Smanik 1

Madeline Smanik
Dr. Brent Brossmann
CO 441-51
22 Sept. 2015
Descriptive Analysis
Link to text: https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2009/01/21/president-barack-obamasinaugural-address
1. Structure
A. Introduction: Obama begins his speech by placing himself on the same level
as the audience "My fellow citizens" in an effort to be viewed as their peer. He
continues by combining this approach of appealing to their patriotism with his own
expression of humility: "I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the
trust you've bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors." He consistently
uses "our" and "us" and the like to drive home his persona of a leader among his peers.
B. Outline: This particular example of rhetoric takes the form of a speech,
consistent with the presidential inaugural address genre.
C. Conclusion: In his conclusion, Obama returns to the historical references of
the introduction. He quotes George Washington from the Revolutionary War "At the
moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation
ordered these words to be read to the people:'Let it be told to the future world...that in the
depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the
country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].'" and he then
addresses today's Americans with a nostalgic, patriotic comparison of modern struggles
to the harsh winter two and a half centuries ago. "America: In the face of our common
dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words."
D. Transition: Obama transitions the subject from the past to the future. First, he
acknowledges past presidents when he states, "Forty-four Americans have now taken the
presidential oath." Unfortunately, this is incorrect and thus causes some damage to his

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credibility. Obama is the 44th president but only the 43rd person to be president, since
Grover Cleveland served two nonconsecutive terms.
He finishes the transition by asserting that American ideals have remained
consistent in the past, and then he discusses how they may be applied in the present and
future.
2. Purpose
A. Thesis: Obama's thesis is as follows: "Today I say to you that the challenges
we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a
short span of time. But know this America: They will be met." He focuses on patriotic
optimism throughout his speech.
B. Narrowed: Obama excludes from mention the competitive political campaign
that preceded his election to office. He makes no mention of his opponent Mitt Romney.
He does this in order to keep the speech's focus on the future and positivity, rather than
the negative campaign of the recent past.
Additionally, he excludes specifics of the federal government's failures. The
inaugural speech is meant to encourage optimism and hope in the American people, and
so it follows that mentioning failures of the past would not be helpful.
Obama also keeps from including too many details. The speech is intentionally
vague in order to maintain likeability, community, and common ground.
C. Desired Response: The desired response would involve the audience feeling
patriotic, hopeful, and ultimately supportive of the new president. After a fiercely
competitive election campaign, the president's goal is always to unite the American
people under his leadership.
3. Audience
A. Exposed: Anyone who watched the speech in person or on television were
originally exposed to the rhetoric. While the speech was mostly addressed to the
American people, it briefly addressed different groups throughout. This makes sense
since more than just Americans had access to watch the speech.

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The audience expects a lot from the rhetor of an inaugural address. The new
president or returning incumbent is about to embark on a four-year term as the leader of
the free world.
B. Target: The target audience was mainly the American people, as well as
anyone else with access to the video or text of the speech. While those Americans who
voted for Obama were obviously optimistic and hopeful, he still had to work for the
approval of those who did not endorse his election. Even though he was inaugurated and
did not need their votes, he still needed their support for his future endeavors. In addition,
many other countries had negative views of George W. Bush's administration, and Obama
needed to demonstrate that his would be an entirely new presidency.
C. Agent of Change: The agent of change is the American people. The agent is
important because they listen to an inaugural address every four years. So while a
presidential inauguration is historic and significant, it is also predictable. In order to be
effective, Obama's inaugural speech would have to be unique and memorable.
4. Persona
The rhetor plays the role of the nation's humble, yet strong and hopeful, new
leader. After the dismal approval ratings of Bush's presidency, Obama won the election
on his platform of hope and change. As the newly elected president, he now needed to
fulfill that role and demonstrate his ability to lead the country in a new and positive
direction.
5. Tone
A. Toward Subject. In his speech, Obama's tone toward the subject (the country's
future) is hopeful, optimistic, and confident. He states, "Guided by these principles once
more we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort, even greater
cooperation and understanding between nations."
B. Toward Audience. His tone toward the American people is reassuring,

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inclusive, and expectant. He demonstrates confidence in their abilities, but he also
expresses high expectations of conduct and work ethic. He states, "And yet at this
moment, a moment that will define a generation, it is precisely this spirit that must
inhabit us all. For as much as government can do, and must do, it is ultimately the faith
and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness
to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather
cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours."
6. Support
A. Examples. Obama utilizes examples from American history. He lists quite a
few at once in order to make a significant impact on listeners' emotions and patriotism.
He states, "For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across
oceans in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West,
endured the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in
places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn." In chronological order,
Obama references important battles from America's most historically significant
conflicts: the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, and the Vietnam War.
Americans feel drawn together and supportive of their government during times of war,
and this feeling of patriotic community is meant to be the effect of these historical
references.
B. Statistics. Statistics are not used in the speech. The only numbers referenced
are the 44 American presidents (which is actually 43) and the 60 years in reference to
Obama's father living in a time when racism was socially acceptable. The use of the
phrase "44 Americans" was overshadowed by its inaccuracy. However, Obama's
reference to the progress made since the era in which his father lived received applause.
C. Testimony. Obama cites the nation's progress in achieving racial equality

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through one testimony. He briefly highlights the contrast in opportunities for his father
and himself. He states, "This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed, why men and
women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this
magnificent mall; and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have
been served in a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."
This testimony adds credibility to his statements on race relations since his family has
personal experience with the issue.
D. Comparisons. The only comparison unrelated to history that Obama makes is
a comparison of other countries to the U.S. itself. He gives them a call to action when he
states, "And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer
afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's
resources without regard to effect." This call to action acts a power play. It shows other
countries that the U.S. feels that it is in a position where it can tell them what they should
be doing.
7. Strategies
Identify all the important strategies. Use specific strategy references within each
class listed below. For each strategy, provide examples, tell me the frequency of use,
and tell me what the impact of the different forms of support was on the speech
/audience.
A. Argument. Obama's testimony to progress made in racial equality also
demonstrates enactment. His election to the presidency serves as proof of the progress the
U.S. has made so far in achieving racial equality. He uses this strategy once, and it makes
that part of his speech more credible.
B. Narrative. Obama combines an appeal to national pride with one short

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narrative of the country's founding. "As for our common defense, we reject as false the
choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers -- (applause) -- our
Founding Fathers, faced with perils that we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to
assure the rule of law and the rights of man -- a charter expanded by the blood of
generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for
expedience sake. (Applause.)" This proved extremely effective, as the audience broke
into applause twice within this passage.
C. Language. Obama uses some dramatic and optimistic language, but he also
uses some rather vague language throughout his speech. Through repetition, he
emphasizes a sense of community and nationalism by repeating the phrase "for us." He
states, "For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans
in search of a new life. For us, they toiled in sweatshops, and settled the West, endured
the lash of the whip, and plowed the hard earth. For us, they fought and died in places
like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn." This repetition instills the
community perspective that aligns with the desired response to the speech.
D. Visual. Obama only uses visual images a few times within the speech. The
most notable example of this is his use of depiction. He tells the story of the colonist
soldiers during the Revolutionary War. He states, "In the year of America's birth, in the
coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of
an icy river. The capital wasabandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained
with blood." Later, he compares modern-day issues to this "winter" in order to establish a
patriotic connection between those who fought for U.S. independence and the audience of
this speech.
E. Appeals to emotions / needs. Throughout his speech, Obama appeals to
sentimental, patriotic emotions as well as the need to belong. He repeatedly appeals to

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this sentimentality through mentions of meaningful, historic events and the
responsibilities of Americans: "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility
-- a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation
and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept, but rather seize gladly, firm in the
knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character
than giving our all to a difficult task." This attempts to galvanize the American people to
act with a patriotic attitude.
F. Symbols (social or archetypal). Obama includes a cultural symbol within his
speech. The symbol of George Washington as the father of our country is so ingrained
within American history that Obama does not even need to mention Washington by name
to get his point across. Instead, he simply calls him "the father of our nation." Through
this reference, he establishes common ground among the American people.
G. Genres. It can be argued that the presidential inaugural address is its own
genre. While the rhetor changes every four to eight years, the role remains the same that
of the newest president. He aims to unite the American people under his administration,
and he has to do so after a (usually) competitive campaign. Obama follows this same
pattern in his first inaugural address.