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Obama's first inauguration rhetorical analysis
Trump inauguration speech rhetorical analysis
Rhetorical analysis of president obama's inauguration
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There was a certain irony when Donald Trump took his oath of office from Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. It hads been less than a year since Trump called Justice Roberts “a disaster in terms of everything we stand for”. It was the perfect segue to introduce our new president to the nation. To complete the scene, Hillary Clinton—, who won the popular vote, but not the presidency—, was forced to sit and watch as Trump blundered through his inaugural address. A controversial figure at best, Trump forcefully delivered a predictable address to a nation that was holding itstheir breath in anticipation. His inauguration speech was exactly what I expected it to be- stunningly blunt and full of glittering promises. Oblivious to the occasion, …show more content…
The bleary weather during Trump’s inauguration seemed to echo the picture he painted during his speech- an ominous image of a dysfunctional America. He denounced the mess he was inheriting, how much work would need to be done to “Make America Great Again”. Factories shut their doors, American workers suffered. The wealth of the middle class has disappeared. America’s infrastructure in disrepair and decay while we spent trillions of dollars overseas. And while Trump listed his complaints, one common thread could be discerned. America has focused too much on other countries and not enough on herself. “America First” from here on out. And yet, for all the problems that Trump spoke of, his solution seemed incredibly simple: “Buy American, hire American”. And then, in his own words: “America will start winning again, winning like never before”. Seems almost too good to be true. In order to appease his many critics, Trump will need to show he is a strong and decisive leader, someone that will follow through on all of his impressive campaign promises. From his speech, it seemed that he was serious about pursuing those topics, but his ability to bring those ideas to fruition is still questionable. He promised the end of an era- with this new president would come a new government; one that would be “controlled by the people”. We can only hope that prediction will come
Stephen Skowronek writes about political time and how one can determine the legacy a president will leave behind at the time their presidency is done. The president has immense powers when he comes to office, but the challenges they each face vary depending on the time they take office. Skowronek analyzes and demonstrates that the most essential factor for a president to attempt to legitimize his actions and orders will be the actions of the president before him. Following the actions of George W. Bush is how we can determine where Barack Obama falls under and follow the chain to the next president. If Hillary Clinton were to win the 2016 election, she would fall under the politics of articulation and Barack Obama would fall under the politics of pre-emption.
He called for restoration with action, and promised solutions to the economic crisis, unemployment, world policy. He however, does remind the people, “We do not distrust the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed.” He promises swift action to the problems the he and the nation face.
There have been many historical events in history that have impacted America in many ways. For example, famous Speeches given by important people such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd president of the united states which his main goal was to help America recover from the severe economic issues during the 1930’s. Roosevelt used rhetorical devices to persuade desperate Americans, wounded from the Great Depression, by introducing a plan which it will be the best way to recover from the severe crisis that affected Americans. In Franklin D. Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, he used personification, diction, and antimetabole to convey his conflicting feelings about the New Deal, in order to face the economic issues
Back in 1980, Republican president nominee Ronald Reagan pledged throughout his campaign that it was his goal to “restore the great, confident roar of American progress, growth and optimism”. Restoration, reinvigoration, and reclamation of values believed to be lost by the presidential treachery he was succeeding. Fast forward to 2008, Democratic president nominee Barack Obama did not see a need for restoration, he saw a need for new waves with his slogan “change we can believe in” after the economic destruction by W. Bush. Being such dramatic foils, the two men represent different eras of American politics. The unprecedented election of Obama severed Reagan’s seemingly everlasting legacy, signaling real changes coming to the presidency. The “Reagan Revolution” is remembered as an era of conservatism and economic peace, while Obama’s terms are viewed with mixed emotions. Obama’s impact can definitely be argued, as political information was more readily accessible in his presidency than any other in history; thanks to new technology and social communications, but since time has passed, so can Reagan’s. The use of their presidential powers is what a president is remembered for. Assessing the ranges in their backgrounds, motivations, policy creation and execution, and overall achievements, one can determine
“Today we are not merely transferring power from one administration to another, or from one party to another – but we are transferring power from Washington, D.C. and giving it back to you, the American People.” With this statement, Trump had set the tone for his entire speech, and exhibits another of his main points in uniting the American people. “Rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation; an education system, flush with cash, but which leaves our young students deprived of knowledge.” Trump’s use of descriptive language, to create vivid imagery for the audience here is one of the most powerful statements he makes in his speech. The emotional response Trump is able to strike in the listener, and the feelings he creates with his appeals to pathos throughout the speech is a big part of what makes this an effective inaugural
In his inaugural address, Ronald Reagan characterizes America as broken and selfish but, with hard work it can become truly great. America is the land of opportunity and we as Americans are very lucky to live here but, one cannot just think of himself, he must think of the country. No matter what shape or state America is in, there is always a way to make it better with hard
Part I: Reasoning in the Inaugural Address. President Roosevelt in his inaugural speech first realized the importance of his presidency, the speech and the US. He mentioned that the thing the US nation needs to fear is the fear itself. He further mentioned it as unreasoning, nameless and unjustified terror which constraints and paralyzes the efforts needed to make a retreat (Davis, 2014).
has helped other nations yet has seen “the very sad depletion of our military”. He does not want to see other militaries grow while their own is being minimized and depleted. Another point was about where he addressed the spending of trillions while the infrastructure decays. This messages can connect to other voters, such as those from Bernie Sanders, on the issue of infrastructure. It is a real problem that many are being affected by it, and needs a solution. Trump later talked about how American factories are closing down, leaving the country, and millions of workers left behind. This resonates to those who have been affected by the closing of factories and have lost their jobs due to this. He then stated how “from this day forward, it’s going to be only America first - America first”. He wants America to be the number one priority, America comes first, the rest comes later. Trump then starts repeating the word we in many ways like “we will bring back our jobs”, “we will bring back our borders”, “we will bring back our wealth, and we will bring back our dreams”. This repetition is used to pronounce what he will do under his
President Barack Obama has been a well-known political figure for just over 8 years; he has served two terms as the President of the United States. There has been controversy surrounding the first African American president, after his first term Obama failed to prove to America that he would fix all the things he promised to fix upon election. With his second term he has set in place his views and goals for the country. Obama’s views have been trying to benefit the overall population of American, from the poor all the way to the rich with a few subclasses in-between. During the Inauguration of his second term, won against Mitt Romney. His opponent stood for many things that were conflicting to Obamas platform, while Obama stood for rehabilitating the poor after the recession, Romney wanted to focus on tax breaks for the rich. Throughout the speech given by President Barack Obama, he outlines necessary changes in the system to benefit the people and the need for people to come together as one to have an effective country.
The president has a significant amount of power; however, this power is not unlimited, as it is kept in check by both the judicial and legislative branches. The president is held responsible for passing legislation that will improve the lives of everyday Americans, even though he shares his legislative powers with Congress. The sharing of power acts as an impediment to the president’s ability to pass legislation quickly and in the form it was originally conceived. However, Americans do not take this into account when judging a president, as they fully expect him to fulfill all of the promises he makes during his campaign. By making promises to pass monumental legislation once elected without mentioning that Congress stands as an obstacle that must be hurdled first, the president creates unrealistic expectations of what he can fulfill during his time in office (Jenkins-Smith, Silva, and Waterman, 2005). A president is expected to have the characteristics that will allow him to efficiently and effectively lead the nation and to accomplish the goals he set during his campaign (Jenkins-Smith et al., 2005). There have been a handful of presidents that have been immortalized as the ideal person to lead the United States and if a president does not live up to these lofty expectations the American public will inevitably be disappointed. Since every president is expected to accomplish great things during his presidency, he is forced to created and project a favorable image through unrealistic promises. The combination of preconceived ideas of the perfect president and the various promises made by presidential candidates during their campaign create unrealistic expectations of the president by the American public.
The Inaugural Address of a newly elected president can have an incredible impact on both those who support the young presidency, and those who do not. These speeches are widely broadcast. In school, businesses, and at home, the words of the person who has been elected are heard by hundreds of thousands. The message that these words deliver can sway those who are unhappy with the vote’s results, fearful about the future, or expectant of greatness to look forward without distrust or doubt and to look to the president for leadership and guidance. The focus of the speech illuminates what issues are present in society, and what the commander in chief plans to address in his steps forward. In Bill Clinton’s 1993 Inaugural Address, he incorporated a hopeful but urgent tone, repetitive rhetorical devices that emphasized his point, and an inspirational organizational format to argue that it was the responsibility of the American people and their leadership to change society for the better.
President Obama’s Inaugural Speech: Rhetorical Analysis. Barrack Obama’s inauguration speech successfully accomplished his goal by using rhetoric to ensure our nation that we will be in safe hands. The speech is similar to ideas obtained from the founding documents and Martin Luther King’s speech to establish ‘our’ goal to get together and take some action on the problems our country is now facing. As President Barack Obama starts his speech, he keeps himself from using ‘me’, ‘myself’, and ‘I’ and replacing it with ‘we’, ‘us’, and ‘together’ to achieve his ethos.
President James “Jimmy” Carter’s inauguration speech is full of contrasts. He speaks of the United States being a “purely idealistic nation,” but he also recognizes the need for strength. He states we “cannot dwell upon remembered glory,” while at the same time saying he has “no new dream to set forth today, but rather urge a fresh faith in the old dream.” President Carter came to the presidency during a period of healing for the nation. He would lead a nation in transition, but struggle to give strong leadership.
In a quotation by Barack Obama on November 4, 2008, he says “That is the true genius of America-that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow”. Obama's inauguration speech mirrors the ideas expressed by that quote. Barack Obama's message in his speech is that through hope and change, we can pull the country out of recession, out of turmoil, and out of any difficult tasks we'll have ahead of us. What we have achieved shows that we can achieve it again, and the only reason these feats were achieved was because we were one nation working together. Obama successfully incorporate rhetoric into his speech to make it emotional, believable, and logical. His speech is a great representation of a well written rhetorical essay.
Now that the economy is relatively stable and healthy, it seems that American values are back in the spotlight as highlighted with Trump’s slogan “Make America Great Again”. A similar slogan (“Let’s Make American Great Again”) was used by Reagan during his presidential campaign in 1980. The era that which both presidents refer to as being great is the 1950’s.