Obama v. Romney

This blog post will provide a comparative analysis between Obama and Romney’s convention speeches. Obama’s speech was very uplifting: it was well spoken, included more logos-based arguments compared to Romney’s speech, and really encompassed the “Democrat spirit.” That is, it appealed to the varying demographics of the Democratic party, and also attracted on-the-fence voters. Further, it built an image of Obama as being very personable and as a man who holds the American dream dear. Though he did engage a good deal of pathos, he generally did so in a tactful way, such as appealing to the audience’s patriotic spirit. However, he did talk about his family, a pathos technique I do not like as it feels unprofessional. In contrast, Romney’s speech was a complete practice in pathos rhetoric. He spoke little of policy, and spent most of his speech talking about his family, the love of his wife, and his historical roots. The speech felt very mechanical and not sincere. As a result, Romney lacked the feeling of professionalism that one would expect from a would-be President. He ought to of included policy based arguments in his speech rather than just focusing on an appeal to emotion. Further, the way he handled his appearance made him seem downright slimy, with an awkward smile and an overly slick dress. All-in-all, Obama’s speech was far superior to that of Romney. Obama seemed more accessible, honest, and engaged far more logos based rhetoric compared to Romney. GRADE: Obama: B+ | Romney: C