The Iowa Caucus Victory Speech
This was a success speech by Barack Obama, when he was a junior senator from Illinois. The speech was delivered at Des Moines, Iowa, on the 3 January 2008, after a win in the Caucus. American citizens are the intended audience since the speech celebrates a political victory and later in the speech, Obama expresses his interest in vying for the presidential position. This speech shows that Obama is well informed of the problems that the American citizens are facing, and he is willing to make positive changes to improve the country if given the chance.
In the opening remarks, it is evident that Barack Obama quotes the perception of his rivals who thought that he would not succeed to be president, since they thought that day would never come (AmericanRhetoric, 2008). Barack Obama wants the American citizens to cooperate so that they can change the political atmosphere, which he describes as filled with pettiness, bitterness, and anger. Obama urges the American citizens to unite with the common purpose of demanding for change in political matters. Obama even gives an example whereby he cooperated with people of different political stand to improve health care in Illinois (AmericanRhetoric, 2008). Obama also presents his interest in contesting for the American presidential position and informs the American citizens on the actions and changes that he is going to make as President
“move beyond the bitterness and pettiness and anger end the political strategy that is about division instead make it additionto build a coalition for change” (AmericanRhetoric, 2008)
Obama spreads a message of hope to the American citizens by quoting his humble beginning and adds that hope has the potential of positively influencing people’s lives (Fleming, 2009). The audience that is present during this speech receives Obama’s messages positively; this is evident in the frequent applauses that he receives after the main points (Toomey, 2012). Although Barack Obama is victorious in the Iowa Caucus election, he calls for unity among the American citizens regardless of their political affiliation. Obama acknowledges that the people’s voices are more powerful than the financial influence of the lobbyists who use money as their form of influence (Sweetspeeches). Obama urges the American citizens to take advantage of their ability to choose their leader by voting. Obama points out to the audience, the recommended traits of a worthy president as one who will be honest when making choices, a person who will listen to the citizens and learn from them, and lastly a person who will not tell citizens only what they prefer to hear but also what they need to know (AmericanRhetoric, 2008).
Later in the speech, Obama expresses his interest in the position of the President, after which Obama makes an effort to convince the American public on what he shall do as president. As president he will make health care affordable and available to all, just as he developed health care in Illinois, he will end the tax breaks for companies that ship American jobs overseas and enforce a middleclass tax-cut (APforeign, 2011). In addition, Obama promises to harnesses the initiative of farmers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, to free the America nation from the domination of oil, to end the war in Iraq and brings troops home, to restore America’s moral standing, and to use all means to unite America (NewYorkTimes, 2008). Obama also expresses his interest in making America a better place by encouraging unity in the fight against the common threats of the 21st century, which he points out as terrorism, climate change, poverty, nuclear weapons, disease, and genocide (Obama, 2008).
References
AmericanRhetoric . 9/11 Memorial speech. Retrieved on 19th Nov 2012 from: < http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barackobama/barackobama911pentagonmemorialspeech.htm>
APforeign. (2011). Text of Obama’s speech commemorating Sept. 11. Retrieved on 19th Nov 2012 from:
Fleming, C.G.(2009).Yes We Did? From King's Dream to Obama's Promise. University Press of Kentucky.
NewYorkTimes.(2008). Barack Obama’s Caucus Speech. Retrieved on 19th Nov 2012 from:
Obama, B. (2008). Celebrating change: Key speeches of President-Elect Barack Obama. Rockville, MD: Arc Manor.
Sweetspeeches.9/11 memorial speech. Retrieved on 19th Nov 2012 from:
Toomey, J. (2012). Change You Can Really Believe in: The Obama Legacy of Broken Promises and Failed Policies. Authorhouse.
