Propaganda Article
ENG 101
Essay
Senator Nixon’s Checkers Speech was given on September 23th, 1952 during the presidential election campaign. Nixon was Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice-presidential running mate. Nixon was accused of accepting illegal gifts. He used his television appearance to deny the allegations and outline his personal financial circumstances. Nixon made the American citizens believe in his honesty by using plain folks, testimonial, weasel words, as well as logical fallacies, such as an ad hominem argument, false analogy, and begging the question to deliver his speech.
According to the Institute for Propaganda Analysis, “Plain folks” is a device used by politicians such as Nixon to win our confidence by appearing to be like any normal person. Nixon said, “The first way is to be a rich man. I don't happen to be a rich man so I couldn't use that one” (paragraph 18). He is trying to look like any other American. He mention his wife in order to convince more of the audience; he said, “She's worked many hours at night and many hours on Saturdays and Sundays in my office and she's done a fine job” (paragraph 21). Again, Nixon tried to make his family look like most American families that have to work hard to be successful. He used “Plain folks” with the military, saying, “Let me say that my service record was not a particularly unusual one. I went to the South Pacific. I guess I'm entitled to a couple of battle stars” (paragraph 35). He appeals to the patriotism of the military, so they could feel sympathy for him and believe what he is saying. He also said, “I want you to know the facts. I’ll have to star early. I was born in 1913. Our family was one of modest circumstances and most of my early life was spent in a store out in East Whittier. It was a grocery store-the only reason we were able to make it go was because my mother and dad had five boys and we all worked in the store” (paragraph 33). He tried to appeal to his audience with the fact that he had to work when
Essay
Senator Nixon’s Checkers Speech was given on September 23th, 1952 during the presidential election campaign. Nixon was Dwight D. Eisenhower’s vice-presidential running mate. Nixon was accused of accepting illegal gifts. He used his television appearance to deny the allegations and outline his personal financial circumstances. Nixon made the American citizens believe in his honesty by using plain folks, testimonial, weasel words, as well as logical fallacies, such as an ad hominem argument, false analogy, and begging the question to deliver his speech.
According to the Institute for Propaganda Analysis, “Plain folks” is a device used by politicians such as Nixon to win our confidence by appearing to be like any normal person. Nixon said, “The first way is to be a rich man. I don't happen to be a rich man so I couldn't use that one” (paragraph 18). He is trying to look like any other American. He mention his wife in order to convince more of the audience; he said, “She's worked many hours at night and many hours on Saturdays and Sundays in my office and she's done a fine job” (paragraph 21). Again, Nixon tried to make his family look like most American families that have to work hard to be successful. He used “Plain folks” with the military, saying, “Let me say that my service record was not a particularly unusual one. I went to the South Pacific. I guess I'm entitled to a couple of battle stars” (paragraph 35). He appeals to the patriotism of the military, so they could feel sympathy for him and believe what he is saying. He also said, “I want you to know the facts. I’ll have to star early. I was born in 1913. Our family was one of modest circumstances and most of my early life was spent in a store out in East Whittier. It was a grocery store-the only reason we were able to make it go was because my mother and dad had five boys and we all worked in the store” (paragraph 33). He tried to appeal to his audience with the fact that he had to work when