Research Project…well I have a waysss to go but check it out;)
December 8, 2009
Kristen Barnes
English 505
December 11, 2009
Rhetoric of the 21st Century: Obama from an Aristolean Perspective
Approximately two years ago, the gentleman who we now recognize as President Barack Hussein Obama, initiated his pursuit to become the 44th president of the United States. Similar to the other 43 presidents who presided before him, he launched a presidential campaign; for February 10, 2007 marked the launch of his candidacy. However, drastically different from his predecessors, he launched a campaign which was unknown to mankind–one which was unique in every sense of the word. He relied on technology–text messaging, video podcast, emails, and even social networks such as Facebook and Twitter–as his primary method to relay his message to the citizens of this country. But, lest not forget that Howard Dean –a well-known politician –first intiated strategies to run a technologically savvy campaign through his pioneership of political fundraising via the internet. Although Howard Dean made technological advances towards running a technologically savvy campaign, Barack Obama is credited as the first Presidential nominee to launch a 2.0 campaign of this magnitude. Furthermore, Presidential-elect, Barack Obama, used the combination of rhetoric and technology to acquire and unite voters nationwide through the slogan “Yes We Can”. Through his campaign efforts, Obama established credibility, exhibited compassion, and exceled as a critical thinker with stellar logic skills. For Obama used Aristotle’s techniques of persuasion (ethos, logos, and pathos) and technology of the 21st century to persuade Americans to elect him as the 44th President of the United States.
What are ethos, logos, and pathos?
Although Aristotle’s ideologies dominated the 3rd century BC, his techniques of persuassion–ethos, logos, and pathos– are still prevalent in the 21st century. In fact, Aristotle’s persuasive techniques nearly dominate the political arena. However, we must not forget the origin of the terms ethos, logos, and pathos and their close affiliation with politics; each persuasive technique is frequently exhibited amongst politicians and often considered a subconscious expectation amongst voting citizens. In On Rhetoric, Aristotle originally defines ethos as “moral character” but Kennedy further establishes that ethos is the projection of the character of the speaker as trustworthy” (15). Thereafter, Kennedy proceeds to define pathos as the “consideration of the emotions of people in the audience” and he identifies logos as “inductive and deductive logical argument” (15). Hence, as a politician, it is essential to establish credibility (ethos), appeal to the emotions of prospective voters (pathos), and exhibit exceptional logic skills (logos). In “The Means of Persuasion in Public Address”, Aristotle enlightens his followers by saying,
But since rhetoric is concerned with making a judgment, it is necessary not only to look to the argument, that it may be demonstrative and persuasive but also to construct a view of himself as a certain kind of person and to prepare the judge; for it makes much difference in regard to persuasion that the speaker seem to be a certain kind of person and that his hearers suppose him to be disposed towards them in a certain way. For the speaker to seem to have certain qualities is more useful in deliberation. (Kennedy 112)
Prior to his nomination as a presidential candidate, Obama established himself as a reputable and well-respected Senator (ethos), showcased himself in a favorable light through mass multi-media as a nominee(pathos), and often simplified overtly complex issues for prospective voters to understand (logos). Hence, Obama truly embodies Aristotle’s persuasive techniques: ethos, logos, and pathos.
Obama Exhibits Ethos
Obama’s pursuit to establish trustworthiness (ethos) began long before he claimed the Presidential nomination. During his tenure as Senator, Barack Obama gained nationwide recognition as a keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Further, as a newly established Senator, he exhibited his enthusiasm towards America becoming a more technologically inclined nation by introducing the Coburn–Obama Transparency Act, which authorized the establishment of USAspending.gov, a web search engine on federal spending. However, on June 3, 2008, Barack Obama officially assumed the role as the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party; thereafter, he spearheaded a campaign in which technology assumed the forefront. In an effort to gain a credible reputation, Obama established a connection between himself and ordinary people; he thoroughly exhibited his extensive history of working for the people yet he often reminded American citizens of his middle-class upbringing. In an effort to reach millions of dispersed citizens worldwide, the Barack Obama Campaign launched his presidential announcement via Youtube in addition to the medias’ televised coverage. In his presidential announcement speech on Youtube, Obama says, “A group of churches had offered me a job as a Community Organizer with a grand sum of $13,000 per year…and I accepted it motivated that I might play a small part in building a better America”. In this instant, Obama used technology as a vehicle to establish himself as a humble individual who is willing to work endlessly for the betterment of the United States of America.
