Political Ad Rhetorical Analysis: "Train" Reagan '84

Aw, how precious! Look at the cute old man with the little flag, the farmers playing checkers, and the cub scouts waiting with anticipation! It was a snapshot right out of a Norman Rockwell painting that is meant to be identified with by the millions of working class citizens in America.
In 1984, Reagan was just completing his extremely successful first term during which the economy boomed, oil prices were rock bottom, and inflation and taxes were low. He didn't need to use this ad to brag about these things, though. Instead, "Train" was needed as a pride booster for the common man. This ad was patriotic, image rich, and inspiring, and I believe it was probably quite effective for the campaign in general. People felt a sense of unity and fulfillment when they watched as thousands gathered to see Reagan's train pass by (an impeccable use of the band-wagon technique.) These were people just like them: the parents of large families, the elderly, and the hard-working little guy. They wanted to get out and see Reagan, maybe to "tell their grandchildren that they saw the president," or maybe they "just stopped by to say, 'thanks.'"
The train idea in and of itself is a brilliant metaphor for progress and closeness between leadership and the governed. It put Reagan on a level field with his constituents and made him more relateable. Those who did see him on that Friday would then be more likely to vote for him just because of that connection. It's like when you go to a concert or are voting for someone of your favorite reality show, if there is that connection, it doesn't really matter how good they are, they become your favorite.
On the whole I think this ad was very effective in terms of the working class audience. It did not need to rely on statistics or bashing the other side, because it's merit was in making a connection and inspiring Americans to believe in the "Leadership That's Working."

Russell M. Nelson: Eternal Marriage

This afternoon, Elder Nelson gave an amazing talk on marriage that pretty much could've convinced anyone that the temple is the ONLY WAY to go. He used all three forms of persuasion and multiple rhetorical tools to accomplish this.
Establishing credibility is crucial in convincing people, and Elder Nelson has it in spades. However, he did not just ride on his own laurels on this one, he drew from multiple sources to strengthen his point. For example, he made a list of olden day prophets have spoken on the same issues and have had the same opinion such as Moses, Noah, Adam, and Elijah. He quoted numerous scriptures that also backed him up. This solidified his stand point and brought attention to it.
Credibility is important, but if you're logical, you appeal to a wider range of people. Logos was employed many times over the course of the talk in order to say, "See? It just makes sense." He frequently said things like, "It is the only to get what we truly desire." and "Exaltation is a family matter." These types of phrases are meant to appeal to the minds of his listeners with the hopes that their logic will overrule the "natural man."
The final persuasive tool Elder Nelson used is called Pathos, which is an emotional appeal. He said things that almost guilted listeners into change so that we don't "reject God's gifts." He taught us about "real love" and the best ways to "gain faith." The pure emotion in such phrases stirred hearts and turned heads in a very convincing way.
This talk also included other rhetorical tools such as an analogy about shopping, jokes about marriage that help the audience identify with him, and most importantly, a call to action in the final passage. The call was a firm one where he said that we must stay true and focus on the temple. This "highest quality" goal is one that I personally have committed a little more to because of this great talk.