A Rhetorical Analysis Of Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

44th President, Barack Obama, in his speech, Inaugural Address, addresses where we are as an economy. Obama’s purpose is to let the audience know that our nation is in crisis and there are things that need to be done. He adopts an informational tone in order to express the importance of the nation and the necessity of making our country an improved place for our future children. Obama builds his credibility with convincing facts and statistics, incorporating fear, and successfully employing emotional appeals.
Obama begins his Inaugural Address by acknowledging that our economy is badly weakened and our collective failure to make tough choices and prepare the nation for a new age. He appeals to convincing facts by mentioning that “less measurable,

In his speech he expresses that “the time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness”(8). Even though “the question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified”(15). Obama explains “to the people of poor nations,[that] we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds”(25). He creates an emotional attachment to the audience to connect to their desired needs. This appeal gives the audience a sense of belonging and let them know that someone cares about their everyday needs and is willing to fix the living situations of the poor people.
Obama stated his proposition on what he is going to fix in our nation. He successfully delivered his plans by appealing to the audience with convincing facts and statistics, using fear, and an emotional