You’re on in five Ma’am,” the chairman of the Democratic National Committee whispers, covertly to the well-dressed woman quietly sitting next to him. The occupant grimly nods her careworn features, the embodiment of disinterest; Her mind, a grey mist that obscure her innermost thoughts like a sweeping, sullen, shroud. Michelle Obama, the senator’s wife would soon be known as Michelle Obama, the orator. The thought of delivering a requiem for her husband’s political career elicits such cynical mirth that would shame Voltaire’s quips. Fortitude, that ironclad citadel is steadily eroded by the waves of backrooming politicking directly dismantling the foundations of trust; truly she is as a frightened lamb that finds itself surrounded by a …show more content…
Anecdotes provide emphasis and familiarity through a consistent narrative; Michelle Obama utilizes examples of her background to create a link between orator and audience. Obama’s humble background presents the picture of a blue collared father struggling to make ends meet while providing for his children. As the prominent fixture in her childhood, her father is “the rock” (Obama, line 54) that grounded her in society. The proletariat audience naturally sympathizes, but Mrs. Obama’s rhetorical fusilade now turns its attention to her husband’s past. The candidate himself is indirectly the subject of several anecdotes; Paragraph sixteen details Barack Obama socialist worldview as being the culmination of generations of civil rights. This particular analogy serves the dual purpose of legitimacy paired with vision. True, the young Illinois senator possesses the dynamism of Martin Luther King Jr. along with a forward looking vision. Examples of the aspiring politician’s magnanimity appear in paragraphs twenty and twenty one are lauded: “It’s what did on the streets of Chicago setting up job training and after school programs to keep children safe” (Obama lines 70-72). Intentional or not, the inclusion of anecdotal evidence as a rhetorical tool crafts an image of Barack Obama as the “people’s hero.”
The audience finds itself further beguiled by the
Obama’s speech demonstrates certain points to engage the audience and to create a connection to emphasize its presence in the speech. One impactful technique he used is his anecdotes to prove his credibility to gain trust within the students. One anecdote that he clearly states is about African Americans are treated different decades ago and how certain races are not able to have the job they wanted, due to their skin tone. Furthermore, he adds his own research on this topic by explaining how “no blacks CEOs of Fortune 500 companies” (Mccaskill). This creates a sense of wisdom and satisfaction because, over time, society changed their views within people of color
Dupuy begins her own interpretation of Obama’s situation while in office, in her article “Black Presidents Matter” by first addressing that critics labeled Obama a radical. She appeals to the readers by describing Obama “as the most powerful man in the country”, and that “we still can’t accept that No Drama Obama is a centrist with a shockingly (real)
Barack Obama, President of the United States, is said to have delivered one of the most beautifully written and well-thought out speeches of his presidency. This speech, (or eulogy), is a result of the death of Reverend Clementa Pinckney, a man whose life was cut short under the hands of a white supremacist. Obama’s speech resonated so well with citizens because of the writing and the delivery altogether. Specifically, the internal workings of the speech were current with Reverend Pinckney’s principles and beliefs. The fortitude laced in his voice also contributed greatly to the effect the speech had on the people.
In response to the controversial sermon given by his pastor and the racial remarks that followed him during his 2008 campaign, then Senator Barack Obama, was inherently forced into delivering a speech that would address the comments and prove to the American people that he did in fact shared their “American Dream” and was not an Anti-America charity case. Obama gave his famous “A More Perfect Union” speech in Philadelphia, where he seized the opportunity to address the controversy as an indication of a much larger issue, race relations in America and introduce his mission of moving the country toward “a more perfect union.” His speech often coined, “the Race Speech”, had several factors play into its success, one factor being the way the speech was delivered, his speech incorporated the jeremiad form and constitutive form of rhetoric, the use of those two forms helped Obama address the issue while at the same time creating an identity that would encompass all Americans who would then come together in this identity and work toward the solution of the race issue and providing the “American Dream” for everyone.
In this video Michelle Obama makes use of all three appeals, in an attempt to persuade the audience, to agree that Barak Obama was the best candidate for the Presidency. Ethos is identified first as she is introduced, as her brother presents her as a highly esteemed entity by her immediate family; thus, Americas next first lady. She also portrays herself as a person with high morals and values, she elaborates on how she and her husband were raised alike, believing that you will reach your goals if you work hard, respecting others no matter the differences; thus, delivering what you promise or say. Later in the video, she identifies herself as a lawyer that had worked at a major law firm. This elaborate presentation of herself is most
To open his keynote address, Barack Obama tells parent’s story which starts from halfway across the world and ends up in the country with endless possibilities. As he puts it, “my parents shared not only an improbable love; They shared an abiding faith in the possibility of this nation. They would give me an African name, Barack or ‘blessed,’ believing that in a tolerant America, your name is no barrier to success.” This Anecdote serves as an inspiration for the democratic voters who
Not leaving anyone person out depending on ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. “It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled” (Obama Barack, 2008). Obama also gave reference to a 106-year-old woman, Ann Nixon who had seen every immense change in America from the Montgomery bus boycott to the renowned Martin Luther King Jr. speech. Living at 106 she remembered when there was no cars on the street and no advanced technology to now voting for her favored candidate with a touch screen tablet. He really stressed how much change had happened throughout America’s past touching upon very key people, events, as well as just the overall American Dream creating these feel-good moments. President Barack Obama used ethos, pathos, and logos in an amazing collateral piece.
He acknowledges that the resentments of the black and white communities “aren’t always expressed in polite company,” but these resentments are manifested within our society in destructive ways, like racism (Obama, par. 31). The audience feels that he is knowledgeable and credible on the immediate topics affecting our future and our daily lives.
The election of President Obama marks the most noteworthy political accomplishment for African Americans in the United States during the post-civil rights revolution, thus bringing about a change in the country’s social and political landscape that was steeped in racial discrimination since the founding of this great nation. Because social and political conditions are subject to constant change, President Obama’s
On the fiftieth anniversary of the events on “Bloody Sunday”, Obama gave a speech filled with encouraging words about how far American has come. Throughout his speech he included various pathos examples. For instance, he states, “[…] All of us need to recognize, as they did, that change depends on our actions, our attitudes, the things we teach our children. And if we make such effort, no matter how hard it may seem, laws can be passed, and consciences can be stirred, and consensus can be built” (Obama). He addresses the people as one, as if each and every one of us has as much responsibility as the next, and rightfully so. Ethos is another rhetoric analysis, it defines someone’s character or identity and Obama does just that when he says, “[…] who serve in elected office from small towns to big cities; from Congressional Black Caucus to the Oval office” (Obama). Obama refers to himself when speaking about the oval office because he was the first African American to be elected president, which is him talking about his own credentials.
Barack Obama's powerful diction creates hope for the future of the United States with word choices such as “continue,” “shifted” and “ambitions.” Barack’s shift from informal to formal diction constructs an image of unity through the usage of simple, personal pronouns, such as “we” and “us.” The shifts from informal to formal and back appeal to the emotions of the audience because they feel as if Obama is talking directly to them. His allusions to the Bible are sentimental because when he says "the God given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness" he creates a bond between himself and his audience. His words have a motivating connotation that appeal to both logos and pathos. The way in which Barack Obama presents his ideas allows his audience to have confidence in him and his role as president.
In 2004, Obama walked up to the podium at the Democratic National Convention as a political novelty. The speech he delivered established Obama as a natural leader and transformed him into a future presidential candidate. Rich in demonstrative rhetoric, its purpose was to unite the American people through nationalism. The exploration of his rhetoric and style throughout this paper will cement why the speech was beneficially identity transforming for Obama's political career.
First of all, this paper will be analysing its context and purpose of Bill Clinton’s speech. On September 5th, 2012, Bill Clinton delivered his amazing speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. Although his speech mostly consist of logos appeals to persuade his audience in a ceremonial setting, he begins his speech in an epideictic tone focusing on developing the ethos of Barack Obama. At the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party and the rest of the Americans witness Bill Clinton proclaiming his support for Obama to be re-elected while stating the reasons why he should be reappointed. The purpose of his speech was not only to express the president’s future objectives but also to show
Michelle Obama is the topic of this research for she is a role model and inspiration to Americans across the nation. Michelle’s life has shown nothing but mere dedication, outstanding perseverance, a willingness to learn, affect change and be a leader to those who believe and admire her work. Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Obama is the daughter of Fraser Robinson III, a city water plant employee and Democratic precinct captain (Slevin, 2015). During her early years, Michelle has seen the detrimental effects segregation can have on a community, which was later reflected on her fight against inequality. Being raised on the
Obama uses irony to point out the hypocrisy of division in our current political system. By highlighting the differences between the truth and what politicians say, Obama shows that the divisiveness in politics is both unnecessary and counterproductive. In his chapter about Democrats and Republicans, Obama discusses how “Max Cleveland, the former Georgia incumbent, a triple-amputee war veteran” lost his seat “after being accused of insufficient patriotism, of aiding and abetting Osama bin Laden” (29). Obama includes information about Cleveland’s past as a soldier in contrast to his career as a politician to point out the clear contrariety of Cleveland being deemed unpatriotic. It is a testament to the divided nature of politics that one political