Benefits and Challenges of this Project

I think that there are always benefits and challenges to working in group projects. I like these kinds of assignments because the responsibility is distributed, and no one is overly stressed. I think this is especially important since finals are coming up, and many people are going to be very stressed out. The challenges are figuring out when everyone can meet together, distributing the work assignments fairly and equally, and making sure that no one is slacking or pulling too much weight. I really like how our group is working together which makes this assignment even better.

John McCain's Concession Speech

I think that McCain's Concession Speech was very effective because of the organization of his speech. He starts out by addressing the audience as "my friends" which he is known to say frequently. He then goes on to explain the significance of this election in that it is the first time an African American has been elected president. He proceeds to thank all that helped him in his campaign, his family, and all his supporters. He then winds down his speech by saying that running for office was the greatest "honor" of his life, and that he has no regrets. He urges Americans to put their differences aside for the good of the country. He ends his speech with a very powerful set of short sentences: "Americans never quit. We never surrender. We never hide from history. We make history. Thank you, and God bless you, and God bless America." The repetition in these last statements really enhance the ending of the speech.
He also uses a lot of pathos throughout the speech, which also enhances its quality. For example, he talks about what this election means to the African American people throughout the country; I am sure that many emotions were elicited by his comments. Also, he frequently refers to how great and wonderful American is, and how it is the "greatest nation on Earth," which also elicit emotions from many people.
For our speech, we are writing the concession speech of Sarah Palin. I think that the way McCain structures his speech is very effective, and I think we should try doing something similar. On the other hand, while McCain uses a lot of pathos in his speech, it would probably not be a good idea to use so much for Palin's speech. The fact that she is a women already elicits stereotypes about her that she may become to emotional for such an important position so it would be best to stay away from too much heavy emotion. For our speech, it will be more important to establish Palin's credibility since that is something that many people think she lacks. I also think that we need to incorporate something that mentions that great accomplishment that Obama has achieved as the first black president, and that she believes the same great stride can be made for women.

John Kerry's Concession Speech

Overall, I think that John Kerry's Concession Speech was very effective. He did not seem to me to be overly upset or frustrated, and I believe that his speech probably had a more positive impact on the American people than Al Gore's speech.

Throughout the speech, some of his diction choices are very interesting. For example, he says that "Today, I hope that we can begin the healing." He also refers his supporters as "brigades" and "crew mates." Healing, brigades, and crew mates are interesting words to use, and they all convey the metaphor of a war that Kerry was using to describe the election.

Throughout his speech, pathos is by far the strongest rhetorical appeal because he uses it repeatedly. For example, he states, "I wish that I could just wrap you up in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart." He also uses pathos when trying to make a connection with all the views by saying that in the election, there are no losers because in the end, we are all Americans. I am sure that both these statements evoke sympathy from the audience, regardless of whether or not they supported Kerry.

Unlike Gore, Kerry does not use any quotes except "God Bless America," but I believe that the use of some probably would have been a good idea. He also does not attempt to use much humor; the speech is very serious, emotional, and to the point.

His syntax is also very effective, and a good example of this would be his closing statement. He says, "So with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I have come to know our vast country so much better thanks to all of you, and what a privilege it has been to do so. That prayer is very simple: God bless America. Thank you." I think this is effective because he talks about a prayer, and I assumed it was going to be something long, but then he ends it with such a short and popular prayer and a thank you. I think that the differences in structures in these sentences is a very good way to end a speech.