Barack Obama’s 2008 Democratic National Convention Acceptance Speech Assignment | Get Paper Help

Now that you have written a thesis statement and created an outline for your paper, you will use the critical reading skills practiced in this course to defend your interpretation of the speech you have chosen to analyze. Keep in mind the framework for critical reading that we have explored: Audience, Purpose, Content, Mood, Style, and Structure. You should also include commentary on rhetoric and propaganda as discussed during this course. Your paper must include the following: An introduction that provides relevant background information and ends with your thesis statement A minimum of six body paragraphs that defend your thesis statement A minimum of three references from reliable sources; one must be a scholarly, academic article, and all must be cited at least once in the paper A conclusion that reaffirms your thesis statement and addresses wider implications Formatting, citations, and references must all adhere to APA style

Barack Obama’s Democratic Acceptance Speech

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Barack Obama’s Democratic Acceptance Speech

1. Introduction

In the United States, Republicans and Democrats are two of the main parties involved in the country’s election. During the presidential election of 2008, the Democrats made history by being the first party to have a person of color as the party’s presidential candidate. Selecting a presidential candidate from a wide pool of potential candidate requires rigorous campaigns whereby the aspiring individual sells his or her manifesto to the people. After the campaign, the party decides on one candidate that becomes the party’s presidential aspirant in the main election. Barack Obama made several attacks on the presidential candidate and his opponent, John McCain. The speech often seems to take the form of a comparison essay between the two historic sides. Barack Obama points out the flaws in the current regime and their effect on the country, domestic and international.

In 2008, Barack Obama faced the most competition from Hillary Rodham Clinton. John McCain was the nominee from the Republican side and the main opponent to the Democrats’ quest for ousting George Bush from the presidency. As an African American candidate, he chose to market himself thoroughly to gain support from the recipients of his speech. In age comparison, Obama was younger than McCain and gained popularity from all over and overwhelmingly from the minor races. As the first black presidential nominee, Obama had huge pressures and expectations since the people laid their hope on him to end the Republican Party’s rule. In the speech, Obama reaches out to the opponent, Hillary Clinton, and her husband to throw their weight on the common enemy. Obama’s party acceptance speech contained his dream of America and made a promise to the people on the changes to expect during his presidency.

1. Body Paragraph 1

Barack Obama opens his speech by recognizing and appreciating his audience. “To the Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation; With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States” (1). At the beginning of every major speech, it is always advisable to open by recognizing the people who were of assistance in the process.  In most cases, the recognition follows a hierarchical pattern starting with the most important, in this case, Chairman Dean.

“Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest – a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours –Hillary Rodham Clinton” (1). The winning candidate should recognize the efforts made by his or her competition in the whole process. Recognizing competitors ensures that there is no friction between the participants. Competitors play an important role in helping participants in an election get their heads in the game to avoid defeat. Healthy competition is advisable since it ensures that people compete within the stipulated guidelines. Hillary Clinton was the main competitor in the race and a longtime of the Democratic Party partly due to the fact that her husband was a former president. She fought until the end and thus deserved a specific mention in the speech. In addition, he briefly mentions President Clinton and his choice of Vice President, Joe Biden. The two were notable mentions in the race since their contribution meant a lot to the campaign.

“To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michele Obama, and to Sasha and Malia – I love you so much, and I’m so proud of all of you” (1). As a presidential candidate and family man, he had to mention his family in his speech to ensure that they felt part of the process. Family is an important part of the journey since their lives would change because of the presidential bid. Therefore, a last mention in the speech was necessary. In addition, maybe it would play a significant role on its own in convincing some members to vote in his favor. Showing people that one cares about his family would be a direct indication of one’s ability to care for the citizens.

• Body Paragraph 2

The primary of a political speech is trying to persuade and convince people towards a certain decision; the use of pathos is one of the best persuasive techniques to use. “Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to” (1). Establishing an emotional connection with the audience is very important since it ensures that people receive the message and try to relate with the speaker. Mentioning the family background evokes sadness and other feelings. A humble background promises a lasting emotional connection with the audience, especially the poor majority. Most people have had struggles in their success journey coming from rags to riches through sheer hard work. Obama reminds the audience of the efforts made by his poor parents to ensure that he got an education and a chance to have a good future. Most people would relate to the background in their chase of the American dream. America is a land of numerous possibilities, and people can achieve their dreams if they believe and direct their focus in the right direction. In addition, he uses ethos by reminding the audience of his previous experience of serving in his capacity as a senator four years ago.

“Tonight, more Americans are out of work, and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes, and even more, are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive, credit card bills you can’t afford to pay, and tuition that’s beyond your reach” (2). Logos tries to use logic to persuade the audience and helps one achieve their objective in convincing them. Logic and reason are an effective means of persuasion since it enables people to relate to the situation. The unemployment rate was high, and people were denied credit partly due to unhealthy credit history. Therefore, Obama, in his speech, was targeting the reasoning of the audience to remind them of the bad economic conditions and that hinting that his administration would change and improve life. The use of logos, pathos, and ethos is an effective persuasive technique used to convince and sway an audience towards the desired direction.

Body Paragraph 3

Discrediting an opponent is an effective means of increasing one’s competitive advantage. The presidential election is mainly between two parties, and therefore, there is a limit to the number of candidates. Highlighting the flaws of the opponent would play a significant part in dissuading people against voting for the other.

“And when one of his chief advisors – the man who wrote his economic plan – was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a ‘mental recession,’ and that we’ve become, and I quote, a nation of whiners’” (3). In this quote, Barack Obama was quoting words from an advisor to his opponent, Senator McCain. Obama was trying to show the audience that his opponent did not care nor relate to the problems experienced by the American people to the point of calling them “whiners.” This revelation would help Obama discredit John McCain by painting him in a bad image.

“Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made ‘great progress’ under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong” (3). The general atmosphere in the country was that the nation was experiencing a worse economic performance at the time under George Bush. However, McCain was of the opinion that the country was in the right direction.

1. Body Paragraph 4

In a campaign speech, one should head towards a conclusion with promising people things to expect if given a chance to lead the country.

“Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America” (5). In the speech, Obama promises to change the taxation system by motivating job creation in the country. At the time, the unemployment rate was high and poor policies by the government were to blame for not promoting local industries. Giving tax breaks to organizations based in the country would ensure that companies get the incentive needed to employ, thereby reducing the unemployment rate.

“I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class” (6). The country was in a recession in 2008; therefore, life was hard for most people, especially the middle-class. The promise of lowering taxes, unlike the opponent, was ideal for the country. The action would have persuaded a big number of voters to vote for his administration.

“I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East” (6). Global warming and monopolization of oil by the Middle East countries were a threat to the supply of energy in America. Looking for alternative means of energy supply, such as renewable clean energy, would reduce the emission of toxic gases from the combustion of oil fuel. War with the Middle East countries such as Afghanistan and the increase in America’s oil addiction was a problem for the country.

1. Conclusion

Democrats and Republicans share different views on the policies to run the country effectively. The presidential election of 2008 pitted Barack Obama against John McCain. In his acceptance speech, Obama highlighted the ails of the country and offered solutions in the form of promises. The bigger picture of the interpretation is that it will play an integral role in persuading people to vote for Barack Obama as the next President of the United States of America. The paper shows the effective tools used in the persuasion of the audience. The interpretations enable the target audience to focus on the deeper meaning of the passages and increase understanding of the underlying message.

Reference

The American Promise: Barack Obama’s Acceptance Speech at the Democratic Convention Mile High Stadium, Denver Colorado August 28, 2008.