The Relevance of Political Rhetoric in the Society - Essay Example

There are diverse rhetorical devices that any individual can borrow from President Obama’s State of the Union speech in 2013. Given the variations in the economic state of the United States of America, Obama used his annual State of the Union podium to adopt a new trend in his executive authority as the President. The speech entailed rhetoric speech through the use of defiant words such as “with or without Congress” as an individual step in the advancement of the economy. The President also adopted the use of alliteration in several paragraphs such as “It is our unfinished task to restore the basic bargain that built this country, the idea that if you work hard and meet your responsibilities, you can get ahead, no matter where you come from, what you look like, or who you love.”

These words outline the repetition of words alongside words that soften the attention of the audience. In addition, the president insisted on the use of rhetoric using character development by stating. “I’m eager to work with all of you,” “But America does not stand still and neither will I. So wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that’s what I’m going to do (Baker, n.d).”
At the same time, republicans were not left out in responding to the rhetoric speech of Obama in the State of the Union.

The five-term congresswoman, Cathy McMorris Rodgers rhetorically responded by blaming Obama for the current economic problems. She stated, “Too many people are falling further and further behind because, right now, the president’s policies are making people’s lives harder,” she said. “Republicans have plans to close the gap.” Her speech incorporated alliteration as a way of outlining how her 6-year-old son, Cole was born with Down syndrome under Obama’s healthcare program had many regulations and a record in expenditure (Franke-Ruta, n.d).

Obama’s speech at the annual State of the Union podium resembles that of Julius Caesar. This is because both leaders adopt an alliteration style of rhetoric in their speeches where they have towering ambitions and show leadership geniuses when addressing the people. Alliteration words add textual complexity to the speech and engage the audience. In Roman history, Julius Caesar inspired people to achieve results during war and peace in his speeches. These are the same repetition words that Obama uses to insist on the essence of having a stable economy and remaking the US Republic during the annual State of the Union (Oconnell, n.d).

Obama’s rhetorical approach was closer to Brutus’s speech in Act iii at the funeral of Caesar because it entails an appeal to reason and order. This is evident when Obama states, “It is our unfinished task to make sure that this government works on behalf of the many, and not just the few; that it encourages free enterprise, rewards individual initiative, and opens the doors of opportunity to every child across this great nation. The President’s speech does not match that of Anthony because the president did not have a difficult time changing the mind of a crowd that had been convinced by other speeches before he stood to address the people. The president’s case is different from Anthony's because Anthony addresses the people who had been convinced by Brutus's speech (Baker, n.d ).”

The use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos is evident in Obama’s speech during the annual State of the Union podium. Obama states, “Hadiya’s parents, Nate and Cleo, are in this chamber tonight, along with more than two dozen Americans whose lives have been torn apart by gun violence. They deserve a vote. Gabby Giffords deserves a vote. The families of Newtown deserve a vote. The families of Aurora deserve a vote. The families of Oak Creek, and Tucson, and Blacksburg, and the countless other communities ripped open by gun violence – they deserve a simple vote.” This statement shows that the president uses Ethos to convince the audience to develop the economic state of the nation. Also, he uses Logos to persuade the audience of the facts behind the economic state of the nation. Pathos shows an appeal of the President to emotion (Talev & Dorning, n.d).
During the State of the Union podium, there is no anecdotal evidence or analogy that appeals used by any of the speakers. This is because there was no unreliable sample soft typical case where there was dubious support of claims. The president gave solid evidence in his speech on the economic state of the United States of America. Read More