The Speech
The Speech, also known as “A Time for Choosing” is not only a lighthearted source of entertainment for the audience gathered to hear the ideas of Ronald Reagan. The rhetorical styles employed by Reagan presents the candidature of Barry Goldwater as an optimistic hope for change needed in the country. Reagan states that, “I’ve never known a man in my life I believed so incapable of doing a dishonest or dishonorable thing” (Reagan). The narrator’s tone also depicts a vivid concern for the future of the country, thus facilitating an engagement with the citizens of the country. The speech takes almost thirty minutes from its beginning to the end. It is interesting how Reagan manages to capture the audience’s attention for such a long time. In fact, there were no powerpoint presentations, intermissions, or even scene change to break the boredom associated with lengthy speeches. Certain rhetorical styles such as repetition, an ethos, and logos help the narrator create a level of emotional change within the minds and hearts of the listeners.
Repetition as a Rhetorical Technique
First, the most powerful rhetorical technique used by Reagan is repetition. During the speech, Reagan reinforces the concept of staying united among the American community. He formulates examples where he elaborates a problem and then follows it up with a solution. At the time, the United States government is believed to have a solid foundation. However, in the speech, Reagan manages to crack apart the solid foundation upon which the U.S. government stands to expose the rot that is slowing creeping into the society. Many Americans had started emulating the greediness and seediness of their government. In doing so, Reagan talks about situations where people plan to earn higher salaries through divorce processes as a means to provide for their families (Reagan).
An Emotional Connection with the Audience
In the same breath, Reagan tells the audience that there is a way out of their situation since the issues affecting their society are collective rather than individual. The threat of communism features explicitly in the speech when he challenges the audience to approach those who have lost loved ones in South Vietnam and ask them whether the peace at the time ought to be maintained (Reagan). He even demonstrates the loss of hope experienced by military families when they constantly worry about the welfare and safety of their loved ones at war. He states that, “Do they mean peace, or do they mean we just want to be left in peace?” Reagan becomes definitive by stating that peace can never be established provided an American dies on behalf of other citizens. Here, he manages to maintain sustainable peace by connecting the needs of the audience to a foreign policy that can be used to intervene whenever and wherever communism reared its ugly head in the world. Reagan attempts to make the audience react positively to the emotional story that makes them connect empathically to the struggles that military families undergo. The use of pathos in this instance allows Reagan to create an emotional connection with the audience to make them understand that the speaker also has the same concerns on foreign policy as an average American.
Logical Arguments for Economic Situation
Thirdly, Reagan employs logos by using the nation’s fiscal policy to create a logical argument regarding the economic situation the country is experiencing. His argument relies on facts, reasoning, and figures to try to enlighten Americans about the injustices of the government at the time. Reagan states that the country has adopted an unsustainable fiscal policy that has led to the country raising its debt limit three times in only twelve months. He states that, “our government continues to spend 17 million dollars a day more than the government takes in” (Reagan). The speaker’s focus on logical arguments facilitates the effective communication to an audience whose understanding of the economic situation of the country improves.
Concluding Thoughts
In conclusion, Reagan employs rhetorical techniques in his speech to convince the audience to consider Republican candidate Barry Goldwater in the presidential election. The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying together through repetition and also appeal to the emotional connection to military families. The emotional connection with military families is used to create a foreign policy that protects soldiers who must be protected from communism wherever they go. Finally, Reagan uses logical arguments to make the audience understand the status of the fiscal policy adopted in the United States. Reagan explores these rhetorical techniques to share his ideas concerning the future of the United States.
Works Cited
Reagan, Reagan. “A Time for Choosing." YouTube, uploaded by
ReaganFoundation, 2 April 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXBswFfh6AY
