Credibility and Sniper Fire

When an author or speaker decides to use an appeal to ethos and pathos, he must remember to be truthful and honest in his argument. Telling the truth consistently will fortify his credibility and his reputation for being honest. If he would decide to embellish a story or to give a murky explanation of one of his views, his opinions would begin to be questioned and his appeal to the audience would diminish. It is so important to be honest so that your words are never doubted. People should be able to look at you and not recall the boy who called wolf.
Remember when Hillary Clinton claimed she had dodged sniper bullets in Bosnia during a 1996 trip there? Footage from that day in Bosnia would later be uncovered, and the clip showed a smiling Hillary accepting letters and hugs from Bosnian children. Hillary Clinton had been running on a platform of experience and had cited this sniping incident as a testimony to her vast experience in international affairs. When this incident was proven to be false, though, voters began to wonder if the stories of experience she had been claiming were true. Her audience, voters of American, eventually lost their faith in her. Hillary Clinton had lost her credibility among voters. When telling a story to strengthen an argument, one must remember to not modify this story. If the modification were to be exposed, the repercussions would diminish the credibility and reputation of the speaker or writer.
When engaging in a debate, it is important to remain composed and fair. John McCain has gained a bit of a reputation for being a hothead. For many voters, they fear that, when participating in a negotiation with a foreign country or at the United Nations, John McCain will lose his cool and speak with anger when his views are queried. When one reacts violently or loudly to the statements of others, a loss of credibility ensues. At a debate early into the presidential race, John McCain kept on interrupting Barack Obama with his opinions. Viewers considered this rude of McCain, and thus McCain further lost his credibility with Americans. When faced with an opposing view, it is vital to keep calm and patient to remain credible in the eyes of the audience. If someone kept on annoying you, and you yelled at this person, people who didn’t know you would assume you are mean. If you calmly told this person that they were interrupting the completion of your homework, you would come off as fair.