A Rhetorical Analysis Of President Barack Obama's Address

Incumbent president Barack Obama gave the very last speech of his presidency from his former constituency, Chicago, IL. As the speech began, the crowd chanted “four more years,” and the president replied, “I can’t do that.” The speech had a spirit encouragement and Obama brought full circle his campaign slogans of hope and change. Many of his supporters are weary about the presidency of President-elect Trump, however, Obama promised a smooth transition and continuous advisement in the years to come.

Obama discussed the importance of our democracy. He mentions, “All of us should be throwing ourselves into the task of rebuilding our Democratic institutions,” emphasizing the fact that, as a nation, we must fight to uphold the tenets upon which
our democracy was built. The Chicagoan reflected on the value of his time in Chicago as a community organizer where he learned that in order for something to change, he must be an active participant. The speech also lightly touched on some of the accomplishments of Obama’s presidency like the Affordable Care Act, the decrease in unemployment, and the progress in the nuclear arms race. Obama also gave a heartfelt thank you to his wife, Michelle, his daughters Sasha and Malia, and his vice president and all of his staff.

Obama concluded the speech by harping on the significance of every man’s civic responsibility. He says, “The same thing I asked we took a chance on me eight years ago, I am asking you to believe, not in my ability to bring about change, but in yours.”