There is a very long backstory to tonight’s acceptance speech by Barack Obama. As over-exposed as he may appear to be, there are still many Americans who do not know much about Obama, and the acceptance speech is his opportunity to reintroduce himself to the American public, and outline what he feels they need to know about him.
This is Obama’s night, and there has been some friction between the two campaigns as the possibility of John McCain’s campaign leaking McCain’s VP pick on the same night. The McCain campaign has pledged to not announce the VP pick tonight- but they also had to decide whether to not air or say anything tonight, or to run a negative ad tonight. Instead, Sen. McCain aired the following:
No precedent for this- nothing like it has been used in past campaigns.
As the McCain ad mentions, this is an historic night, as it is the 45th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Here is a copy of that speech:
If you did not see it live, here is a copy of the speech given by the Democratic nominee, Sen. Barack Obama:
You can also watch the speech, with full transcript playing alongside, on the New York Times website. Great resource- be sure to check it out.
For this blog entry, outline what you think was the most important argument laid out by Sen. Obama, why you think it is so important, how you think Sen. McCain could respond, and what audience Sen. Obama was speaking to with that argument (not just the general audience- what group of voters would he expect to find that argument appealing). Finally, how effective was the speech, and why?
on Aug 29th, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Obama outlined two important things in his argument. He argued and effectively established that the American economy is in trouble and should be dealt with by a presidential candidate that both recognizes and has a plan for the problem. Also in this speech, Obama made the important argument, or rather counterargument, about McCain’s stance that Obama is unprepared and too much of a “celebrity” to run the country effectively.
Obama argued that the American economy is struggling for several reasons: he stated that hard work no longer remains a success marker in today’s society; people are continually being laid off and are losing their homes which he showed by saying “More of [Americans] have cars [they] can’t afford to drive, credit card bills [they] can’t afford to pay, and tuition that is beyond [their] reach;” and that the middle class is carrying enough of a burden currently, a burden that the government has a duty to help lift. I think this argument is so critically important to Obama’s speech because his words on this stance speak to a lot of the American’s fears currently. We worry about gas, about food prices going up, about bills, about making ends meet, and the discrepancy between the rich and poor is becoming larger than ever. Obama, by speaking to these fears about the economy, is attempting to show America a hope that the economy can be set right and we can, once again, become the America that was the envy of many other countries. This argument connects Obama with his audience, attempts to show an awareness of the average American and his or her problems in the economy, and is Obama’s way of showing he has America’s best interests at heart. McCain can counter this argument by saying that Obama isn’t in tune with America’s real needs and that the current economy is fixable with the right president and doesn’t need a complete overhaul as Obama suggests. To do this, McCain would have to show a significant economic plan to back up his stance.
This portion of Obama’s speech targets the middle class American. He speaks often that the middle class has suffered enough in today’s economy and that the last thing America needs is more taxes for the middle class. It is primarily the middle class shown to be suffering from the current economic hardships and Obama claims to have the answer to the middle man’s (or woman’s) financial woes.
The second most important argument Obama makes in his speech is his arguments against McCain’s negative campaigning. Obama speaks directly to McCain’s ads telling him that Obama’s alleged “celebrity” status is unfounded because his family is his hero and the American people are all the people that he worries about. Also, Obama counters McCain’s critique of Obama’s popularity by often saying that the race isn’t about Obama but is about the American people, the way Obama claims it has always been and always should be. McCain also claimed Obama isn’t ready to lead, and Obama counters this by challenging him to a debate that he is “ready to have.” McCain can respond to Obama’s stance by finding more ways to show Obama is not ready by finding more evidence of. Obama switching sides on issues or perhaps finding inconsistencies of how Obama has voted in the past.
Obama’s speech was, in my opinion, completely effective. This is because he took a formative stance against the negative ad campaigning from McCain’s side which the media had previously chastised him for not responding to. Obama let his stance on issues like taxes be known, and he attempted to show a clear delineation between him and McCain in regards to the issues at hand in many American minds. Obama also spoke well by any standard that are class may come up with: he was articulate, aroused sentiment and support from his audience, made them laugh with him and cheer with him, respected both sides while still showing his own side effectively, and he showed a self-confidence that one wants in a leader and in an effective speaker.
on Aug 30th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
I think the most important and effective part of Obama’s speech was about American economy because that is the most needed thing for people in the Unitied States right now. I think he got two positive results from his speech: one is making them think about MacCain negatively and the other is making Americans, especailly lower classes, think about his policy positively.
He started his speech with the bad economic situation of the United States. At the beginning of the speech he made listners the one and think about their families and country by using words like ‘We’, ‘Our’. In other words he made a common bond between he and viewers regardless of the fact that the listners are in favor of him or not. Then, he mentioned McCain like McCain doesn’t understand about the lives fo Americans at all. He supported this idea with quite credible examples(from the real world) and hardened his assertion. By doing this, he made people think naturally that McCain certainly doesn’t know what the reality is and also made people think against McCain in a natural way.
Also, he talked about his economy policy and I think it was pretty effective because he suggested detailed policies pointing especailly low classes like 95% tax cutting for working families and raising tax for middle class. Accoridng to the study of William Thompson & Joseph Hickey, Social Class in the United States in 2005, the class portion is like this: Lower middle class is 32%, working class 32%, and lower class 20%. As we can see, it is almost certain that his economic policy has a huge impact on 84% of the U.S in this harsh econmoic reality. Also, he showed he really understands low classes by telling about his real exprience. He talked about his mother and grandmother. He told the people how hard they have lived in the bad economic situation and how much they have tried to get it over. I think his real experience had his honesty and it delivered to the viewers as it is. His honesty moved the people who are in the similar situation as his mother and grandmother and gave a kind of belief that Obama might really understands their tough life.
These two things considered, I think his speech was considerably effective, especially to low classes, because he showed he and the people in the U.S are one, showed hope and belief that they can do better if they gathered thire efforts together, and showed his understanding toward the people in a hard economic situation by being HONEST through his exprience.
And McCain’s response is also kind of impressive. He chose congratulations instead of being against or sarcastic about Obama’s speech or policy.. It gave me the impression that he has as bigger heart and spirit? (I don’t know if it is right expression) as he even can embrace his rival(like enemy..)and he might also embrace this huge country.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 12:01 pm
I felt Obama talking about foreign policy was the most effective part of Obama’s speech. Right from the start he challenges McCain on this issue. This shows strength and i believe is targeted at those how think Obama may be meek in foreign policy due to his inexperience. He then goes on to say that he has never wavered on his beliefs on Iraq. That he never wanted to go there, but in the same breath states this is not because he is soft on terrorism. He goes on to explain that he will do what is necessary to catch Osama Bin Laden and that the reason he didn’t believe we should go to Iraq was to keep resources in Afghanistan where the terrorist were. He also attacks McCain on talking tough about catching bin Laden but when further questioned about it he said he would refuse to go into Pakistan to get him. I believe this is targeted at voters who may believe that democrats do not have the gumption to do what is necessary to fight terrorism and protect America. Obama stated he would remove troops from Iraq, an act which even the government of Iraq wants us to take. This is directed at those who are tired of us being at war and want our troops to come home. He goes on to promise to equip soldiers with what they need to go into battle. This is targeted to soldiers and soldiers families. He states he is resolute on restoring goodwill abroad and strengthening our alliances. This is for other countries creating the groundwork of change and to those in the United states who want to see this change.
I believe in order to respond to this McCain must restate his beliefs on his policy, and show that he believes what he will do for the country is right. He must also explain why it is right. I also think though it has been beaten to death he must show his superior experience and knowledge of war.
Overall I believe Obama’s speech was and extremely effective one. He made sure to address all concerns about what kind of president he would be. He made sure to address the experience issue and also did a good job of finding common ground between both parties to build on. I also think he did a good job in talking about specific in regards to his plan for America and what he would do if elected president. This was effective in trying to bring people together on issues. However there was one point of the speech where he addressed only Democrats which i didn’t think was a good way to building bipartisanship. However overall I felt he did a good job of making people believe that he was the candidate who can effectively change America for the better.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
It is difficult to pinpoint the most important aspect of Obama’s speech since this presentation was abundant in its goals. However, a couple of things stood out to me. First, Obama explicitly appealed to those demographics that did not have his support originally. Specifically, he reached out to the white middle-class Americans, and this was definitive in his speech. Obama made it clear that America was moving backwards economically, and he stated that in order to progress, we needed to start with helping that “Michigan auto-worker who finds out he is losing his job but still goes into work everyday because people depend on the brakes that he makes,” or that “waitress who lives off tips [so she] can take a day off and look after that sick kid without losing her job,” and the other struggling teachers and nurses. College students, young adults, and the black community are votes that Obama will no doubt capture in this election, so it was imperative that he effectively appeal to those undecided Americans, especially since a significant majority of the population consists of the white middle-class.
Another important part of this speech was determining what America should be concerned with more: foreign policy or the domestic issues Americans are facing today. Obama made it clear that the removal of American soldiers from Iraq would help the country become more focused on dealing with the problems here at home. He stated that the 79 billion dollars Iraq made in surplus is more than sufficient for them to live on independently, and that now we must become attentive to the deficits we are currently dealing with. Also, Obama made it one of his important goals to cut off our “addiction” to off-shore oil drilling and rely more on renewable energy and fuels. It was clear in Obama’s speech that he was more concerned with domestic issues such as Health Care, taxes and education rather than continuing with Bush’s policies abroad.
Obama also did a good job of responding to McCain’s advertisement before his speech by mirroring the senator’s accomplishments in a very succinct way. While McCain simply said “good job” and “we’ll be back at it tomorrow,” Obama replied to that ad by acknowledging his service to America in one sentence, and then attacking his goals immediately. So how should McCain respond to this? Obama’s attack on McCain can be summed up by him calling McCain ignorant: “It’s not because John McCain doesn’t care [about the issues Americans are dealing with today]; it’s because John McCain doesn’t get it.” Obama claims he doesn’t have a plan for health care or education, and that he is taxing the wrong class of Americans. What McCain needs to do is explicitly respond to this by saying that not only does he know about the problems at hand, but that he does care about them and that he does have a plan to fix them. McCain is an experienced politician (and has been around a lot longer than Obama), so he needs to use that against Obama and show how advantageous his experience would be for America.
Finally, Obama’s speech was extremely effective, and what made it more-so was the strategic timing of this speech being held 45 years after MLK’s speech. He addresses this in the end, which I felt was intelligent and highly effective on his part. He paralleled the goals of his speech with that of the “Georgia preacher” without even mentioning his name in order to avoid too much similarity. However, it was difficult to isolate the image of MLK speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial as Obama culminated his speech by re-defining the new “dream” for America. He even sounded like the civil rights leader by projecting that stentorian voice and speaking directly to the people. It would be an understatement to say that Obama only got the attention of the country that night.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
One of the most influential aspects of Obama’s speech was his plan for new energy resources as well as ending our dependence on foreign oil. In particular, this part of his speech tied in with the central theme of change that he tried to reinforce throughout. I thought he was able to reach a younger demographic by talking about nuclear power and fuel efficient cars, because for me at least, it was something that made me sit up and pay attention. Innovations in technology are my generations’ immediate concern. We are already facing the consequences of what dependency on foreign oil does to our economy and our gas prices. We are the generation who will, in the not too distant future, be settling down with families and trying to earn our own money. We are the ones who need to worry about the fuel efficiency of the cars of the future, as well as the well being of our environment so that we can keep natural resources and the beauty of our planet alive for our children. He made several promises; firstly to invest $150 billion in research and development of wind and solar technology and biofuels, and also to end our dependence on oil from the Middle East within the next ten years. Obama is very popular among first time voters and college age citizens for whom these concerns are very real, and addressing the issues of global warming and the world’s energy crises show that he is relevant and not afraid to admit the existence of these problems, but instead ready to work for long term change. If he can make these goals a reality, he will not disappoint voters my age, or those of my parent’s generation. I think in order to effectively respond, Senator McCain would also have to address the immediate and long term effects of current energy resources and our economy, and mention his specific plans and ideas for the future. Where will he invest his money? What will he do to combat global warming? How will he make sure gas prices never near five dollars a gallon again? Obama’s acceptance speech was powerful because of his confidence on stage, the passion with which he spoke, and the way that he presented himself in a human and relatable way. It will be interesting to see how McCain chooses to respond, but based on his gracious commercial that aired soon after, it is safe to say that we may be in for some surprises.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
I believe that the most important argument of the speech was of course the war in Iraq and America’s dependency on the Middle East for oil. He accused McCain not wishing to change American dependency, of not wishing to become more energy efficient, and continue on with the Iraqi War that is greatly deminishing our economy. Obama even made a point to mention homeless war veterans that have been over looked by the government. Overall I feel that Sen. Obama is a great public speaker and that his speech was very convincing. But at the same time I find most of his points on the economy, the war, and healthcare very quixotic simply because most of what he says he will change is simply not possible. But his speech made everything he said believable and definately make others jump on his bandwagon.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 3:37 pm
I feel that the most important issue Senator Obama spoke about in his acceptance speech was the United States healthcare policy. Healthcare is an issue that affects every American and Obama seems to have extremely high hopes on how he can improve it. He spoke about ensuring the same kind of healthcare for wealthy congressmen and working class American citizens. The senator was obviously aiming to gain votes from America’s middle class.
Obama played to the crowd’s emotions when reminiscing about the days when he “watched [his] mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer.” He promised to make sure no other innocent individual would ever have to endure anything like that again when faced with any sort of ailment. Obama is basically telling American’s that his would be able to provide universal healthcare while lowering the premiums individuals who already have policies pay. Of course Americans would like to receive what Obama is offering, who wouldn’t?
The senator’s forty two minute long speech was never boring though because it was the entertaining tale of a “David and Goliath” type of hero/villain story. Obama played the role of ordinary citizen deeply humbled to even be considered for position of Commander in Chief. John McCain is the villain who has been involved in politics for much too long, never making much of a positive impact. Obama used numerous promises of change and advancement to keep his audience engaged while intertwining charming tales of growing up on food stamps yet still being able to receive the education his whole family had dreamed he would someday receive.
McCain could respond by giving a speech without as much “fluff” and more hard facts. He should refrain from making promises he cannot keep and only outline the plan of action he intends to take if elected president. McCain might also benefit from speaking more about his positive attributes than his opponents negative political record.
Obama’s public speaking skills are obvious because he is able to form strong connections with his audience members, despite differences in economic status, race, or even beliefs. He engages individuals and makes ordinary topics interesting. Obama is able to make even the most impossible goals seem attainable.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 3:56 pm
The argument Obama used which was most important was his argument regarding taxes. He tells us that he believes the current taxes are too high for those who cannot properly afford to pay them and too low for those who would be able to pay more. This is an effective argument because it reaches to so many voters. This argument was probably crafted to appeal to blue collar workers, especially those who struggle to pay their taxes. But instead of appealing only to those people, this argument will appeal to many Americans who do not technically fall under this category- a large number of people, after all, believe that taxes are too high and even those who do not have trouble paying for themselves will share the belief that the rich ought to be taxed more and the poor, less. This is the main thing that makes this such an important argument: though Americans without family in the military may sympathize with Obamas statements regarding the war on terror or those without children may sympathize with his statements regarding education, many more are likely to be reached with an argument about our economy, a situation which effects nearly all Americans, with the possible exception of the richest in our society. McCain will have to work hard to combat the arguments made here. He will have to show that he, too, is ready to stand up for the lower class and he will either have to discuss alternate ways of easing the tax burden on them which Obama discusses, or he will have to attempt to convice voters that the problem is not being viewed correctly by the Obama campaign.
I found this speech to be an effective one overall. Technically speaking, Obama coordinated his speaking effectively, using examples to illustrate to the audience exactly what he was talking about, building from a general discussion of a topic, such as the Iraq War or Health Care, to telling the voters exactly what he intended to do. He laid out the basics and then gave the solutions to the problems as he says he will implement them if elected. He also effectively appealed to many facets of the voters’ interest. In one section of the speech, he discusses tax cuts and social security, making arguments that appeal to the voters’ economic interest. In speaking of the election itself, and saying “One of the things we have to change in our politics is the idea that people cannot disagree without challenging each other’s character and each other’s patriotism”, he appeals to the American ideal of personal honor, and in discussing foreign policy he appealed both to the voters’ patriotism and desire for the war to end.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 4:18 pm
In Barack Obama’s nomination acceptance speech, he had many strong arguments that are all essential to his campaign. The most important argument, which encompasses his entire campaign, is his goal to change all of the downfalls and weaknesses of the American government that arose during the Bush administration. The Bush administration has had very low public support and people have expressed their disappointment in the policies and actions the government has taken. In wake of the overall national disapproval of the government, people are more likely to be drawn to a candidate who proposes to give the government a complete makeover and vows to help the individual American with day to day challenges. Among Obama’s goals in revamping governmental policies are proposals to make more job opportunities, free America from its dependence on Middle Eastern oil, new energy sources, lowering taxes, ending the war in Irag, and a new health care plan. In each of his proposals, Obama referred to current policies under the Bush administration and his ideas for the change that Americans want to see. Throughout the whole speech, Obama was speaking primarily to the working class. Many of his points in changing the government were to benefit those that do not have and must work hard day to day to make it financially. Many of Obama’s criticisms of the Bush administration were of people that couldn’t get jobs, couldn’t afford health care or college and how in his administration he would be looking out for the working class of America.
McCain’s response to Obama’s acceptance speech may be a difficult task. Americans are very critical of the current republican administration and in order to gain support for himself, McCain must speak out against his own political party. To gain the support of the American people McCain must also propose changes to the current administration even though, as Obama pointed out, he voted in accordance with Bush 90 percent of the time. McCain must be able to separate his presidential goals from his voting record to convince Americans that he can fulfill the presidency in a manner to please those that disapprove the current government ran by McCain’s political party.
Overall Obama’s speech was effective. He is a very engaging speaker and can hold the attention of his audience. He seemed very well prepared and very comfortable in the atmosphere and seemed to be talking directly to each individual. I think that he also told many people what they want to hear. Any American that is struggling to make it in the US will be attracted to Obama’s campaign. He also did a good job of making his speech personable by adding anecdotes from his life and pointing out how he hasn’t lived the life that most presidential candidates before him have.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Senator Barack Obama’s acceptance speech was historic and certainly lived up to America’s expectations. The most important argument that Obama made pertained to the economic crisis that America is facing. He addressed the problem of outsourcing by saying that he will stop giving tax breaks to companies that ’ship jobs overseas’. Obama appealed to small business owners by saying that he will offer them tax breaks instead. He also appealed to the average middle class family by offering 95% of them tax breaks and highlighting situations that almost everyone can sympathize with. Talking about the laid off auto worker and the struggling waitress pulls on America’s heartstrings and endears them to a man who promises them relief. The importance of the argument is clear: the economy is the issue that effects every American on a day-to-day basis.
Senator McCain should respond by emphasizing his history of votes for tax breaks, as well as giving a more factual plan instead of relying on emotional appeals like Obama did.
As always, Obama’s speech was effective. He is extremely charismatic and relatable. The issue with his speech is that it is just more of the same. He didn’t introduce any new ideas, but instead went the same route that he has gone since he announced that he was running: telling heartwarming stories and making big promises.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 10:00 pm
The most important argument Senator Obama discussed was the need for change. In his speech he gave a litany of changes he would make if he were president—a change in the tax code to reward hard-working Americans, a change in tax breaks given to companies with jobs overseas, a change in capital gains taxes to facilitate small businesses, a change in tax cuts to benefit the working middle class, a change in energy sources for safe and affordable cars, a change in education so children have a chance to learn and teachers have a higher salary, and a change in health care so it is affordable and accessible to all Americans who need it. Obama laid out an entire list of changes he will make if he is President so that America can improve economically. Not only does he state the areas that need to change but he also states how he is going to do it. Knowing that his potential changes will be costly, he promises to fix corporate loopholes and personally go through the federal budget “line by line” eradicating programs that no longer work.
While expanding on changes in America, Obama focused primarily on the working middle class allowing them to visualize a positive transformation in the country that will inevitably benefit them all economically. By incorporating real personas of the working middle class in his speech, Obama was able to communicate and connect with the audience on a personal level that enabled them to continue listening.
In response, Senator McCain has one quality that triumphs over Obama and that is experience. Throughout Obama’s speech, he mentions that McCain has been involved in the war and has been in Washington for over two decades. Obama leads the country with hope and makes promises without ever having the same political experience as McCain.
Obama’s speech was very effective because of its content and its deliverance. He was charismatic, passionate, clear, and personable with his audience. His deliverance was analogous to Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech, which was not only relevant because it fell on the same day, but also because Obama outlined how the nation has fallen from the American dream and his plans to restore his faith in it.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 10:34 pm
The most important argument of Senator Obama’s speech was about the issue of expensive healthcare in America. Today there are millions of people without health insurance. Even most Americans who do have insurance have trouble affording a quality healthcare plan. Hospitals are kicking patients out who do not have good health insurance. Along with a large hospital bill, many Americans are also worrying about the cost of the medications they rely on. The cost of insurance will only increase of the government does not figure out a solution.
Obama was appealing to the lower and middle class voters in his statements over healthcare. The senator knows that those without insurance or pay too high for it still have a vote that counts in the election.
Senator McCain cannot ignore this issue in his speech later this week. He should point out that the average cost of insurance for an American is greater than those of other advanced countries. He must instead address it more rigorously than Senator Obama. It would be smart for McCain to not only agree to offer affordable healthcare, but to spend more time and money in his effort to do so.
As expected for a presidential candidate, Senator Obama’s speech was very effective. He delivered his persuasive speech with authority and stood strong in his beliefs. His tone and volume reflected the seriousness of the issues he was addressing and he showed his passion about fixing those issues. He related many of his life experience to the average American to show that he is the best representative for them. This speech will be a tough one to follow for McCain.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 10:50 pm
This speach was one of the more talked about speaches in my lifetime. Up untill this point I have not followed politics or the speaches our politians made. This was the first democratic convention I have watched and it was quite the spectacle. Sen. Obama gave a supurb speach. He did a great job of attacking Sen. McCain saying “McCain just does not get it”. He kept saying that McCain is an incompetent leader. He also played to the crowd by quoting John McCain when he said, “We have become a nation of whiners.” I was surprised with how much he attacked McCain and how much he put him down as a leader.
Then Obama stated his main points that he wants to accomplish while President of the United States. He said he would stop giving tax breaks to companies who outsource and would cut taxes for 95% of the working families in America, which I belive are things he can accomplish if he gets elected. These were his two key points in my opinion. He appealed to the middle class and most of the population for that matter. Everyone is affected by taxes, so promising lower taxes is always a good point to make. The one thing he said that I had a hard time believing was when he said that in 10 years we would end our dependance on Midle Eastern oil. This sounds like a great thing for our country, but I just have a hard time believing that it can happen in 10 years. It may have been his most controversial point of the night and I believe John McCain should attack it. He should preach his experince to the crowd in Ohio. It will be hard to top the energy and emotion that Obama had in his speech. He should be clear and find a way to get the crowd into it, which is a hard task but he must do it for it to be a successful speach.
Obama’s speach was great, I had never listen to him speak before. He had great control of the crowd and they loved everything he was saying. After hearing his speach that night he would have my vote because he seems like a genuwine person and that is what I am looking for in a leader.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Senator Barack Obama has led a powerful campaign thus far, typically taking the high road when it comes to discussing his opponent’s policies and proposals for once he is elected. This time, for a portion of his nomination acceptance speech, he decides to fight back a little bit and attack Senator McCain’s outdated tactics as being too close to George W. Bush’s and not unique enough to get him the presidency. He accuses McCain of realizing that there are problems with today’s economy and healthcare and environment, but says he has had his 26 years in Congress to make changes and he has not; “he just doesn’t get it.” Obama’s ideas about education, a comprehensive energy plan and the war all involve fresh solutions and definite improvements to what we have seen in the past.
He focuses on the Democrats, particularly the hard working, middle class Democrats in his audience who are fed up with the last eight years; this is appropriate seeing that it IS the Democratic Convention and all. He also appeals to the undecided voters who need a little encouragement to make their vote count this year. He refers to the American people as “us,” including himself a part of and not above the masses of people who deserve to be better served by Washington politicians.
McCain will likely push right back with the argument that Obama is not fit to lead primarily because of his lack of experience and his naïve approach to the nation’s problems. I personally think this argument can not be valid now that McCain has chosen an equally “unqualified” vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin. There are definitely more things that McCain can criticize, but he will have to search hard to find them.
Senator Obama consistently proved himself to be the charismatic and effective speaker this past Thursday that we have seen throughout this intense presidential campaign. His ability to connect emotionally to his audience and appeal to a broad range of people makes him a convincing orator. He illustrates his criticisms of the Republican Party with stories of middle class hardship and faulty policies that we should never want to repeat, making the decision for Americans very clear- elect him if you desire a new approach to the mess resulting from the last eight years.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
1. the most important argument and the reason
:The statement about policy that he promises is most important for me.
The reason is that presented policies can be most important interest for the audience, American citizens. The thing which is related to the ordinary people’s life can be not president’s personal opinion but policy he or she will conduct officially. As a result, the purpose of the speech is to gain more votes, so the argument that audience is concerning the most could be most important.
2. My thinking about Obama’s speech
: First, I am impressed by his attitude. For example, his pronunciation is articulate so that every audience can understand. Also, he is confident of himself but not arrogant.
Second, his speech is strong. If I were an American, I would vote for him! I could become proud of my self as an American by listening his speech. He loves America and respects accomplishments that America has accumulated. Also, he always uses “we” or “us” to evoke sympathy as same America.
Third, I like his speech because he uses aggressive strategy toward his competitors. For example, he keeps criticizing stupid policies that Bushy and Maccaine does. I think that it makes the audience assure about voting for him. Ambiguous attitude could make voters give time to think to consider other candidates.
3. aimed audience
:First, I think that people who was supportive to Hillary, Kennedy, and Bill Clinton are potential audience. By mentioning them at first, he tries to attract voters who lost their candidates to vote now.
Second, ordinary people who has a family, who is working, or who is seeking to their job can be possible audience. This is because he states caring sick children, paying tuition, and creating work place etc. He also tries to sympathize with them by concerning agony that they might experience.
Third, gay and lesbian can be possible audience. This is because he is supportive to same sex marriage which is still not acceptable in some Federals.
4. The reasons why this speech is effective
First, Obama is passionate. It makes audience concentrate on what he is saying.
Second, he repeats same phrase. It makes his statement firm and stressed.
Third, he blocks the potential of refutation. Promising his policies, he also mentioned possible contradiction about these.
. . .
(The reasons why his speech is effective are similar to ‘2. my thinking about Obama’s speech.)
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I think Obama’s most important argument laid out in his acceptance speech was about the economy. I think this was the most important part of his speech because the decline of the economy, and what will be done to fix it, is currently a huge issue in America. As a senior in college prepared to graduate, I take a vested interest in the economy and where it’s headed. I worry about job availability and the mortgage crisis since I’m starting to think about my options of a career, and buying a home and starting a family in the near future.
I also think this was an important part of his speech because Obama reached out to the blue-collar workers who show up and work hard at their jobs every day, but are still losing their jobs because of the economic recession. I also found it effective because Obama didn’t try to attack McCain by saying he didn’t care about Americans, but that he basically doesn’t understand the economy.
I think that McCain can respond to Obama’s speech about the economy by being knowledgeable about the issues with the economy and having a clear cut plan to remedy the problems. McCain needs to respond to the points where Obama made him seem ignorant towards American’s that are currently suffering from losing their jobs or their homes, and struggling to put gas in their cars.
With this argument, I think Obama was targeting the entire middle class as his voting group because he used specific instances, like the workers at a Michigan auto plant who still showed up to work even when they knew the plant was closing, or people struggling to keep their small businesses open. By using specific cases, people can easily relate to the problems that people are struggling with across America.
Finally, I think this speech was extremely effective because Obama is a very inclusive speaker. When he speaks, he reaches his arms out towards the audience which makes them feel included, as if he is speaking directly to them. He also touches his heart, which shows his sincerity. He speaks loudly and clearly and uses the right tone of voice for each point he makes, and he keeps eye contact with the audience throughout the entirety of the speech. He was also effective because he doesn’t attack McCain, but he discussed the weaknesses in McCain’s campaign and effectively supported his own campaign with specific policies for the economy, healthcare, taxes, education and energy plans.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 11:43 pm
I would say that the most effective argument in Obama’s speech is not the actual stances he took on the issues, but in the way he summed them all together with the phrase “the promise of America.” He told us that this was defined as being “your brother’s keeper” (which, if you over-think the Biblical allusion there, is kind of an odd phrasing)–essentially, a place where we strive for equality for everyone. He then proceeded to outline his views and stances on the pertinent issues–taxes and tax cuts, oil and energy, affordable health care, and social security, as well as the war in Iraq–as if his stances define the way to fully embody the promise of America he said we need to strive for. He then defined this promise further as also being a responsibility: our responsibility to make these changes happen. For instance, he urged parents to actively participate to improve the lives of their children.
McCain will have to respond not to a single issue then, but to the idea that Obama used to bind them all together. This means that he will essentially have to argue all of his views as being such a promise for America as a package as well. He will have to effectively argue his views as being a gameplan for a better America. Although one assumes all politicians aim to make a better America, Obama effectively made his views into what now sounds like the guidelines for doing so in his speech and McCain must therefore respond all the more effectively if he wants his views to be seen as the more viable alternative.
I believe Obama presented himself as an effective speaker, because he managed to come off as informal and personal while also arguing well-thought-out points. He was dynamic enough to make a rather lengthy speech interesting from beginning to end, which is very important because when getting your ideas across in a way that will hopefully inspire people to vote for you, the last you really want to do is bore them. He also smiled, which was good, but more than that, it seemed natural and sincere, which is even better. A false-seeming smile on a politician is perhaps worse than no smile at all. As a whole, Obama came across as genuine and dynamic throughout the whole of his speech.
on Aug 31st, 2008 at 11:45 pm
I believe that the most important issue laid out by Sen. Obama is improving our method of renewable resources in an effort to save our environment. This is because through out the last couple of year global warming has slowly become more of an issue with Americans today. This is because it is seen as a reversible problem that can be eliminated, if we act now. Sen. Obama’s ideas for renewable resources include spending 150 billion dollars to create affordable renewable energy, including the methods of wind and solar power. He also wants to end the United States dependency on oil from the Middle East, by opening up the natural gas reserve.
Although these are all good ideas, McCain could argue about where Sen. Obama is going to get the money to afford all of these ideas, especially since currently the United States is in a deficit. He could claim that Sen. Obama’s ideas, although good are not practical and if carried out would force him to either tax Americans, or force him to continue with deficit spending.
Sen. Obama is clearing speaking to the earthy- crunchy people of the nation who truly care about our Mother Earth. They would respect his ideas on finding alternative methods to create energy and the fact that he is willing to invest his time and the nations money to stop the effects of Global Warming.
I believe that Sen. Obama’s speech was effective. He was able to clearly deliver his message and his beliefs on many topics. He was able to show how he truly does want change for this country and that this election is not about him but about the nation as a whole. He was able to prove McCain’s support for the War in Iraq, as well as support George W. Bush in many topics. Sen. Obama was also able to captivate his audience by having them relate to him as a person and show his confidence in possibly becoming the next President of the United States.
on Sep 1st, 2008 at 12:05 am
Senator Obama’s most important argument concerned the state of the economy. He addressed many of America’s current economic crises, including outsourcing and the national deficit. While outlining his plan, he reached out to middle class voters by promising tax cuts for small businesses and 95% of Americans (not the top 5%, obviously). During the race for the nomination, some painted Obama as the candidate of the “latte liberals”: the educated, affluent Democrats. In this speech, he reached out to the blue collar demographic many feared would defect to John McCain after Hillary Clinton’s defeat.
Obama went to great lengths to emphasize his love of America and his connections to the American dream. He wasn’t shy about criticizing Senator McCain’s policies. Emphasizing the similarities between McCain and the Bush Administration is an effective strategy.
McCain will likely fire back that Obama is full of empty promises. He will call into question the feasibility of some of Obama’s economic and energy initiatives. Senator Obama didn’t give many specifics as to how he plans to fund such programs. McCain has said before that he thinks Obama’s rhetoric to be of little substance; this will likely be his attack plan next week. It’s also likely that he will make yet another attempt to reach out to disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters.
Barack Obama is one of the most engaging and effective public speakers in modern times. He has charisma and a powerful personality. Although he is critical of McCain’s policies, he acknowledges that they are both patriotic and invested in America’s well-being. In doing so he presents himself to America as a politician who takes the high road. Although he is critical of policy, he will not resort to personal attacks and name-calling. It’s hard for me to think that there are people not yet familiar with Senator Obama and his call for change, but they are out there. His acceptance speech was a vibrant and powerful introduction to the nation as a whole.
on Sep 1st, 2008 at 12:21 am
Obama did a lot of things well in his speech. He paid compliments to Hillary and Bill Clinton, and acknowledged all that the Clinton administration did for the economy. He plays into the American Dream with a LOT of comments, praising the “ordinary man”. But one thing I thought he did really well was to capture the admiration of those who want a swift end to the war in Iraq.
Not only does he mention how he’s going to do his best to end the war swiftly, but he also taps into the resentment of veterns who are not getting the recompense they deserve. He refers to the men who keep going back to Iraq as heroes, which they are, and, in a heartrending moment, mentions what the families of these heroes go through as they wait for their loved ones to return. His own loved ones, by the way, are kept at the forefront of the speech, and the audience’s minds as they were shown by the news crew listening to the speech many times.
Middle-class families, especially mothers, are probably the most likely to find this approach appealing because it generates sympathy for your fellow man for those who do not know someone serving in the military. For those that do, it shows that someone out there is listening to your concerns and that Obama, as a family man, understands where you’re coming from. McCain can play up his family connections in the same way that Obama did, but he is lacking two things in his argument that Obama had which made his speech so effective. The first is that McCain’s plans do not involve removing soldiers from Iraq at once, as Obama mentions he intends to. The second is that Obama has now officially demonstrated that he is a true success story of the American Dream - I mean, he literally pulled himself up by his bootstrings. I’m not sure that McCain has this.
As I mentioned, there were a lot of things that made this speech very effective, not the least of which was the timing of the event on the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. He was also very gracious to the most recent Democratic president, Clinton, and even praises McCain for his service in the military. He also recalled to people’s minds two of the best, most well known, Democratic presidents in history, arguably two of the best presidents, JFK and FDR. Once people begin to associate him with these two, it may make them more likely to vote for him. He also mirrored one of JFK’s speeches (the one on the space race) when discussing the oil crisis. All in all, I felt the speech was incredibly effective and I think McCain has his work cut out for him.