Essay Example on Politician's Communication Skills: The Key to Political Success

Political environment and career require the ability of a politician to be able to connect with the people. The primary way of creating this connection is through communication. Communication is critically essential in the political arena in that through it; politicians can stipulate their reason for wanting to lead a nation, explain their manifestos to the masses, show the people that they genuinely understand their sufferings, and more importantly to convince and persuade the people. Persuasion skills are critically vital for any aspiring politician. It helps to convert opponents to supporters. Without persuasive skills, a person's political career is doomed. With all this in mind, the paper seeks to examine the level of persuasion and rhetorical appeal evident in the inaugural speech delivered by former United States' President Barrack Obama.

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A critical analysis of the speech indicates that the author uses numerous rhetorical appeals and strategies in the speech. First, the author establishes a firm connection with the audience by making them a part of the speech. The author does not own the speech but lets the audience be part of the owners of the essay. Right from the beginning, throughout the essay and towards the end, both the author and the audience runs the speech. For instance, he uses "us", "we must" and "...let us, each of us..." indicting that the audience is part of the speech (Dause 344). Another rhetorical device that the author uses consistently throughout the speech is the insisting phrase. Two common examples from the text are "let us, each of us" and "...what makes us exceptional -- what makes us American..." to ensure that the point that he wants to drive home perfectly stick (Dause 344).

An examination of the speech reveals that it seems more of a reflection of America both in the past, the present, and in the future. The author uses a strategy that seems more of time-travel to swing the audiences' minds through America as it was in the past, where it presently is and his desires to take it to another level with the support of the citizens. Thus, the author states, "...stand here in four years and 40 years and 400 years..." to walk the audience through different historical times (Dause 345). He calls people into the reflection of what the future will be like. For example, he talks of the future of about four years, then moves ahead to draw them into 40 years to come, and ultimately the coming 400 years. The choice of wording and numbers of the years makes the words and theme that he was talking about to stick in audiences' minds as they can think in the same line as the speaker. Moreover, the history in the speech takes a comparative form of rhetorical strategy where the author compares the present and the past. He creates appeals to the audience to join him in his quest to establish a better America by offering a comparison of how it used to be and providing pieces of evidence on how to make it better.

A form of verbal rhetorical device is evident in the text where the author makes several pausing in the middle of the speech to ensure that the readers are following through with the speech. The pauses are vital for assessing the level with which they resonate with the speech and absorb what he is persuading them. By allowing the audience to make applauses, the author ensures that both are connected and moving in the same direction. In addition to the pauses, the author provides that his persuasion is intact by stressing on a point using different terms. For example, he states that "...our celebration of initiative and enterprise, our insistence on hard work and personal responsibility..." to emphasize the desired qualities that American citizens should have (Dause 344).

The inauguration speech focused on discussing the need for unity and togetherness. The author uses examples that vividly resonate with the listen. For example, the author talks that cooperation is critically important in the nation as there is no single person that would do all the tasks in the country alone. No one could teach, provide medical services, and attend to other specific needs of the people without working with the other people. Unity, according to the author, is when people grow and develop as a unit as opposed to individual progress while other people suffer, as in, "...succeed when a shrinking few do very well, and a growing many barely make it..." (Dause 345).

There are numerous forms of ethical appeals that the author uses in the speech. For instance, the author states, "...great nation must care for the vulnerable..." to indicate that it is an ethical duty of every citizen to protect the vulnerable in society (Dause 344). Additionally, the author uses "...we must faithfully execute that pledge..." (Dause 345) as an ethos stating the moral obligation of those in power to perform their responsibility for their subjects. The author uses pathos as a tool for creating an emotional connection with the audience. For instance, the author talks of the suffering girl born in abject poverty to create an emotional connection with the poor in America.

Additionally, he talks of the woman with a disabled child who, under the previous administrations, had no one to turn to. The use of such emotional connections or appeal is vital to ensure that all the people, especially those from the less-fortunate background, follow through. Finally, there is a lot of use of logos in the essay. For example, it is logical that people need to work together for the betterment of a nation. The author uses this when he states that no single person can take up all the roles in the country singlehandedly. Moreover, the author uses logic when he recalls that consistent involvement in warfare does not determine the strength of a nation.

Conclusion

Conclusively, there is a high level of persuasion and rhetorical appeal in the inaugural speech delivered by former United States President Barrack Obama. The statement uses numerous rhetorical strategies and devices, including the creation of mental flexibilities for the audience, comparative analysis of different times with the aim of persuasion, as well as the use of ethos, logos, and pathos.

Works Cited

Dause, Emily. "The inaugural address." Teaching Children Mathematics 19.6 (2013): 344-347.