Rhetorical Analysis of a Political Speech: Obama “DNC 2004”

Name Institutional Affiliation Course Name and Code Professor’s Name Date Obama “DNC 2004” The speech chosen for this rhetorical analysis is Obama’s Speech during the 2004 Democratic National Convention (DNC). In terms of the context, the speech was delivered in the aftermath of the Democratic Party (DP) nominations for the 2004 presidential contest. The then Senator of Massachusetts, John Kerry, and his counterpart of North Carolina, John Edwards, had been nominated for President and Vice President respectively. Therefore, it was a historic speech in the calendar of the DP because it aimed at rallying all American citizens in general and the supporters of the party in particular behind the two candidates. More specifically, the speech was intended to reiterate the national values and the ideals of the party. The choice of the venue, that is, Boston, Massachusetts was strategic because it was the home state of the presidential nominee. As such, it was hoped that Kerry’s support would begin in Massachusetts and spread to the other states. Regarding the content and impact of the speech, Obama begins by appealing to ethos by describing his home state of Illinois as the “...crossroads of a nation, Land of Lincoln...” (American Rhetoric). Lincoln was an iconic President who is famous for the Gettysburg address and had served the Illinois legislature for eight years (Historical Society). Since Senator Obama represented the state of Illinois, it was important for him to remind the audience of the significance of Illinois. Obama then goes on to appeal to the audience’s emotions by describing the background his father who originated from a small village in the East African country of Kenya but found new hope “in a magical place, America...” (American Rhetoric). This helps the audience to appreciate the role of the U.S. in transforming the lives of natives and immigrants. As such, the right leadership is required to have proper immigration policies that can allow those who genuinely seek the ‘American dream’ to find it. Obama further invites the audience to think about the values of the nation by describing the dreams of his parents: “They imag...