Rhetorical Commentary

On April 11, 1962, as the United States was emerging from a recession, President John F. Kennedy held a news conference regarding contemporary price increases in steel. In an effort to convince steel companies to reduce and stabilize their prices during America’s time of economic distress. To do so, President Kennedy used various rhetorical strategies, such as: logos, diction, and polysyndenton, in his commentary. However, although there were times when he used these rhetorical strategies singularly, President Kennedy mostly used them simultaneously, making it increasingly difficult for his listeners to argue against his perspective.
Furthermore, being one of the most reiterated, and highly noticeable, strategies he used, logos, enabled President Kennedy to provide factual evidence which supported his manifesto. In addition, it allowed him to create a foundation for the other rhetorical strategies, as they were all used within the text which possessed logos. An example of President Kennedy using logos can be found in paragraph three, where he said, “If this rise in the cost of steel is imitated by the rest of the industry, instead of rescinded, it would increase the cost of homes, autos, appliances, and most other items for every American family.” In addition, in paragraph four he also said, “It would add, Secretary McNamara* informed me this morning, and estimated one billion dollars to the cost of our defenses, at a time when every dollar is needed…” In both of those statements, President Kennedy informed his audience about possible outcomes which could have occurred if the prices in steel were not reverted. Suggesting that if prices were not reduced, America as a whole could have financially collapsed.
As previously mentioned...

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...ll happening at the same time, and the vast amount of people that were affected. Making his listeners truly understand how that one decision from that “tiny handful” of people has and could have continued to cause somewhat of negative domino effect in America’s political and economic systems.
Nevertheless, President Kennedy seamlessly used these rhetorical strategies throughout his commentary, both simultaneously and singularly. He was able to emphasize contemporary events and possible outcomes, and include persuasive and factual words and phrases that added an extra level of depth to the severity of what he was trying to inform his audience on. Which, overall, made it extremely difficult to not see the selfishness of the “tiny handful” of wealthy steel entrepreneurs who only cared about becoming increasingly lucrative, instead of the people of an entire country.