Rhetoric in Politics: Barack Obama’s Inauguration Speech
Barack Obama’s Inauguration address was delivered to the American public in order to express the goals of the president for his upcoming term. This address would be president Obama’s second as he is currently in his second presidency term. The purpose of this speech was to share with the public the vision he had for his next term, what his future ideas were, and the rights we Americans hold. Throughout the use of vivid examples, anecdotes, and facts, the president demonstrated the challenges our current generation faces and the duty we have to our country and fellow citizens: working for a better tomorrow. By providing a well-rounded approach for the issue at hand, he creates a strong and logical argument that could potentially provide a means for future success for our country. Obama believes that in order for a country to succeed, its population must work together in unison in order for the founding principles our country was founded upon can continue to be evident. “That is our generation’s task – to make these words, these rights, these values – of Life, and Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – real for every American. “ He believes that there are two ways to determine our country’s course: By defending our own and by upholding our values. Obama implements a wide range of rhetorical strategies to emphasize the issue of unity and dignity Americans should hold highlighted in his inaugural address; through the use of anecdotes he demonstrated the social movements that formed our country, in addition he used examples to demonstrate the effect unity can have on the success of generations to come, by encompassing various forms of pathos he reaches out to the emotion and fe...
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...persuasion in his speech: anecdotes, rhetorical strategies, and calls to action. By having a progressive structure, first starting with the origins our country was founded upon, then having rhetorical strategies that would enlighten current issues in America, and lastly he gave calls to action for America to participate in. As for me, by the end of the speech I understood why as Americans we needed to work for a better nation as our nation was based upon unity and equality, and not to mention moving forward. Once again, Obama is widely recognized as one of the most persuasive and elaborate speakers of all time, and this was proved once again.
Works Cited:
Office of the Press Secretary. “Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama” The White House 01 12 2013 Web. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/01/21/inaugural-address-president-barack-obama
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"Inaugural Address by President Barack Obama." The White House. The White House, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. .
Obama, Barack. "President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address." The White House. Office of the Press Secretary, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 5 Apr. 2014.
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