In the Vice Presidential debate, each candidate was asked the question, "What promises, given the events of the week, the bailout plan, have your campaigns made to the American people that you are not going to be able to keep?" Both candidates used different tactics and strategies an attempt to persuade the audience. They used different methods to reach the people in a variety of ways. Using logos, pathos, and ethos, candidate is effectively arguing or debating their opinions and beliefs.
After Joe Biden's response, Sarah Palin begins to answer the question by saying, "The nice thing about running with John McCain is that he does not tell one thing to one group and then turn around and tell something different to another group." By opening with that particular statement, Sarah Palin is able to effectively give credibility to John McCain using the rhetorical method of ethos; it provides John McCain with the credentials that he is an authoritative figure that is very trustable.
After speaking about John McCain, Sarah Palin then begins to use a different approach and talks of her feelings on the subject. She once again uses ethos by talking about the energy plan, "You know what I had to do in the state of Alaska? I had to take on those oil companies and tell them that their mode of operation was wrong and that it was not going to continue." By providing the audience with this information, she is establishing herself as a very powerful figure that has a lot of control and authority. By using this approach, the speaker's character is persuading, as she is showing what she has accomplished at a position already as a leader. She's trying to show the American people that she is very capable of being in a position at a level of high authority and in control.
Sarah Palin also made several statements about herself that shows the goodwill of her character. She presents information by quoting, "What I had to do was break up monopoly and say that the people are going to come first and make sure we have value given to the people.” This can be considered an ethos because she speaks of the goodwill she has a person but it is also interpreted as a pathos. It may be considered a pathos statement because it also applies to emotion, and it directly relates to the people and it is a subject that the audience can easily relate to.
Finally, Sarah Palin uses ethos to wrap up her main points. She says, "I had to turn around those tax breaks as a governor of an energy producing state, which is my own expertise (energy)." She is showing that she is very experienced in the area of energy conservation, which is very important for her to be able to have even more credibility as a leader. Palin then says, "I do not believe that John McCain has made any promises that he would not be able to keep either." This is a very bold statement that is an ethos, for she is showing the reliability and trustworthiness that John McCain has as a potential President. It puts him in a very high position with a great amount of authority and control. Throughout the debate, there are various examples of ethos that Palin used to attempt to persuade and convince her audience.
