A Rhetoric of Hope

Today, watching Obama's speech, I was touched by the hope that instilled his entire discourse. As an epideictic speech--a speech whose intent is commemorative--the goal is not to change policies. It's impossible to fix the economy or solve Iraq in an inauguration speech. But it is possible to unify a people around ideas and an identity that will make later change possible.

Obama gives hope to his American audience through redefining the issues. Obama said that we must "choose our better history," and so as he references events of the past, segregation becomes something we can move past and equality becomes the reality. In regards to the common defense, Obama said that we need to "reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals"--once again he redefines us by categorizing the way we've approached national issues as an unnecessary binary. Because this is not a policy speech before Congress, many of Obama's words and ideals remain in an abstract form--that we need to "begin again in the work of remaking America," that he will work to "restore the vital trust between a people and their government." Yet they resonate with his audience because of the time Obama has spent developing trust with his audience and because Obama understands what we as an audience need to hear in order to move forward with courage into our future.

Click here for Obama's speech.