Question

Before officially announcing his bid for presidency, the former senator attended all of the steelworkers union rallies dressed in his rugged denim jeans, a lumberjack-style down vest, and a baseball cap.

This is an example of
A.
bandwagon theme.
B.
testimonial.
C.
plain folks theme.
D.
glittering generality.

Answer 1

This is an example of the plain folk's theme. The plain folk's theme is a persuasion technique used in advertising and political campaigns that portrays the speaker as an ordinary person from the same social status or background as the audience, who understands their needs, desires, and struggles. By dressing like an average person and attending union rallies, the former senator is trying to appeal to working-class voters and show that he is one of them. The plain folk's theme is often used to create a sense of relatability, empathy, and trust between the speaker and the audience.

Answer 2

The behavior of the former senator is an example of the plain folks theme, used to make the candidate appear approachable and connected with the average voter.

Step-by-step explanation:

The behavior of the former senator dressing in denim jeans, a down vest, and a baseball cap at steelworkers union rallies before announcing his presidential bid is an example of the plain folks theme. This approach is commonly used in political campaigns to create an image of the candidate as being of the people, approachable, and one with the everyday citizen. Instead of appearing as a distant political figure, the candidate aims to connect with voters on a personal level by embodying the lifestyle and preferences of the average person. This tactic is contrasted with others such as the bandwagon theme, where winning the support of the general population is crucial, or the glittering generality, in which broadly appealing, but vague, statements are used to win favor.