Final Blog

In both readings, “Means of Persuasion” and “A More Perfect Union” by former president Barack Obama, both contain strong examples of Logos, Pathos, and Ethos. Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech does well at using all three different appeals, but I feel that wat really drove it home was his many uses of pathos. In the speech two examples come to mind, that show strong uses of pathos and ethos. When he lets his audience know how lucky he feels to be in America, “I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles, and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” This also let’s Obama catch the attention of the other races, as he is not only running for the black community. When Obama explains that if we do not act now, there will always be a distraction that keeps us from talking about the problems that really matter, “That is one option. Or, at this moment, in this election, we can come together and say, ‘Not this time.’” Similarly to Barack Obama’s speech, in “Means of Persuasion,” we are given good examples of ethos, pathos, and logos but they are a lot more focused on individual tactics to appeal and persuade your audience.