Rhetorical Analysis Of John Mccain's Speech

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Depicting America as a powerful, united, bulwark of the world, John McCain makes his conciliatory address to the Republican National Convention. As a war hero and a senator, John McCain spent his life fighting for American patriotism and strength. However, in the 2000 election, he loses the Republican party nomination and makes a speech to make Americans aware of the difficulties that follow on the current path. He stresses the need to act now and to initiate successful leadership and force to keep America secure and powerful. By contrasting America’s possibilities and current situation, repeating the multitude of dilemmas facing American leaders, and weaving incessant syntax through the passage, McCain successfully conveys his message to the …show more content…

McCain, not even 20 words into his speech, has already stated that America is “so strong and prosperous that we can scarcely imagine the heights we could ascend if we have the will to make the climb.” He makes this patriotic claim in order to catch the attention of the Republican base and to highlight the true problem facing America. Halfway into his second sentence, he already boasts about America’s possibilities and he chooses this patriotic appeal because of the Republican listeners, who hold patriotism and loyalty to the nation in high regard. McCain adds that we might not have “the will to make the climb” and this serves to distress the audience and prepare them for his description of the crisis. Consequently, McCain continues by exclaiming how America “is in danger of losing the best sense of herself: that there is a purpose to being an American beyond materialism.” McCain vociferates about America “losing the best sense of herself” and his claim hits a specific nerve in the Republican voters. Republicans establish themselves as a party who takes action for the preservation of America’s dominance and strength, and although his comments about America being subpar stand a chance at alienating his audience, his distress signal brings their attention and wonder to his speech. Repeating the various pitfalls of 2000s American culture, after capturing the …show more content…

Furthermore, McCain asserts how George W. Bush “wants nothing to divide us into separate nations”. Not our color. Not our race. Not our own wealth. Not our religion, but our religion. Not our politics.” McCain makes this speech at the Republican National Convention in order to symbolically hand the baton to Bush and relay the importance of voters trusting Bush. McCain presents a crisis and then declares that only one figure can restore America back to its glory and points the spotlight onto George W. Bush. At this Republican National Convention, although McCain lost the vote, a large portion of the listeners and voters side with him over Bush. In order to fully transfer his votes onto Bush, McCain presents this crisis and presents the solution. McCain mostly utilizes emotional appeals to indoctrinate his message into voters, and not only does this uniquely help them visualize the American dilemma, but the bleak depictions force them to go with McCain’s proposal to vote for Bush. McCain

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