A More Perfect Union

In his “A More Perfect Union” speech, Barrack Obama is very good at using emotional appeals to relate to his audience. One way in which he does this is by comparing and contrasting his life experiences. For example, he talks about how he has both African American and white ancestors, as well as how he has “gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations”. By doing this he is able to establish common ground with a wide variety of people. He also appeals to people’s morals by suggesting that we treat each other the way that we would like to be treated. He does a great job at attempting to get people to see things from a different perspective by explaining the viewpoints and anger that both African Americans and white people face. For example, after explaining the problems that face both African Americans and whites, he explains that “Just as black anger often proved counterproductive, so have these white resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze.” He then goes on to advocate not exercising anger in the face of injustice, but instead emphasizes the importance of unity in dealing with these problems. Obama also uses logical appeals to establish his authority and relay his message to the American people. One way he does this is by speaking from personal experiences that he faced growing up. Obama defends Reverend Wrights aggressive remarks by appealing to his 20+ years of knowing him, and explains that although Wright may have slipped up and been perceived as racist, those words do not define who he is. Overall, Obama does a good job at using both logical and emotional appeals to engage with his audience, while also establishing his credibility and relating to people in a way that everyone can understand.