The 2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote address by Baraka Obama - Paper Sample

Baraka Obama's first election to the Illinois Senate by the state was in 1996, and he had to retain that position for eight consecutive years. His recommendation to deliver the speech came from Lisa Hay, who was a working counterpart previously at the Harvard Law Review, contributing to his trust regardless of a few doubts about his political experience. The current position he held, mere senator, looked a little influential, but their confidence regained after his recommendation.

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This speech by Baraka Obama occurred when the United States of America was preparing for the 2004 elections. The appointment for delivering this was a courtesy by the Democratic party before its presidential candidate (Obama 2004). John Kerry and the other strongholds for his campaign strategized the anticipated plans that could trigger his nomination by the party; hence this speech happened through Obama. It majorly intended to make him the presidential bestseller through this part nomination to initiate his political campaigns.

The speech had to display the vision for the country that they had to promote immediately after the nomination of the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry's leadership. The picture had to claim that the United States had the strength to perform better over broad areas contributing to the economy, its resilience to its people regarding healthcare, economic security, and challenges in educating kids by parents. This approach had to foster a fairground for revealing their strength as a country and earning more respect from abroad through the built vision.

This speech was vital to the delegates and the citizens since it addressed significant issues that could create awareness that through sound leadership, it was possible to evade some of the challenges they underwent. The foundation of the speech was political, and thus the beneficiaries were supposed to be voters who play a significant part in electing leaders. The anticipated audience again here was party delegates for the intentional nomination of the Democratic presidential candidate.

Baraka Obama's speech employed ethos, pathos, and logos to deliver significant agendas that showed his information appropriately and effectively. He effectively applied logos in his speech by shaping a positive picture portraying himself, symbolizing the vitality of the national identity that triggered lasting impressions in the audience's minds and hearts. In response to the use of this image, his campaign for the next presidential aspiration became possible. Another instance that this speech builds powerful imagery in the audiences' minds about the party's manifesto that focused on the betterment of the country rather than encouraging the nomination of the party's presidential candidate.

The vision acted as a tool that John Kerry could use in the party's campaign and transformation. It demonstrated the unrealized country's strengths that ought to benefit the country for improving and bettering both world and domestic challenges. Again, he reasons with his audience when alluding to independence that it was the right moment to nominate a Democratic candidate who could reaffirm the unfulfilled projects and promises. To reinforce this idea, he narrates facts about several Americans he met struggling for jobs, healthcare, economic security, the endurance of challenges to educate and nurture kids, and how the governments were hopeless to assist them.

Ethos was another rhetorical feature rampant in this speech contributing to the effective delivery of his concepts and ideas vital to the audience. The way he narrates about his grandfather, who fought for America in World War II captured the minds of the audience to reflect the culture and devotion that his family background had towards the Americans. It blinded the idea of being a black American with partial originality and focused on his continued spirit of fighting for the rights and freedom of his fellow Americans (Sepulveda 2012). The story about his mother's family working in the bomber assembly line to cater to the basic needs and upbringing of his mother creates a sense of belonging to the United States of America. This action was vital to clear thoughts and critiques about the doubts about his nationality.

Similarly, he portrays his capabilities in leadership when he reveals that his African name, Baraka, given by his parents, meant "blessed." Therefore this promoted his presidential aspirations via the Democratic party. It further showed that the party nomination for John Kerry as a presidential candidate could implement successful initiatives. It built credibility with his audience, and thus they could receive the information positively that provoked the desired actions out of the information in building his party's political campaigns.

His narration about his grandfather working as a servant for the British shows the practical application of pathos that evokes pity among the audience leading to more support for the party campaigns (2020). His grandmother's struggle to raise his mother also creates a pity attitude showing how the speaker grew under challenging conditions. This attitude gained by the audience gives hope that the leadership of the party in the presidential position could lead to freedom and complete exercise of human rights like federal policies concerning job opportunities.

Baraka Obama's speech effectively fits the context of the appropriate application of persuasive strategies. The use of logos created a long-lasting impression because when he campaigned for the presidential seat, there was a large number of people eager to hear his ideas. Ethos used to show he was capable of leading Americans, impacted his presidential position later. Besides, logos assisted him in reasoning with the audience about the healthcare struggle by the Americans bringing sense after becoming president of the United States of America and rectifying health issues. From the rhetorical features used above, it is evident that one can drive his/her ideas well to the audience when applying ethos, logos, and pathos. They help the speaker bring his/her thoughts in a more explicit context helping the audience understand the concepts correctly. They usually get a positive impression and results that are ever-long-lasting.

Works Cited

Obama, Barack. "2004 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address." American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank (2004). https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=application+of+ethos+in+the+2004+Democratic+National+Convention+Keynote+address+in+2020&btnG= accessed on 27th September 2020.

Sepulveda, David. "All Politics is Not Local: The Role of Competing Nationalisms in the Rhetoric of American Political Ideologies." (2012). https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/223331 , accessed on 27th September 2020.