With the 2016 election in full swing, millions of Americans have locked in their party of choice as November 8th approaches. The two candidates and the conversation surrounding them this year have never been more polarizing: Republican vs. Democrat, businessman against politician, man facing woman, and high-energy in contrast to calm and collected. Eventually, one will be chosen to hold the highest office in the country, and will give a speech, known as an inaugural address to talk about their intentions as president of the US. This essay will focus on two specific addresses, one from Ronald Reagan, and the other from Barack Obama. Even though inaugural addresses are somewhat far apart in the time each was given and who was presenting them, they are very similar in how they …show more content…
The presidents who give them promise to take action in their addresses, but do not get into the heart of the matter to ensure that their first day in the Oval Office is not greeted with hostility. As for how relevant each address is, Reagan’s is less so, because at the time people were less hostile a different set of ideas than today, and so he catered to that. There is also the fact that some problems had a different name and a different particular way of tackling the issue. Obama’s speech is more relevant because it was written for a crowd that is still active in politics today, and it addresses issues that still exist in its same form. In a political climate like this, it is important to see beyond the facade of fluff and filibuster, and dig deep to understand what the candidate in question really wants for the country. If we continually base our decisions off of quick soundbites and feel-good rhetoric, then we as a people will become more out of touch with the people meant to represent our
In the general purposes of the three inaugural addresses of FDR, JFK and Barack Obama, they were focused on appreciating the constitutional process which involves the inauguration of the U.S president. For example, recently, President Obama stated in his speech that people gathers each year to observe the enduring strength of the U.S and the act of democracy. FDR also appreciated the need for the inauguration in upholding the constitutional values and cultures.
Presidential speeches are a powerful tool for leaders to communicate their vision, persuade the public, and shape policy. Throughout history, presidents have utilized various rhetorical strategies to effectively convey their message and rally support for their initiatives. In this essay, we will analyze key elements of presidential speeches, focusing on the use of ethos, pathos, and logos to engage the audience and achieve their political goals. Ethos: One of the key rhetorical strategies employed by presidents in their speeches is the use of ethos, or credibility. By establishing their authority and expertise on a particular issue, presidents can gain the trust and confidence of the audience.
In “Barack Obama’s First Inaugural Address” and in “John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address”, there is quite a few similarities between the two. In J.F.K’s, he was describing that we need to work together to overcome many challenges as a country, while maintaining peace within our alliances. Barack’s speech had the same idea that all should be free and that the United States would help their allies in any way they could. Another similar idea is that God gave men and women their freedom, with the fact that either they could either destroy, or renew their civilization. They spoke about furthering the science field, but it could become either a disaster or a great success. Both articles also used events from the past to strengthen Americans.
Language plays a crucial role in the development of power. Famous personalities in the United States use rhetorical devices to emphasize a specific point and make it clear to the audience. President Thomas Jefferson is a Democratic-Republican and won the election of 1800. In 1801 he presented his inauguration speech and was significant because it was the first time in the history when the power shifted from one party to the other. Martin Luther King, Jr. served as an American minister and played an active role in the civil rights movement. John F. Kennedy delivered his speech during his inauguration in order to develop relations with the Soviet Union and end Cold War. All the speeches were delivered by most known personalities and made use of rhetorical devices such as allusion and repetition to make their message memorable in the hearts of the citizens of America.
Throughout the history of America, many Americans voted on leaders to guide us into prosperity and peace. When they are elected, they promise the people-through an address- to fix the changes their predecessors created. In the inaugural addresses of Thomas Jefferson, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama, they discuss what they want done through different styles of writing. However they share similar qualities as well. Barack and Jefferson focus on unification while Reagan focuses on the economy.
On March 4, 1865 Abraham Lincoln delivered his second inaugural address as president of the United States. The inaugural address came at the very end of the American Civil War, and just a month before the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Prior to this address, the United States had been split into two different independent states, the Union and the Confederacy. Throughout Abraham Lincoln’s first term and the very beginning of his second, Lincoln had to deal with the secession of the eleven states that made up the Confederacy. Also during the war, Lincoln competed in the 1864 presidential election in which his leadership was challenged by George B. McClellan. This inaugural address was important at the time, and remains a relic of Abraham Lincoln’s powerful speaking ability.
On March 30, 1981 Ronald Reagan is giving a speech at the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. John Hinckley Jr. is waiting outside the hotel with the intent to impress the young actress Jodie Foster, who he had fallen in love with after watching the movie Taxi Driver His plan to impress her was to kill the president of the United States Ronald Reagan. As Reagan was leaving the hotel after his speech John Hinckley approaches Reagan pulling out a 22. Pistol Hinckley fires six shots hitting 4 men including Reagan, police officer Thomas K. Delahanty, press secretary James Brady, and secret servicemen Tim McCarthy. Hinckley is apprehended by authorities was found not guilty by reasons of insanity and was then placed in a mental hospital in Washington D.C.(O’Reily Dugard) This was one of many defining moments in Reagan’s life and all moments help him become the man he was. Ronald Wilson Reagan Was the most influential and charismatic presidents of the United States of America.
On March 4, 1933, Franklin Delano Roosevelt stood before a nation and assumed the presidency of the United States of America. He recited the entire oath of office from memory, instead of merely answering “I Do” to a list of promises he was making to the American people. American citizens who had already endured four years of the greatest economic depression the nation had ever experienced. Americans who were desperately searching for help and relief from unemployment, financial crisis, and the possibility of starvation. In his inaugural address, Roosevelt vowed to bring to America the relief Americans needed, and to restore the nation to it’s position of power in the world. He promised a New Deal. While many wanted to believe that this
On January 11, 1989 President Ronald Reagan gave his Farewell Address to the Nation from the Oval Office in The White House. The speech was broadcast live on nationwide radio and television. He had served our country for 8 years and now it was time for George Bush to take office. He used his 34th and final speech as president to not only bid the nation farewell but also to give thanks to the American people. He shares with America his experience as the U.S President and ensures that he could not have made the changes he made without the nation’s help. The speech is deliberative. His goal is to be sure to persuade the people that America is a
John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, has become one of the most famous presidents in the nation's history due to his oratory skills and eloquence (Biane,2011). In this paper, we present an analysis the inaugural speech that he delivered in January 1961. Even though his Inaugural speech lasted less than fifteen minutes, the message that he saliently delivered was one that has continued to resonate in the very hearts of American citizens.
First of all, the Inaugural Address was the President Obama’s speech that was delivered to the crowds after the oath of office ceremony that took place at the West Front of the United States. It was a brief speech that captivated a lot of matters that concern the American citizens exclusively and the world inclusively in simple and complex language. The language in the speech mostly was flawless and applicable to the audience, who was the public, since he was using every day vocabulary. Therefore,
Ted Sorensen, a former speechwriter for John F. Kennedy, believes “An inaugural address is by definition a defining moment for any new president.” An inaugural address is a stepping stone for each new administration because it creates a first impression; the address marks the time when the president stops trying to win votes and starts taking action. Barack Obama's speech is filled with eloquent language, and it lived up to the expectations of both critics and the public. The speech, as described in the “Think Again” section of the New York Times was
Since President Abraham Lincoln’s famous second inaugural address nearly 150 years ago it has been a long standing tradition for the President’s inaugural address to present a somewhat ambiguous claim for world transformation and diplomacy. President George W. Bush’s second inaugural address is no different. It set forth President Bush’s ambitious vision of the United States’ role in advancing of freedom, liberty, and democracy worldwide “with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world” (para. 7). In order to persuade his audience to adhere to his arguably over ambiguous goal, President Bush uses a rhetoric strategy that blends elements of ethos and pathos with specific word choice to
Ceremonial speeches are given to mark ceremonial events and help a society move beyond their differences. John F. Kennedy gave a ceremonial speech, his inaugural address, on January 20th, 1961, marking one of the most historic speeches in time. In John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address speech, that is being evaluated today, the author uses social cohesion as a call for the nation to give back to the country, as we should do of course, and to ask, and expect less from the government, but that we should all have equal rights. Social Cohesion is described as the words, values, goals, speeches, and ceremonies that glue a group or society together and serve to maintain social order. John F. Kennedy uses
The American rhetoric of Presidents like Barack Hussein Obama and John F. Kennedy, who both served the United States of America are found in the corners of history. The inaugural speeches of Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy are given after reciting the oath of office as newly elected leaders of the country in the case of Kennedy and a second inauguration for the current commander-of-chief. The inaugural speeches of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama are part of world history knowing that the United States of America is still the most powerful and influential nation in the world. Their voices in the inaugural addresses that they both delivered are very influential that even the younger generations could