Bill Clinton Speeches - Speech or Presentation Example

Rhetorical strategies are simply defined as efforts made by authors and public speakers to persuade as well as inform readers/audience (Wilder, P 11). Such strategies illustrate the diverse ways of having readers and the audience on the same page as the authors and public speakers respectively.The main pillars of rhetoric strategies are: • Ethos: this authenticates the credibility of the author/speaker• Pathos: Is about the emotional relationship between the speaker and the audience• Logos:  Represents the rationality of the argument mounted by the speaker.

In the first speech by President Clinton on August 17th, 1998 to America, the speaker, Clinton himself, concedes that he misled the nation and in an attempt to earn credibility with the audience-citizens of America, accepts wrongdoing and asks for forgiveness from those hurt by his scandal. He makes the audience relate to his situation by reminding them even as the president, he has a private life and is equally hurt by the outcome of his actions with Monica Lewinsky. He rationalizes his argument by projecting the pain his family has endured throughout the investigation process and this makes the audience relate more to his situation since no one, either in the position of power or ordinary citizen would like to subject their families to public humiliation.

In his second speech to religious leaders on September, 11th 1998, the president makes an apology to the audience and asks for their forgiveness as well as support. In so doing, he attempts to win the hearts of those who vilified him by submitting to them.