Well, on account of the fact that i receive a grade in my English class for posting a certain number of discussions on this confounded site, I must strike up a few interesting points on a book my class read earlier in the year called Unspun. The unfortunate thing in this situation is that i remember very little from this book and the bulk of my recollection is something about Listerine being sued and inventing the concept of bad breath.
Dale Peterson's 2010 political campaign for Agriculturer Commissioner of Alabama was one built on what Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson would call "spin." Spin to them means something "...paints a false picture of reality by bending facts, mischaracterizing the words of others, ignoring or denying crucial evidence, or just 'spinning a yarn' - by making things up" (Unspun, page vii). That is exactly what the political advertisements of Peterson do to convince viewers to vote for him, the better choice.
There are many types of "spin." This particular advertisement comprises of many types of spin: "If It's Scary, Be Wary," "A Story That's 'Too Good,'" "The Superlatives Swindle," "The Blame Game," and many others. Peterson first of all states that Alabama Agriculture Commissioner is "one of the most powerful positions in Alabama." The usage of the superlative "most" makes the job sound significant which allows Peterson to go on as to why he is the perfect man for the job.
