Obama’s speeches sound much better than they read. This is because of his ability to speak eloquently and fluently. He makes very good use of his Teleprompters. When he is switching between Teleprompters, it looks like he is scanning his audience. He makes sure that he makes a connection with his audience and he anticipates what they are thinking.
In his ‘A More Perfect Union’ speech, Obama uses his patriotism as a rhetorical device. He understands that his audience is questioning whether or not he really loves America because of Rev. Wright’s released comments, and so he is using very patriotic rhetoric to comfort them. He begins his speech quoting The Constitution, “We the people, in order to form a more perfect union.”
In all of his speeches, Obama gives a recap on the events that led up to the current situation. In his Afghanistan speech he gives a brief summary of 9/11. In his Tucson memorial speech, he explains how six people lost their lives to ‘a gunman’s bullets.’ In his State of the Union Address, he talks about the recession 2 years ago and how his Administration has been successfully repairing the economy. By doing this he is setting the scene for the message he is trying to convey to his audience.
In Obama’s Afghanistan speech, Tucson memorial speech, and State of the Union Address, he speaks with a purpose in mind. He gave his Afghanistan speech to unite us as a country. He reminds his audience of the unity it had entering the war. He gave the Tucson memorial speech to comfort the victims’ families and put an end to the polarized political rhetoric. He gave the State of the Union Address to inspire his audience, and encourage them to see past their differences. He ends all of his speeches with inspirational endings. My favorite is his ending to his State of the Union Address. “The idea of America endures. Our destiny remains our choice. And tonight, more than two centuries later, it's because of our people that our future is hopeful, our journey goes forward, and the state of our union is strong.”