Obama Rhetorical Analysis

Unification is a concept central to the foundation of America. In order to gain independence from Great Britain, the American colonies needed to join together, and fight side by side. However, during the election of 2004, cooperation was not on the minds of most Americans. Republican candidate and President George Bush ran against Democratic Party candidate John Kerry for the position of President of the United States. Although the attack on America on 9/11 in 2001 brought about a period of increased nationalism, it also resulted in many political and economic problems that created tension between political parties. Economically, much of their disagreement was affected by the growing difference in personal financial satisfaction in America.
By putting democratic beliefs into anecdotal form, it is easier for Republicans to understand the reasoning of the Democrats, without forcing the ideas upon them. During this anecdote, Obama uses anaphora to give power and urgency to his parents’ situation by beginning each of the sentence with “they”, like when he states, “They imagined --They imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they weren’t rich, because in a generous America you don’t have to be rich to achieve your potential,” (1). He uses antanagoge to show the positivity and hope that only America’s policies could give his family. By including the anecdote of his family’s “rag to riches” story, he utilizes enargeia creates imagery to which the listener can grasp onto. Utilizing sententia, Obama ties the idea of social mobility from his anecdote to the principle of equality in the Declaration of Independence, when he states, “Our pride is based on a very simple premise... ‘among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”(1). Social mobility is an American principle that anyone can relate to because it offers hope for the future. Hope is what allowed America to become what it is