I take my kids to school, I don't lose my temper, it's my only rule, I keep it cool.

I thought the speech was given very well. He definitely was aiming for the emotional aspect, or pathos, of inspiring us as a nation. This technique worked on me, I felt myself getting pumped up and feeling patriotic as he mentioned Presidents of old. It almost seemed like poetry when he was giving it.

I was really shocked to hear him say the following:

"On this day we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

WOW. Bush was sitting right there the whole time too, just listening to Obama slaughter his political ways. This was a very bold statement, and I am unsure if it can be reached. It is pretty general, but essentially he is still promising us to keep his word, and to basically reform politics. A hard promise to come by, but I sure hope he can pull it off.

Obama spurs new feelings for America that haven't been felt in a long time. He inspires hope and confidence with his powerful voice, and promises us change. I am not saying all of this will come true, but hope is a good thing to have, I believe.

Obama Yo Mama!

Overall I liked the speech. I definitely noticed that he was heavy on the pathos. It was a pretty emotional and inspiring speech. He definitely jerked some tears with lines like
"For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn. "

I don't want to sound pessimistic or critical, but even though the rhetoric of his speech was very good, I thought it was kind of empty. I didn't really hear or read any specific actions that were going to take place. It was a lot of "we will move on" and "America rocks," but not a lot of why. I like Obama and I have nothing against him, but I felt like the hope that he seemed to radiate during his speech was kind of fluffy and insubstantial. It was like eating cotton candy for dinner. It's sweet and seems to be filling, but a few minutes later, you realized that it did you no good. But that's the way all inauguration speeches have to be. If they gave too many details, then our enemies would know what our plans were and would know how to counteract them. But you get an "A" on your rhetoric Barack!

Hope

I really enjoyed President Obama's speech and I think he did an incredible job. He brought hope to America. He really let our country know that we can make it through the tough times. I liked how Obama let America know that as a country we have what it takes to fix our problems and this is seen through the past. He brings hope by showing how far this country has come and how far the people have come.One thing thatstood out to me was when President Obama said,"Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history." This encourages our country that we have what it takes to make progress and gives faith that we will battle this. I think bringing up the progress of the past brings hope to this country and shows us how we can be united and a change will be made.

Encouragement from Our Past

As I listened to President Barack Obama’s inaugural speech I noticed how he continually used references from the past to help strengthen those who were listening out of the future. This was apparent when he described the situation that had beset a small band of patriots that were about to go to war. It was completed with a quote that was referenced from George Washington himself that read, “Let it be told to the future world... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].” It was this quote that he directed to those whom were listening as a way to unite and ready them for upcoming trials ahead. Another reference to our countries past was that of past presidents that had taken the oath during times of trial. He used this to remind Americans that our country hadn’t made it through its troubles by the hand of those who were in high office, but also by the American people who stuck to the ideals of our forefathers.

Unifying Speech

President Obama approached his speech in a great way. He used quite a bit of pathos, trying to unite a somewhat divided country. At this point in time, the economy is doing bad but Barack Obama speaks of hope and future. He relates to the common citizen by using the words "we" and "our." My favorite part of the speech is when Obama says we need to "pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." This simple line provides hope to so many people that are struggling with the economy right now. Obama is very convincing that he will do something about the economy. He will not just say a bunch of fancy words, but his speech indicates that he will take action. Those listening to this important speech want to hear words about Obama taking action and improving the nation. He appeals to everyone's emotions by giving hope when most people are hopeless. It is a wonderful speech.

We Will Face Future

Can I just say WOW. That was an amazing speech. President Obama did a excellent job with his speech. The thing that I really liked was the fact that he kept mentioning that we should look at the past and see what people went through to let this country be one that is free. For example when he told the story about the Revolutionary War, and how we need to "brave the icy current, and endure what storms may come." Another thing that really stood out to me is the fact that he let people know that he knows we are in a difficult time. However what sets him apart from others is the fact that he has told us that he will try his best to bring this country together. When I was reading the transcript I couldn't help but think about FDR. For those that don't remember FDR help the country come together when it was in a very difficult time, will President Obama do the same? Time is all that can tell.  One last thing to look at is his approach to others that were listening. Now it has been a long time since I heard an Inaugural Speech, but President Obama did a good job letting the minorities know that they are a strength not a weakness. He uses the civil war, and all the races to let the people know that we have been through very difficult times yet we have pushed through and we became the great country we are know. 

Obama

I cannot imagine the stress of being scrutinized by the whole world and being responsible for a nation that is both divided and undergoing a horrible economy. Barack Obama is that man and must have felt that pressure when preparing to give this speech. I believe that his speech was very successful in addressing many issues that this nation faces, such as the need to be united during this difficult time. Obama accomplishes this by reminding us that we are all part of the same nation, whose citizens in the past have sacrificed so much for us through traveling into an unknown land, working hard in sweatshops, and fighting in wars. He relates that we too continue this journey together. Perhaps most unifying is when he describes the “patchwork” of our nation’s people and the very different backgrounds we have. He acknowledges that we are made up of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, and non-believers. He says that our diverse heritage is a strength and not a weakness. From his speech, Obama inspires everyone individually to participate and be proud of the nation that we are a part of and also gives the nation a hope for a brighter future.

We the People

I noticed that Obama mentioned the past a lot and made specific reference to the documents of the past such as the Declaration of Independence. Many of his remarks were broad sweeping statements made about the heritage and how our past sucess will guarantee our continued success in the future. As a leader his job is to inspire the people whom he serves and he accomplishes it by trying to revive our lost sense of patriotism. We let many other factors define who we are, but he reminded us that we are Americans and that we as individuals control the destiny of our country as a whole. He made specific reference to the people who make the country go, the working class. Much of his campaign platform was based on the idea of favoring the "common" people as opposed to the "wealthy", a fact mentioned again in this speech. His words were to inspire confidence and trust in him and his ability to improve our current situation. Many of his promises were rather broad and general, acknowledging what everyone already knows and wants fixed: the war in Iraq, the economy, healthcare and education. He promised to resolve them and often employed the pronoun "we" to arouse a sense of inclusion with him and his staff, that it was something the country was going to accomplish and not just the government. This speech was convincing and I believe was able to gain him the support of the American public and also the world's leaders. It will be interesting to see how America responds this year to the ideas of the new leader(s) of our country.

opening remarks

One thing I have noticed from Obama right off the bat is his ability to identify with many people.  I mean this guys ability to use pathos in his speeches is incredible.  I mean it doesn't even really matter if you agree with him or not he almost makes you with his words.  In the inaugural address it's even more important to identify more then ever.  This speech is the time for the president to gain favor with those who didn't originally give him a chance.  Obama is the perfect guy to do just that.  At the very beginning of his speech he thanked president Bush.  Great tact and also endearing to those who supported him.  He then addressed the current problems our country was in and didn't try to blame people or put them in a defensive situation.  I also noticed that he quoted the scriptures which is also endearing to religious americans.  Overall you can't say that Obama isn't the king of rhetoric.  I mean maybe that's good maybe it isn't but regardless, he knows how to get people to like him and support him.  That is something I greatly respect no matter what political party a president is associated with.  If he can gain the trust and respect of americans he can use that same charm in everything he does specifically in regards to other of the world's leaders.  I think this is exciting and we will just have to wait and see what this rhetorical genius can do.

Hope for the Future

President Obama gave a wonderful speech that used rhetoric in numerous instances to rally hope in Americans. He used adjectives such as hope, virtue, and unity to bring a sense of "oneness" to the American people. I liked how he opened his address with, "My fellow citizens." This gives us the sense that in addition to being our president, he also includes himself as an American citizen and this gives us hope that he will act in such a way as to improve our society. Obama knew who he was talking to when he gave this speech. He knew he wasn't talking to a bunch of politicians in the U.S. Senate. He used examples that are personal to us, such as the economy and loss of jobs, to inspire hope and confidence in his abilities to improve these dismal aspects of American society. Before reading the speech, I must say I expected much more ethos than was given. I expected President Obama to say why and how he was qualified to accomplish the tasks and challenges ahead. Instead, he kept referring to us as a country and how we must unite and accomplish these problems together. Although his credentials and all of that were never announced, you could definitely tell that there was confidence, power, and experience in the words he spoke. As I mentioned earlier, President Obama used a lot of adjectives that play to human emotions. Hope, virtue, common purpose, justness of our cause, and force of our example are just a few examples of the pathos present in his speech. These words inspire unity and faith in the leaders of our country. Making promises in politics is rather useless because they never seem to be kept. Although he didn't do it terribly often, Obama did make a few promises that were pretty clear. First of all, he promised to make new jobs so that more people can be employed. Second he lists numerous things such as improving schools and harnessing useful energy sources. In response to these challenges, Obama said, "We can do it", implying that this will be a communal effort and not just his. Overall, Obama's message is one of hope for the future, correcting the wrongs of the past, and getting through the issues presently at hand.

For the People

Throughout his speech, Obama showed use of the rhetorical situation, especially awareness of his audience. He sympathized with them and delivered exactly what they needed to hear. Because he was so aware of his audience, he delivered a message that appealed to their needs. He acknowledged their fears and gave them hope, confidence, and inspiration. Obama wants his audience to know that he understands that America is facing hard times, but he also wants them to have confidence in him. He reminds his readers that “greatness is never a given” and that hard work is needed to rebuild a great nation. By recognizing this Obama is able to gain the respect and confidence of a divided nation.

Obama also establishes his ethos quite well. He does this by showing that he is humble and can relate to the audience, that he is one with the people. He says that America has not been successful because of the “skill or vision of those in high office”, but rather because of the people. By doing this Obama shows the people that he is sensitive to their needs. He also builds his credibility by speaking eloquently and to the point.

The Good With The Bad

Obama's speech was overall very good at trying to unite all the U.S. citizens under a new presidency. He used a lot of pathos to appeal to America. He talked about the rich past of our country and how that affects us today. He talked about the values we were founded on and all the lives that were lost in order to make America how great it is today. He was very motivating and very positive about our future and his presidency.

However there were a few paragraphs which I felt were not very good at uniting the entire country. He talks about all the changes he plans on making to improve our country. He says he is going to create new jobs, lower the cost of health care, improve out school system, and use natural resources to power our country, among other things. Yet as he brings up all the things he would like to change, he takes a moment to talk to those who do not believe that all these things can be changed in such a short amount of time. I do not understand why, in a speech designed to gain the country's support, he refers to a good part of the population as "cynics". I personally feel that that comment did not fit in this speech, a speech of hope, great change, and love for our amazing country.

Obama Obama

Obama’s Inaugural Address was inspiring to the common American. He focuses on matters that are going to take America as a whole to overcome. By addressing the matters that are least wanted to talk about first, he shows the courage needed to take an economic shambled country back to a stable and wealthy nation. He promised to meet every one of our conflicts in a timely fashion and not the speedy way in which we as Americans expect from a leader. The main factor that Obama impressed today was that our country isn’t in the best shape, but if we work together, take responsibility, and commit that the country won’t falter anymore. Change is what has come from his family line personally with civil rights and with that same drive and fight Obama promises to remove the country from the fallen state it is in.
Throughout the entire speech Obama uses many types of language that attract an audience. He put the weight of our country not just on his shoulders, but said that as a country, as countrymen it is our responsibility as well. Many forms of pathos were used in this section of his speech. With facts such as this and for the idea of responsibility to sink into the audiences mind, he had to change their emotions to agree that this sort of country needs all its inhibitors to make it work. Overall this was an influential speech that was needed for the start of his term to boost off the ground.

The Inaugural address of Barak Obama

I thoroughly enjoyed President Obama's speech. It was both inspiring and gave hope to a nation in many trial and tribulations. He was able to eloquently bring a sense of unity to the US in his speech. He told of us that if we stood fast to our past faith and ideals of our fore bearers than we would remain united. We must keep hope and purpose together. If we do not do this we will fail. But Obama says that if we do this than we will meet the challenges we face and succeed.
He used words like fellow citizen and not very complex speech. He knew that who he was speaking to must understand fully what he was saying. In doing this he is staying an equal with everyone and not some higher power.
He also used a lot of logos to give evidence to his ideas. He proclaimed that we really are in troubled times, but we will succeed. He used pathos throughout the whole speech, to keep our emotions going and to focas. His promises were very good to hear and brought a sense of happiness and hope to his listeners.
He promised that all our challenges will be met. Not easily and not soon, but they will be met if we keep hope and spirit alive. They were vague but they brought a sense of security. He promised economic prosperity with jobs and new growth. Science will be boosted to bring new technology to being and lower health care cost. He denounced cynics and told that all these will be made in his administration.
I loved his persuasiveness in that he brought about a sense of unity and hope in the American people. He believes that changes can be made to better the American life. Nothing is too big to be faced. America can do it!

Empty Promises?

Obama begins by promising that this generation of Americans will remain faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents. He next states that he will meet all of the countries challenges in time. In his list of challenges he includes war, a weak economy, job loss, health care, and education. Obama promises to “remake America,” by creating new jobs, laying a new foundation for growth, reinforcing infrastructure, and restoring science to create better health care, harness resources, and transform schools. He promises a systematic inspection of government to examine its effectiveness. “Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.” Obama promises defeat to all that oppose the United States, and a responsible withdrawal from Iraq. Lastly He promises to work with poor nations to make them self sufficient.
Overall, his promises seem to span a wide range of perspectives and encompass many broad goals. These promises are exactly what every American wants and seem to unify us in a common direction or purpose. Obama said, “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility.” His goals appear to embody this era of responsibility, but we will not know until he begins to implement his specific plans for accomplishing his goals.

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.

Obama's Speech

I'm impressed! Obama sounded more like a libertarian than a democrat today. He has constantly talked about the need to end such partisan politics, and I think he conveyed that in his inauguration speech today. It was a very powerfully written and well spoken speech, and I think he demonstrated leadership that most Americans can get behind. The issues he talked about were very practical in my opinion. I think he demonstrated a sincere attempt to solve problems. He addressed counter-arguments excellently, focussed on what he knew would be on everybody's mind, and set the scene perfectly. I loved his opening lines: "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during the rising tides of prosperity, and the still waters of peace. Yet every so often the oath is taken among raging clouds, and gathering storms." It set a somber and sensible, yet powerful tone for his talk. He maintained this theme by showing that he knew what he was up against and that he was confidently up to the task. "Your people will judge you by what you can build, not what you can destroy". His message to world leaders was really a message to America: that he held himself to this standard, and that he was not going to make excuses or argue - he was going to get things done.