Obamas speech was calculated and structured with many rhetorical strategies playing to his favor, so that his overall message was easily communicated, and both viewers and possible voters were able to understand and connect with his ideas. Two rhetorical strategies that seemed to aide his speech the most were the use of pathos and repetition. His reasoning for choosing these were probably due to the fact that this was his first speech as an official presidential candidate, and he wanted to be persuasive and precise on exactly what the forefront of his campaign was about and what he plans to do if elected.
Where pathos appeals to ones emotion, it allows for a connection on a more personal level, which ultimately would further a greater sense of purpose or reason to get involved in what could be done. Obama said, “Beneath all the differences of race…