2012 DEBATES

This political cartoon was published on Oct. 23, 2012 by the artist

Eric Allie.

The cartoon represents the Presidential debates between

Senator Mitt Romney and President Barack

Obama.

Who do you believe is the intended audience of the cartoon?

The intended audience would be Republicans

and ‘on the fence’ voters.

The cartoon is trying to appeal to those voters

who are ‘on the fence’ to join the Republicans side

in the election.

How is the Rhetorical Triangle used in this cartoon?

PATHOSThe artist establishes

Pathos by implying that Romney has “scored” but

Obama is getting the credit for the “tackle”.

This strategy enables a sense of anger within

those that are in support of Romney which in turn will earn him more votes.

How is the Rhetorical Triangle used in this cartoon?

ETHOSThe artist establishes Ethos by making the

candidates more ‘human’ and more relatable by

portraying them as football players rather

than politicians.By portraying the debates as a football

game, a greater audience will be able to

grasp the underlying meaning.

How is the Rhetorical Triangle used in this cartoon?

LOGOS

The artist does not establish a sense of

logos. Logos is a ‘logical’ appeal and since this is a political cartoon, it uses

a more opinionated approach.

The cartoon does not display any facts other

than the date the debates took place in:

2012.

What techniques are used in this cartoon?

ForegroundIn the foreground of the

cartoon, the author has two football players with the

names of the 2012 Presidential Candidates,

Obama and Romney, written on the backs of the jerseys.

There is also a referee signaling for a touchdown.

These items are placed in the foreground to draw attention to them as the main focus.

What techniques are used in this cartoon?

BackgroundIn the background of the

cartoon, there is the banner “2012 DEBATES”. Sitting

behind this banner is a man and a donkey. The donkey is saying “Great tackle.” These

items are placed in the background so that after you analyze the foreground items,

the background will explain them.

Is there any examples of irony or symbolism in the cartoon?

SymbolismIn the background of the

cartoon, there is a donkey. The donkey is a symbol to represent the Democratic

Party.

IronyThe donkey is saying “Great

tackle” when in fact, Romney technically scored a

touchdown. This represents how Romney had ‘technically’

won the first debate, but Democrats thought Obama

should've got the credit.

http://furiousdiaper.com/2012/10/23/2012-debates/

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