It begins with clips of young children stating their hopes and dreams, played over an inspiring musical composition; subsequently. Clinton makes his first appearance, speaking to a family, while an announcer explains the candidate’s focus on creating opportunity for youth by passing pro-education legislation, including a $1,500 tax credit in addition to a $10,000 tuition tax deductible – both superimposed onto the screen –, rendering school more affordable. The music then makes a sharp transition, sporting a more negative tune, as the announcer notes Dole’s attempt to cut scholarships, and quotes him laying out his intent to eliminate the Department of Education. With this advertisement, which likely targets lower-to-middle class families who may worry about financing their child’s college, Clinton highlights the relationship between an accessible education and a successful future; for children to have the capacity to accomplish the dreams they have, like being a surgeon, having access to affordable schooling is a must. His concern for the younger generations frames him as a responsible leader; on the contrary, Dole’s opposition to furthering the Department of Education implicates also his opposition to progress and furthering the future, as the commercial suggests. Pathos enhances the effectiveness …show more content…
The first forty-seconds of the commercial showcases clips of children, wide-eyed and innocent, watching some of Trump’s most offensive remarks on television, all over a soft piano tone a Latino child watches him denounce Mexicans, as a young girl observes him dish out sexist slurs about women. The screen then fades to black for a quick moment, warning the audience that “our children are watching,” subsequently transitioning to Clinton speaking about the responsibility of this generation to set a good example for the succeeding ones. The advertisement shows more shots of children as Clinton discusses this, closing with her stating that “we need to make sure they can be proud of us.” Overall, this commercial, likely targeting voting parents, uses guilt to make people take action to ensure that kids model their values after respectable leadership. Clinton acknowledges the high level of influence held by the president, and through her implementation of children absorbing Trump’s R-rated remarks, she frames him as an unfit leader and therefore a poor role model for the American youth, all the while vouching for her own record of leading with the next generation at the forefront of her attention. This strategy – employing the innocence of children to use Trump’s own words against him – allows Clinton to distract the public from his