a bit too rigid, particularly in the widely debated social issues, making him lack dynamism. He also chose to attack his opponents opinions, rather than supporting his own.

Bill Cassidy also has a strong background to support his campaign. As a physician who has helped treat uninsured patients, he demonstrates competence and empathy. He has also demonstrated his goodwill by helping to vaccinate schoolchildren and leading volunteer efforts to help treat Hurricane Katrina victims. He has devised alternatives to the Health Care law and has outlined a plan for creating jobs by developing natural energy resources. Appealing to trustworthiness factor, he defines his motives as returning power to the American people. He definitely has captured the likeability factor with his commitment to serving the community, but I think his campaign effort takes a narrow focus on transforming the medical field.

Mary Landrieu seemed to have the strongest credentials with her extensive political background. Being the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate and member to several committees, she has a past record of helping lead the Gulf Coast recovery efforts and securing billions of dollars to help restore America’s coast. She has also shown concern and care by introducing the Children In Families First Act, the Horse Transportation Safety Act, and legislation to provide disaster assistance to farmers. Most of all, I noticed she presented her topics like she knew the information and was genuinely interested in seeing results. I think her confidence made her seem like the most credible candidate and she presented the most well rounded motives for her campaign.

(www.youtube.com/user/RobManessForSenate)

(www.c-span.org/video/?303201-5/BillCa)

(http://youtu.be/fdUeWBriE2g)

Jordan Johnson - Blog Post 1 - Ethos

            Each of the three candidates running for Senate seemed to show different characteristics that made them both shine and decline. For example, after I browsed Maness’ website, I stumbled upon his “Candidate Comparison” tab, where he showed why he thinks he was the best candidate. Topics such as, the Second Amendment, Hate Crimes, Syria, etc. were compared. He also explains how both of his opponents are stating the same thing, although they belong to different political parties. Due to this, Maness shows a level of confidence and composure, as well as, motives and associations. Browsing through Cassidy’s website was different. I did not see any clear or blatant slander toward any of his opponents. He showed goodwill and empathy by stating that he helped to construct a clinic for uninsured workers. Also, I did not see any comparisons or harsh words on Landrieu’s website. She displayed sociability and inspiration by introducing the “Restore the Gulf Coast Act” in the wake of the Deepwater Horizon incident.

            In addition to their characteristics, each candidate clearly stated where they stood on certain political topics. First, Maness states that he believes the second amendment should stay intact and backs up his argument with his thirty-two year tenure as a United States Air Force pilot. This shows his expertise and experience. Cassidy shows his support of the second amendment with a quote from his website saying, “[He] has an ‘A’ with the National Rifle Association”. This shows his trustworthiness via his associations. On Landrieu’s website, there was no information about the second amendment, which was due to the fact that she voted against the maintenance of the second amendment.

            On the basis of credibility, we look to past experiences to build one’s credibility. For example, with Maness’ thirty- plus years in the Air Force, that would tend to give him more credibility of certain topics. However, to answer which of the three candidates has the most credibility, I would choose Bill Cassidy. Not only does Bill Cassidy have prior experience in the medical field, but he very precise opinions about the field and what can be done to improve it. He and his campaign are geared towards ending President Obama’s healthcare laws and protecting the taxpayers by creating new programs.

J.Lewis-blog post 1 ethos

After looking at all the candidates, M. Landrieu is the candidate for which I would vote. She has been consistent in her voting record for ACA, has favored her state (as she should) in committees, and sub-committees alike. She has consistently put herself out there to better her state, criticizing the Republican governor for not increasing the medicare in the state (even though it would not cost the state anything). Her voting record has attracted the animosity of the far right. She is cool under fire, has the expertise and competence to get the job done. On video she seems confident, at ease, outgoing, likable. While not stiff, she could work on her vocal energy. Her vision for Louisiana is inspiring  Bill Cassidy on the other hand, only tells you what he is against. And apparently he is against everything the Democratic party is for, but he never tells you an alternative, gives no specific views for the future, and only motivates by hatred of the Democratic party and of Mary Landrieu. Rob Maness is a charismatic speaker and may give Landrieu a run for her money. However, the only thing he really has going for him is the big conservative money backing his campaign. He is pro-life, pro-gun and anti Obama.