Polls Say Tony Evers Has the Lead Over Scott Walker, Why is That?
A Brief Analysis of the Candidates use of Pursuasive Language
The 2018 Midterm election for governor in the state of Wisconsin is between Scott Walker, the current governor seeking a third term, and Tony Evers the 26th and current superintendent of public instruction of Wisconsin. Governor Walker is the republican candidate, and Tony Evers, the Democratic candidate. The states capitol and and the surrounding madison area, as well as milwaukee are quite liberal while the more rural areas and small towns are largely very conservative. Wisconsin was red for this past election however the popular vote was very close: 47.2% for Trump and 46.5% for Hillary.
An Issue being discussed a lot in this election like many others is taxes. Governor Walker takes pride in the many large tax cuts he has implemented throughout his term, and main argument is that the people of Wisconsin especially farms and small business owners are grateful for that. Tony Evers on the other hand is not adamantly fighting for increased taxes, however he acknowledges that he is open and willing to raise them if that is what is necessary for acquiring the funding he needs to fix things on his agenda. Evers does not have very much leverage with regards to this topic. It is hard to employ the use of persuasive language when your rebuttal usually is usually like the one that follows: A dollar more per gallon gas tax increase is “ridiculous,” however “everything is on the table.” Tony Evers has to rely on his arguments for education and healthcare to convince people that we need more money invested into those things. Scott Walker has the advantage on the topic of taxes because he can say defiantly that he has a plan and he is taking action. “I have shown repeatedly in the past that we can cut taxes on the hard working people of the state, on working families, on senior citizens and small business owners and family farmers. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again; just like Tommy did years ago.” When he said this he was associating himself with the previous governor tommy Thompson, and the reforms that he put in place during his term, an effective strategy.
Education, more specifically public education funding is also a top priority for both candidates. Tony Evers, being the superintendent of public instruction is adamant about this topic, and it is a major focus of his entire campaign however, both Walker and Evers have tried to portray themselves as the “education governor.” Scott Walker, again brings up what he has done in his term: “We have made historic investments. The largest actual dollar investment in state history: an extra $200 dollars for every year for every student in every part of the state of Wisconsin.” He used aggrandize language combined with jargon to make this seem more impressive than it might actually be. The common person likely doesn’t know what distinguishes an actual dollar investment from any other investment, and “in state history” may sound very impressive but could very well not be. Tony Evers has a lot of ethos when he says things like: “I can tell you as an administrator all across the state and just common sense… making the workers the enemy, you’re not going to succeed.” He also distinguishes himself from Scott Walker by using the exclusive they, in this case “you’re,” pushing blame on Walker and his policy, and ensuring his supporters he will not do the same.
I believe that Evers is more likely to win the midterm election. He is not as well spoken or politician like as his opposition, Scott Walker, however that can make his ethos stronger. Much like Trump, Ever’s appeal came from the fact that he was not a politician, and would not not play politics for personal gain, but instead focus on the people. This combined with his excellent use of rhetoric and persuasive language makes him the superior candidate.
Now, after the midterm election results, I see that my thesis that Tony Evers is the superior candidate and rhetorician was correct. However, it was a very close race which opened up my eyes a bit; now looking back at my text i see that scott walker may have been just as good if not better at employing persuasive speech, but Evers’ logos must have been more compelling.
