This paper examines President Obama's February 2, 2010 speech in New Hampshire as a case study in Aristotelian rhetoric. Drawing on Aristotle's three rhetorical proofs—ethos (ethical appeal), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical appeal)—the analysis demonstrates how Obama strategically deploys each element to persuade his audience. The paper traces how Obama first establishes his ethical credibility, then stirs emotional responses, and finally grounds his argument in facts and statistics about small businesses and economic recovery. The analysis concludes by showing how Obama combines all three proofs at the speech's end, much like the finale of a fireworks display, to leave a unified and persuasive impression on his audience.
Whether he is lauded or scorned, both proponents and opponents must agree that President Obama—or his speechwriters—deserves commendation for his rhetorical skill. Whether for his election campaign, his inauguration, or his push for healthcare reform, Obama's speeches contain all of Aristotle's requisite criteria for rhetoric: ethos, pathos, and logos. When pushed onto the defensive, his speeches draw even more deliberately on these tools to emote and persuade. His February 2, 2010 speech in New Hampshire, an overview of his first year in office, offers a compelling example of this art of persuasion.
According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each particular case, to see the available means of persuasion." He believed that rhetoric—one person addressing many—had great potential and was an art that could be studied in terms of three rhetorical proofs: ethos (ethical), pathos (emotional), and logos (logical). Ethos depends on the speaker and on how his or her character is demonstrated through communication. Pathos concerns the emotions aroused in the audience as a means of promoting action. Logos involves persuading through reasoning, facts, examples, and comparisons.
In his New Hampshire speech, Obama quickly deploys ethos to demonstrate his ethical character. "So when I took office, we knew the first thing we had to do was to break the back of this recession. And sometimes that meant doing some things that weren't easy, doing some things that weren't popular." In other words, regardless of the challenges and barriers he faced, Obama and his administration were committed to doing the right thing for the people of this country. He reinforces this ethical stance with a follow-up statement: "Because of the steps we've taken, the markets have now stabilized. Nobody's worrying about another Great Depression like they were just a year ago, and the worst of the storm has passed."
Once he has established his ethical credibility, Obama moves to stir the emotions of his audience. Aristotle saw emotional appeals as a means of motivating action, and Obama ranges deliberately from despair to humor within just a few sentences:
"But I don't need to tell you the devastation remains. Today, one in 10 Americans still can't find work… and we're going to start where most new jobs start — with small businesses. These are the companies that begin in basements and garages when an entrepreneur takes a chance on his dream, or a worker decides it's time she becomes her own boss. They're companies like small businesses such as ARC Energy, which I just visited before I came here. It's a terrific — (applause) — there you go. A little booster. (Laughter.)"
The shift from the emotional weight of unemployment statistics to lighthearted humor illustrates how Obama uses pathos strategically to keep his audience engaged and receptive.
"Statistics and examples support economic arguments"
"All three proofs unified in closing passage"
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