Blog 2: Nomination Speech Analysis 9/25/16

        Trump's speech was much more effective in my mind because he heavily relied on pathos and almost "abused" words for their connotative meanings. He knew his words would develop themselves and linger in the audience's minds. He also used many statistics and percentages, developing his logos. Clinton was more straightforward and her words were direct and denotative. She used ethos to her advantage, citing her experience as a First Lady and Secretary of State. She builds her credibility for the position of President. She had little to no logos and I found her pathos to be weaker than Trump's. Trump's diction incorporated colorful language and he used his experience as a reality television star to his advantage.
         Mr. Trump appeals to the citizen that fears an imminent threat and wants action right now. He appeals to fear, which has a more urgent reaction in the mind than the love that Clinton appeals to. Trump's tone is filled with nationalism and he genuinely sounds like he wants to make his country the best. Clinton uses a motherly tone and begins her speech with greetings to the Democratic party, letting the people know that everyone is supporting her. Ultimately, Clinton appeals towards ethos and direct pathos while Trump has more effective pathos and logos.

Blog 1: Bush's 9/11 Speech 9/18/16

        Bush's speech was very effective at a time of disunion and fear. He uses pathos, logos and ethos to properly engage the American people. Bush speaks as the president of the nation and already has ethos, yet the speech is filled with promises of defense and revenge against the terrorists, promises that he can make true. He uses his authority to fill the people with security. With logos, Bush addresses the victims, who were all family and friends of the nation, and the deliberate attack on the freedom of the USA. He verbalizes the situation with concise sentences. Lastly, Bush uses pathos to sympathize with the people and to unify them with a mutual anger and grief. He uses informal phrases to let the people know he is one of them. He finishes the speech with a sense of nationalism and a need for strength within the public. The perfect balance of rhetoric incorporates the president, the disaster, and the people during a crisis, and lets America know that despite what has happened, the terrorists have failed to shake the country into fear.

Quote 9/15/16

Excuses sound best to those who make them.