Schaberg/3020
Unit 1: Political Ad Analysis
Although there are many potential starting points for an inquiry into the fundamental meaning
of worldview, one good place to commence our inquiry is our political identities. Both in its laws that
attempt to guide and limit our behaviors and in its broader appeal to collective human values, “politics”
symbolizes the fundamental paradox of our social nature. We are individuals but we are inextricably
bound to community. In order to protect our rights—as both individuals and citizens—we ought to
work hard to understand the persuasive techniques that candidates and their party sponsor s use to
direct us. Only through this vital understanding of persuasion (or that disrespected word “Rhetoric”) as
the means by which we are guided toward particular actions or non-actions can we take our rightful
place as citizens in a changing world.
Based on our study of the 1984 Reagan ad, “It’s Morning Again in America”, and the readings in
Weston, select a political film/video advertisement from the website: “The Living Room Candidate” and
give a FULL 4-5 page analysis—due February 3rd—of both its ultimate message, and the persuasive
techniques it uses to achieve that end. You may not use the Reagan ad however—pick something new
that inspires or revolts you–either one. Nor does your choice have to be a campaign ad. The
contemporary drama surrounding health care or the attack on Congresswoman Gifford could provide
useful examples of other video ads. You must select a legitimate candidate ad, however—not a faux ad
or one of the many spoofs from Youtube.
Remember that as we discuss the Reagan ad we will be very specific as to what we think the admakers were trying to convey. This essay is NOT about proving that the audience ACTUALLY experiences
a certain Affect, but rather to present evidence of the persuasive strategies—both form & content—that
comprise the ad in question. In fact, how you add up all the traits of your ad into an organic thesis (as
above) is one of the more difficult aspects of this assignment. Giving evidence for these views in the
form of claim/data/interp will be a further challenge. Please note that although the Reagan ad is
definitely complex enough to carry a FULL 4-5 pages of solid analysis, you may need to bundle 2 or 3
smaller ads together in order to reach the demanded length. Successful essays will:








Develop an original thesis synthesizing the evolution of your paper’s ideas
Present persuasive evidence using the pattern: claim/data/interp
Address an idealized audience who has not taken this class
Create a powerful Intro & Conclusion that generate reader interest
Skillfully build the essay, so that each point of evidence expands on the one before it
Demonstrate persuasive grammar and a powerful writing style
Both an E-version and a paper submitted on the due date
No late papers can be accepted. Double space all drafts
Since the workshops will encourage you to work on the essay over several weeks, students
should come to understand the principle of improving their work over multiple drafts. I cannot accept
final papers that have not been reviewed in small or large group workshops during the assignment. The
whole course has been set up to teach writing and persuasion through engaging and meaningful
assignments. Jump in and enjoy this assignment. Anyone should get a kick from surfing the “Living
Room Candidate” for an hour or two. Beyond allowing us to become more aware of the means that
political institutions, businesses, and mass media use to unconsciously persuade the public, this essay is
an opportunity to improve our critical thinking & writing, and to give us firm grounding in our rhetorical
approach to understanding worldview.
3020/Schaberg
Reagan Ad
Writer’s tool Kit #1: Strong Thesis Building
Through a lot of hard work and focus, a content analysis of the Reagan ad “It’s Morning Again
in America” could yield the following ideas, in the order they were presented:






emphasis on working
merging of class oppositions
family as center of values
community as a broader family
merging of generations
patriotism as a still broader family.
Once we have a list of fragmented ideas we need to try and synthesize them into a holistic
idea. Remember that even opposing ideas, or paradoxical ones can be placed in relation to each other
as a single thesis. Along these lines let’s re-organize the main concepts of the Reagan ad into an
initial though still wobbly claim:
The through its emphasize on working (idea #1) the ad denies class distinctions (idea #2)and
promotes family values across generations
A more polished version may eventually evolve through further drafting into a powerful thesis
that delineates the ad’s worldview in a very precise way:
Defining our crucial values as a commitment to work, to home ownership, and to loving those
close to us, the 1884 Reagan ad, “It’s Morning Again in America,” rejects class and generational
opposition, and argues that only President Reagan can help us enact these crucial values in our family
life, our broader communities, and our patriotic national family, America.
At this point the thesis becomes a very helpful engine for the writing of my essay, as it
outlines, with great clarity, the projected organization of my paper. It also yields wonderful questions
about these fine details that will yield finer and finer analysis as the essay goes on. Framed by a
marvelous Intro and Conclusion, a reasonable structure for my essay now is:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Elucidate values of work (why work?)
Then values of homeownership (again why?)
Values of loving other (why?)
And to this end must reject class opposition
And generational opposition, as we gain …
our wholeness and well-being from expanding social experience: family, community, and nation
And that only Reagan understands this
A better thesis is probably out there somewhere, but for the time being, I’m satisfied where
my labors have led me …. We’ll talk a lot more about thesis building as we progress through the
semester. But rather that see thesis building as drudgery, relax a bit and come to know it is a
powerful tool to organize unwieldy thoughts into coherent and powerful writing.