working through the Romney video

Here's the link to the video again...
http://bcove.me/mkhyv931

So I did a little research this weekend because I didn't know who Lech Walesh was. So for anyone else who doesn't know...he is the former president of Poland. He was a human rights activist in the 70's and helped end communist rule in Poland. In 1979 Pope John Paul II visited his home country of Poland and spoke to the people, saying "Be not afraid." Later, Walesh said that the Pope played a major role in the fall of the Berlin wall and the end to communist rule.

So I've broken the video up a bit...
In the opening scene a man asks..."Who shares your values?" - so obviously that's rhetorical and the viewer is supposed to say, "Mitt Romney! Duh!"
I also thought the words were chosen carefully. Although this video is obviously aimed at the catholic audience, it doesn't start out by asking who shares your religious values. Since Mitt Romney isn't catholic he doesn't necessarily share catholic religious values, but the viewer is supposed to stick the word religious in there themselves, making this question an enthymeme.

The next scene shows a not-so-flattering image of Obama in black and white with somewhat erie music. The colors, music, and emotion of the video segment all play into Pathos, aiming to induce fear and anger in the audience. Obama stands at a Podium, pointing his finger and frowning. This may be a stretch, but I thought he resembled a dictator a little bit, which may have been the aim of the people responsible for the film. I think it's possible they are drawing ties to the communist regime in Poland by using this image.

Here they say that Obama has used his health care plan to declare war on religion. So I researched the health care plan - I really don't pay much attention to politics or the news very much - I find it pretty depressing and prefer to spend my time enjoying life :) - but I researched a bit to better understand the accusation. So I'll share what I learned - again, in case there are other people like me in this class -

Obama's new health care plan requires insurance companies to cover contraceptives without a copay. In one article I read it said that churches, synagogues, and mosques are exempt from this requirement as well as church affiliated employers. Instead, women working for these companies would get contraceptive coverage directly from insurance companies at no extra cost to the company (I think I read that correctly.)

So the line, "war on religion" - here's my take - requiring insurance companies to provide contraceptive insurance disagrees with catholic values - the enthymeme here is that an action that disagrees with catholic views is a declaration of war against all religion. So maybe the film makers here are trying to reach a larger population that just catholic viewers...

Then the deep voiced gentlement adds, "forcing religious institutions to go against their faith." - Again, he doesn't say Catholic institutions, but religious institutions, willing the audience to believe that all religious institutions are under attack from the Obama administration. Also - again, maybe a bit of a stretch - the word "forcing" ties to dictators and situations of war - going back to the communist regime in Poland.

Then, "Mitt Romney believes that's wrong."
So the color, music, and emotion (Pathos) change, attempting to induce positive feelings in the audience when the video switches over to Mitt Romney's defense of religion. I think the word believe was chosen with religious viewers in mind.

And here's a question...does Mitt Romney believe that the contraceptive coverage is wrong AND that declaring war on religion is wrong? OR just declaring war on religion...? I think the audience is supposed to believe both...

Then the video goes to a speech Romney is giving where he talks about the speech John Paul gave in 1979 where he said words that would "bring down an empire."

So we're supposed to make the connection between the evil communist empire and the evil Obama empire...

Then there's a photo of Lech Walesa and the Pope, shaking hands. Then there's a video of Romney and Walesa shaking hands. So Romney is like the Pope and he's going to take down the evil Obama empire by protecting the religious institutions and requiring employees to pay for their own contraception...therefore restoring peace to the country.

When your religious freedom is threatened (when you have to be ok with insurance companies covering contraceptives at no extra cost to you) - you want Mitt Romney at your side...

That's all I've got so far...what do y'all think?