The Visual Rhetoric of Convention Videos

Use your notes from class and the excellent class discussion as a starting point to analyze the visual rhetoric of the two videos from the recent political conventions. Find a Visual Rhetoric worksheet on Blackboard under "Course Documents." Use the questions on this worksheet to help you think and write about the visual rhetoric found in these videos. Write a blog post (at least 300 words) that summarizes your analysis. Blog posts should be done by start of class on Monday.


Mitt Romney's Convention Video Barack Obama's Convention Video

The Speeches of Ms. Romney & Ms. Obama

Use the chart analysis you completed in class, to write a blog entry (at least 300 words) that explores the rhetorical effectiveness of Ann Romney's speech and Michelle Obama's speech. You can compare the two speeches, but I would also like to define some of the ways that the speeches were similar. How rhetorically effective was each speech? Did they present an appropriate balance of ethos, pathos and logos? Was it hard to look at this from an unbiased critical perspective? Did your own political leanings shade the way you viewed the speeches? Did the audience reactions impact how you thought about their words?

Complete your blog entry before class on Friday, Sept. 7.


Ann Romney's speech Michelle Obama's speech