Rhetorical Effectiveness in Speeches

When watching the State of the Union addresses, there is no doubt that both presidents knew how to deliver a well constructed, persuasive speech. One quality I find that most presidents posses is charisma. They have a way of talking to you that makes you agree with them, or at least see their point of view and passion for their side. Personally, I enjoy listening to Barack Obama speak. I think he was always a well-liked speaker and had an ability to connect with people easily. He knew what people liked and was able to connect on a different level than past presidents. People got to see the casual, relatable side of him that was behind the walls with other presidents. Even is his speeches he made it seem like he was talking to the people like a friend and someone who wanted to help you rather than someone with more power and authority than you. Towards the end of one of his speeches he said, "we are strong, we are resilient, we are America." He told a story of a woman who wrote him saying those exact words. She told a story of how her and her neighbors, even in the recession, she was optimistic. He talked about the little boy from Louisiana who mailed in his allowance asking Obama to give it to the people of Haiti. He ends his speech talking about how inspiring American people are when they dropped everything to go to a country they had never been to, to pull people out of the rubble and help where they were needed. He says he doesn't quit, just like the American people. He has a way of using his tone and stories to make you feel like he is one of us and is simply doing everything he can because of the emotional effect American citizens have on him. Towards the end of his second speech he addresses gun violence from the perspective of a young girl who was killed due to gun violence, who's parents were in attendance at the speech. He spoke to the people as though he was doing it for her sake and all the other victim's that did not deserve to die because of guns. He uses emotion and empathy when talking to the American people because he knows that it is a better tool for connecting with his audience. I think that is also one thing most presidents are successful at. It is one of the reasons they are elected in the first place. The use emotion to connect with the majority of people and sway them in their direction. When choosing the audience they invite to their SOTU addresses, they carefully consider the effect they want to have on the American people. They invite victims of recent tragedies, people who have an influence on a specific controversy or topic, or people who have agree with their side of an argument that Americans can relate to or empathize with. When addressing the entire United States and trying to get them to agree to what they believe in, you have to be charismatic and relatable. Using stories from other people tragedies and how they have persevered and overcome them, makes you seem empathetic and more likely to get people on your side. Using skills in empathy makes you seem more human. Presidents have always been these untouchable, powerful men, but when using rhetoric and empathy, they seem more down to earth and real. They relate more to the people and are more likely to receive votes. I think Obama was one of the most successful presidents in achieving this goal. he was charismatic, charming, open about his personal live, relatable, and personable.