Communication Is A Vital Weapon Of American Politics

Millions of viewers tuned into the National Broadcasting Company television network for a special broadcast on the 27th of October. Viewers were anticipating Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” speech. Reagan was acknowledged for his acting in motion pictures and television episodes since 1937, and was now being seen in an unfamiliar role. Reagan emerged in support of the Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. Barry Morris Goldwater was a businessman and five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for president in the 1964 election. “A Time for Choosing” utilizes a plethora of rhetoric: style, delivery, pathos,

Due to the rapidly changing America, in his farewell address, Ronald Reagan expresses the need for unification of America, and America’s culture. In Reagan’s address, he uses many rhetorical devices to advance his purpose of unifying America, for instance, Reagan utilizes tone, syntax, and pathos to portray his pride, hopefulness, and patriotism for America. He uses these devices to show Americans of the unification America needs.

Ronald Reagan’s speech “A Time for Choosing” was a very effective persuasive speech that may not have gotten Barry Goldwater elected as president, but it did have a profound impact on the American people. This speech more than likely led to Ronald Reagan’s interest in politics and election as President of the United States in 1981. He communicated facts that may not have been known to the American community and additionally brought into perspective invalid statements that were said about Barry Goldwater. Reagan easily connected to his audience and was successful in convincing people to join his side of thinking through various persuasive techniques.

President Ronald Reagan’s speech “A Time for Choosing” was my selection for this assignment. Prior to his presidential election, Ronald Reagan was catapulted forward in his career by his motivational speech later titled by some simply as “The Speech”. At the time, Regan had recently changed from a long-standing Democrat to a Republican. Although his speech was unable to prevent President Lyndon Johnson’s ultimate win, it was very memorable due to the emotionally powerful and deeply moving presentation. Creating an unknown, yet powerful pull for his inevitable position as President. By conveying his points with such an emotional drive, “A Time for Choosing” became one of the most important speeches of his career. The soon to be President delivered this speech with strong words many Americans were not prepared to hear but came to accept. A speech that created many questions and provided many answers managed to express a level of emotion that seemed urgently calm. As one of President Reagans greatest speeches “A Time for Change” provided the world with a preview of a President in the making.

Millions of viewers tuned into the National Broadcasting Company television network for a special broadcast on the 27th of October. Viewers were anticipating Ronald Reagan’s “A Time for Choosing” speech. Reagan was acknowledged for his acting in motion pictures and television episodes since 1937, and was now being seen in an unfamiliar role. Reagan emerged in support of the Republican nominee Barry Goldwater. Barry Morris Goldwater was a businessman and five-term United States Senator from Arizona and the Republican Party's nominee for president in the 1964 election. “A Time for Choosing” was effective, because he gave personal examples to capture the audiences’ attention, and gave humor to a tough subject.

The most obvious way President Reagan delivers rhetoric to his audience is through his own ethos. Ronald Reagan wasn’t just your average president; he was a communicator. Reagan started his career as a sports announcer and continued on as an actor, which led to his later career in state and national politics. By the time President Reagan had delivered his address, the president had been in the spotlight his entire career and was looked up to worldwide. He had established an extrinsic ethos well before delivering this speech. By being the president of the free world, Reagan’s audience

Ronald Reagan 's Farewell Address was an amazing example of conveying the fundamentals for freedom through an emotional and visual lesson. It is no wonder that the president known as the "great communicator" was successful in painting for us a picture of who we were, past and present, and the improvements in the areas of strength, security, and stability that this great nation, or as Reagan referred to in his speech of John Winthrop 's vision of it as a "city upon a hill", had achieved over the past eight years. This amazing example has even been considered one of the

While in office Ronald Reagan had a disapproval rating that soared to 54% in 1983 (How the Presidents Stack Up). However, in 2001, his retrospective disapproval rating was a mere 27% (Newport). Often the focus of criticism while in office, Ronald Reagan has become known within the ranks of historians as one of the most influential American Presidents, ranking 10th in the Annual C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leaders in 2009 (C-SPAN Survey of Presidential Leadership). Lauded as the “Great Communicator,” much has been said of Reagan and his oratorical skills, including his simplicity, clarity, and sincerity of speech (Thompson). While his speech at the Bradenburg Gate, with its famous line, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall,” has

In Ronald Reagan’s speech, “remarks at the Brandenburg Gate” the 40th President Reagan discusses the positive qualities and aspects of the democratic system of government in America at the time. Reagan also challenges the Soviet Union as well as their communism and calls for Berlin to unify once again. Attempting to spread the ideology to those in Berlin, as well as the world, and convince the people there should have been a transition from Communism to Democracy, Reagan takes advantage of multiple appeals as well as an inspirational and hopeful tone. Reagan also made many very smart, conscious decisions regarding not only his appeals but also his choices of delivery, historical context, use of language, and timing, and audience. Utilizing these aspects allowed Reagan to give one of the most memorable and effective speeches in history.

Actor, Ronald Reagan, delivered his speech “A Time For Choosing” , he describes the consequential decision of choosing the correct candidate to be the next President in the 1964 election. Reagan’s purpose was to influence the citizens of America to vote for the best fit, which he believed to be Barry Goldwater, the republican party presidential candidate. He wanted to show the positive change that Barry could bring to America and the grave danger our country was in if we did not strive for change. Ronald Reagan’s very passionate and matter-of-fact tone caught the attention of the reporters and other observers across the nation, as well as his use of rhetorical questions, allusion, and metaphors used to spark the interest of the American People.

In an event as competitive as a presidential election, it is not enough to simply build oneself up; one has to also take down their opponent. Instead of rudely pointing out flaws, however, Reagan criticizes Carter in a nonconfrontational way. Through a series of rhetorical questions, such as “Are you happier today than when Mr. Carter became President of the United States?”, Reagan implies that Carter did an inadequate job as president while not directly stating any grievances. His questions are leading and imply a negative response. This tactic, paired with Reagan's self-promoting, leads to a more favorable view of Reagan than that of Carter.

He tells of looking out of an upstairs window of the White House toward the Washington Monument, the Mall, the Jefferson Memorial and across the Potomac. He compares the view he has to that which Abraham Lincoln would have had during his tumultuous presidency. By calling to mind historical American monuments, and one of the most famous Presidents of all time, this ethical appeal cogently connects Reagan to well-known, beloved parts of the American identity. Finally, Reagan reflects on the reason that he was given the nickname, “The Great Communicator.” He argues that it was not the “style or words that [he] used that made the difference: it was the content” (Reagan).

This book is a dynamic biography of former President Ronald W. Reagan’s life, both before and after his time in the White House. President Reagan’s excellent character and integrity are especially highlighted, as well as his extensive political wisdom and collected nature, even in high pressure situations. Peggy Noonan, the author of this book, keeps a consistent praising tone for Reagan throughout the novel, and her love and appreciation for the man is obvious. Reagan went on to win the hearts of many Americans with his charming personality and undeniable charisma, qualities of Reagan that even some of his political adversaries have pointed out.

The president is perhaps the most visible arm of government to the American people. Through the drama of highly televised election campaigns and public speeches, the president is, for most people, the face of government. The president’s communication to the public is spotlighted and given much more attention than other public officials’, such as representatives or senators. Since the president receives more public attention than any other individual in government, it seems natural to analyze presidential rhetoric.

On October 27, 1964 in Los Angeles County, California Ronald Reagan, who was running for president at the time, presented a speech on national television called “A Time For Choosing”, also known as “The Speech”. He presented this speech on behalf of Barry Goldwater and to address current issues like Vietnam, welfare, taxes and the over budget American government. This speech starts the beginning of Reagan's prosperity in politics and is one of the first speeches given by Reagan that will later earn him the title The Great Communicator. Reagan uses persuasive techniques like logos, pathos, and ethos throughout his speech. He uses logos to make what he is speaking about seem logical, pathos to connect to the audience emotionally, and ethos to make him seem credible.