http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfhK7B6c1W8

This smear campaign commercial, funded and created by Donald J. Trump for President Inc., targets Hillary Clinton’s by suggesting that she is an ineffective leader, but in contrast Donald Trump can protect America. Released on television and shared through various social media platforms, the ad reached a wide audience before the 2016 presidential elections. Through heavy use of pathos the ad attempts to convince people that Trump is the best candidate to vote for. It encourages voter participation by virtue of being a campaign advertisement, but specifically amplifies people’s mistrust of Clinton in order to garner more support for Trump.

The ad depicts Clinton as weak, suggesting that she is incapable of dealing with terrorism abroad, and presenting Trump as the only person able to provide America with protection. It claims that protection from terrorism abroad is a matter of national urgency and that it is every citizen’s duty to ensure that Clinton is not in a position to fail. Use of dog whistle phrases such as “Hillary Clinton doesn’t have the fortitude, strength, or stamina” and “don’t let her fail us again” connect negative words with Clinton such as failure and weakness. Also, four times throughout the 30 second spot the voice over ambiguously mentions Clinton’s incapability as Secretary of State in connection to her bid for the presidency. This commercial, because of its strong appeals to pathos, is targeted towards a specific audience who already harbor skepticism regarding Clinton’s ability to present herself as a strong and able leader. The ad preys on viewer’s prior mistrust of Clinton, and, without facts or examples, reaffirms people’s apprehension. The pathetic appeals are highlighted by stylistic choices such as the use of a gritty VCR filter and heavy vignetting invoking the feeling of an old horror movie. A deep, masculine voice over criticizing Clinton is consistent with Trump’s sexism and further appeals to a predominately male voter base.

Interestingly, this ad does not provide specific examples of Clinton’s supposed failures as Secretary of State. The issues it lists are “Iran promoting terrorism, North Korea threatening, ISIS on the rise, Libya and North Africa in chaos” and no further clarification as to their significance is offered. Even more bold than the suggestion that previously Clinton fails “every single time” is the claim that Donald Trump is the only one who can protect you. The commercial is extremely specific in its use of the word “you” at the end; it does not state that Trump can protect America as a whole, but individually addresses all Americans. This assertion is a strong ending, appealing to pathos, remaining consistent with the campaign commercial as a whole which relies almost solely on emotion to justify its point.

 

Unsurprisingly, campaign advertisements have been directed towards a voter base and utilizing emotional appeals for decades. Trump’s “Dangerous” commercial reflects some of the very same elements that the first televised campaign commercial employed in the 1950’s (it’s not the only 50’s thing Trump mirrors). Eisenhower’s “Ike for President” ad took advantage of the novelty of TVs and a lively caricature of both Eisenhower and his voter base to create an effectively blunt call to civic action. However, Trump’s equally blatant caricature of Clinton and complete dependence on pathos detracts from the ad’s influence over all but his constituents.