Category: Barack Obama

Rhetorical Essay on Obama School Shooting Speech

Introduction

Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, delivered numerous powerful speeches during his presidency. One speech that resonated deeply with the nation was his address following the tragic school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. In this rhetorical essay, we will analyze Obama’s school shooting speech to understand the effective use of rhetorical strategies, emotional appeals, and persuasive language employed to address the devastating incident and call for action on gun control.

Establishing Ethos and Pathos

From the outset, Obama establishes his ethos as a compassionate leader deeply affected by the tragedy. He expresses genuine empathy and compassion for the victims, their families, and the community, connecting on a personal level with the audience. By doing so, he establishes a bond of trust and credibility, enabling him to effectively convey his message.

Obama’s use of pathos is evident throughout the speech. He employs emotional appeals to elicit strong emotional responses from the audience. By sharing the individual stories of the victims, emphasizing the innocence of the children, and evoking feelings of grief and loss, he taps into the collective sense of sadness and anger felt by the nation. This emotional appeal serves to heighten the urgency and importance of the issue at hand.

Employing Logos and Reasoning

Obama employs logos and reasoning to present a strong and rational argument in favor of stricter gun control measures. He presents statistical evidence of the prevalence of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, highlighting the need for immediate action. Through logical reasoning, he argues that preventing such tragedies requires a comprehensive approach that includes gun safety measures, mental health resources, and stricter background checks.

The effective use of logos is further enhanced by Obama’s appeal to common sense and shared values. He emphasizes the notion that preventing future tragedies is not a partisan issue but a moral imperative that transcends political divisions. By framing the issue as a matter of protecting our children and communities, he taps into the audience’s shared sense of responsibility and duty.

Utilizing Persuasive Language

Obama’s skillful use of persuasive language is a prominent feature of the speech. He employs powerful and vivid imagery to convey the magnitude of the tragedy and the urgency for change. Phrases such as “a classroom full of children…gunned down in a place that should be a sanctuary” and “we can’t tolerate this anymore” evoke strong emotions and elicit a call to action.

The president also utilizes repetition strategically to emphasize key points and to create a memorable impact. The repetition of the phrase “we can’t” throughout the speech serves as a rhetorical device that underscores the need for collective action and societal change. It reinforces the idea that the current state of gun violence is unacceptable and must be addressed immediately.

Conclusion

Obama’s school shooting speech stands as a poignant example of effective rhetoric. Through his adept use of ethos, pathos, logos, and persuasive language, he effectively addresses the tragedy and advocates for change. By establishing a connection with the audience, appealing to their emotions, presenting logical arguments, and utilizing persuasive language, Obama successfully calls for action on gun control while honoring the victims and their families.

The speech serves as a testament to the power of rhetoric in conveying a message, inspiring change, and uniting a nation in the face of tragedy. It stands as a reminder that effective communication, grounded in compassion, reason, and persuasive language, can serve as a catalyst for social and political transformation.

Why Was Barack Obama a Good Leader

Obama, from an early age, knew that he was destined to help change the nation and in order to do so needed to focus on ending corruption from the ground up. I believe this sparked his move to Chicago, which was one of the most racially segregated cities in the US at the time. His desire for changing our nation’s destiny was only matched by his desire to learn who he is, and becoming an organizer seemed like a way that he could use his analytical style of thinking to help understand his own personal journey in life. During Obama’s time as an organizer, he grew as a person, a leader, and a social justice influencer, and did so with values that aligned with the effective agenda-setting principles presented in Ch. 5 of “Stand & Deliver.”

The first principle, which involves using democratic practices for social change and equality, and in society as a whole, is directly in line with the core of Obama’s work as an organizer. Obama and the leadership team gathered the community on street corners, in auditoriums, and at churches in order to foster an environment where people could discuss their issues and goals in life and spark a passion for change. The discussions made between the people at the meeting did not just affect the lives of those in attendance but influenced change in the community as a whole. One example of this was when the leadership took the word and actions of the people and started to make a change for The Gardens by influencing Ms. Alvarez to install MET within the area.

The second principle outlined is to use ideological pluralism where viewpoints from multiple sides of the situation are included. This is clearly evident in Obama’s partnerships and discussions with Rafiq. Rafiq had his own idea of how blacks in Chicago, particularly Roseland, can support each other during business and keep all profit within the black community. Though Rafiq’s plan for the city did not directly align with Obama and the leadership’s goals, they were willing to work with Rafiq to have a symbiotic relationship. This inclusion of multiple viewpoints represents ideological pluralism because it allows the coexistence of both plans and allows each one to continue in hopes of success.

The inclusion of women in the leadership of the movement was a principle that clearly aligned with Obama’s organizing. Many of Obama’s closest relationships were with women – Toot, Maya, and his mother. This gave him trust and reliance on women in his life. Angela, Shirley, and Mona were three of the first women he met who truly appreciated, followed, and lead alongside Obama when he got to Chicago. He also had Mary, who helped organize the gatherings in the church, a white woman who wanted change for her daughters. With them by his side, he conducted interviews and listened to countless stories from women about their struggles and hardships in their daily lives. And in the end, they took this information to a woman of power, Ms. Alvarez. Women were clearly represented and played a large role in helping Obama not only achieve change but stay grounded and remember the meaning of his work.

Incorporating the contribution of each generation was not as explicitly clear, but was still involved in Obama’s organizing. To Obama, the children are the future, and his efforts were performed in order to give them a better life than he had. He wanted to make the streets safe, provide access to education, and break down racial barriers so they won’t have to deal with them. The adult generation was the generation to lead the change, gather to talk, then act. The older generation is whom he learned from. He learned what they’ve done wrong, such as turning their anger inward, and what they excel in, such as their resilience and not backing down.

The coalition of blacks and whites was extremely prominent in Obama’s organizing, particularly because a white man was the main leader of the whole movement, Marty. Marty is the one who encouraged Obama to move to Chicago, paid him to be an organizer, and mentored him through decisions and actions he made during his efforts. He followed under the leadership of Marty, a non-black because he believed in Marty’s efforts to join blacks and whites together in Chicago to provide jobs. He knew that this grass-roots effort to understand the wants and needs of the community and make small changes could lead to something much larger. This dynamic with Marty also aligns with the next principle, which is the accountability of those who claim to be Black leaders. Obama struggled with other blacks in the community to follow the leadership of Marty but knew that by proving their dedication to the black community through listening to the people, the community would join with them. In one way, Marty’s hiring of Obama is accountability itself for his representation of Black leadership. He knew to truly influence the lives of people he wanted to help, he would need someone who looked like them.

And lastly, the principle of collective leadership does not repress individuals, nor elevate their interests over the collective need. This is beautifully personalized in Obama’s relationship with Will. Will was strongly opinionated and definite in his ways, such as wearing a Clergy collar though others did not believe he should have the right. One of Will’s movements was to hold street corner meetings, which Obama was very hesitant about. But in order to not repress his leadership, Obama agreed and helped put on the events. In the end, the street corner meetings were many of the most successful events, because they were a comfortable and familiar spot for the people of Chicago. Obama was also worried when Will began an impromptu reflection portion of one of the meetings. This was most likely because of how uncomfortable Obama was with sharing his own story. But soon, Obama saw how much people were willing to open up, and the powerful moment truly compelled everyone in attendance. He was proud of his fellow leader, and at that moment understood his motivations.

Obama’s leadership and work within the movement helped instill power, community, and most importantly change within the communities he was involved with. But, Obama did not and could not have done it alone. His use of these principles, whether he intended to or not, allowed him to be a successful leader within the community. By incorporating more and more of these principles over time, he developed his network of support and learned new ways to gather and understand the needs of the community, in order to have the most impact. His goal was to perform grass-roots movements to impact the community on a larger scale, and in turn, it impacted him deeply to give him the experience needed to move into higher positions in politics later in life.

Barack Obama Leadership Style Essay

Summary

Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the USA and the first African American president, has been an exemplary leader in the political sector. Obama served two presidential terms from 2009-2017. He identifies as a person with collective leadership values.

Obama possesses several qualities that make him a good leader, his personal traits such as humbleness, friendliness and his warmth proved him to be a Charismatic leader, and known as a talented speech expert, Obama conveyed his message to the people quite clearly. He is known to adapt his speech to suit the community and society’s needs. He faced a challenging 8-year presidential period that was characterized by serious events, tensions, and crises. A critical analysis of his characteristics and personal traits along with an elaborated discussion on various leadership styles and behavioral theories brought to the conclusion that Obama is a Transformational Leader.

Obama’s personal traits attributed him to be a good leader. His personal traits identify him as one to be ambitious and self-confident. He exhibited traits that classify him as a confident conciliator. Under the skills theory, a leader must possess proficiency in certain areas such as effective communication and relationship skills. Obama has been well known for his skills, having practiced as a civil rights lawyer, and he is well-versed with the legislation of the country. The behavioral theory analyses and discusses the behavior of leaders during the decision-making process and it identifies three types of behavior, including that of an Autocratic, Laissez-Faire, and Democratic leader.

Obama identified as a Transformational leader, as his decision-making was influenced by his leadership style and personality traits, however, he faced criticism for some of his decisions, and due to fierce opposition, he struggled to acquire the support he needed. The analysis and study conclude that Obama’s transformational leadership style was not enough to gain the necessary support unless his leadership involved democratic behavior.

Introduction

This report discusses the leadership style of Barack Hussein Obama, as the President of the United States of America. It discusses how his leadership style was influenced by his personal characteristics, affecting his decisions and how it impacted him when he required support.

This report briefly explains the different leadership style and behavioural theories to Obama’s leadership style. The report also analyses the advantages and disadvantages of his leadership style, his personal traits, and characteristics and how it made him a good leader.

The aim of critically analysing the leadership and personal traits of Obama during his presidential term and compare it with his leadership style to identify his leadership style and why Obama was a successful leader.

Why Barack Obama is a leader?

Being a leader does not mean having your name in the limelight, making speeches, or confining the power given at the top. It means being able to unleash that power and serve its purpose. Obama identifies as a person with collective leadership values. Obama has been driven by the common threads of empathy and compassion for others as well as a willingness to empower others.

Obama has been working to identify the talent of others and harness it collectively, using the force of his values to attract and foster such talent. Through the Obama Foundation, he and his wife Michelle are working to realize, support and network young leaders globally. (Cameron, 2020)

Profile

Barack Hussein Obama was born in Hawaii on 4th August 1961 to an American mother of European descent and an African father. Obama is an American politician and an attorney. He was a member of the democratic society as well as a U.S Senator and later became the first African American president. (Biography.com, 2020)

He was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States of America in 2009, after a decisive victory against the republican candidate John McCain. Obama was then re-elected in the 2012 elections to serve his second term, defeating republican candidate Mitt Romney. Obama served as the U.S President for 2 terms from 2009-2017.

Some of Obama’s first term actions addressed were the ‘Global Financial Crises’ which included a major stimulus package, a partial extension of the ‘Bush Tax Cuts’, legislation to ‘Reform Health Care’, and a major ‘Financial Regulation Reform Bill’. During his second term, Obama took steps to combat ‘Climate Change’, signing a major ‘International Climate Agreement’ and an ‘Executive Order’ to limit ‘Carbon Emissions’. He also presided over the implementation of the ‘Affordable Care Act’ and other legislation passed in his first term.

Why Barack Obama is a good leader?

Speech Expert

The next superiority that Obama has is his ability as a speech expert. He was often nicknamed as a ‘Talented Speech expert’ who raised the spirit of the people. For example, many people are interested in their ability to make speeches, and also a compilation of speeches and Obama’s statement, “Change We Can Believe In” that compiled by Obama’s campaign staff. Besides that, he is also often said to be a great “Star Power” that is able to attract investigators easily. This is because Obama has advantages such as extraordinary charisma, such as tenacity, friendliness, warmth, and also attraction.

Obama posses several qualities that make him a good leader:

As a speech expert, he was often nicknamed as a ‘Talented Speech Expert’ who raised the spirits of the people. He was also often known to be a ‘Star Power’ because he had advantages such as extraordinary charisma, tenacity, friendliness, warmth, and attraction.

Obama showed awareness through approaches that were appropriate to its environment. He would carefully adjust the way he spoke like his accent depending on the locations and even used slang, adapting to the community and society (Zahra, A. 2019 The Leadership of Barack Obama). He accepted all criticism’s and suggestions regarding the problems that the people of America face, and is analytical and cautious in his decision making. His personal traits also attributed to be a good leader. His personality is identified as being a humanist, intelligent and humble.

Critical Analysis

Barack Obama emphasized on his readiness to advance and become the next president of America; this self-confidence described him as a leader who was awaited by the society. Obama had a rational approach and made decisions based on non-emotional information. He had a thought process where he always discussed and negotiated in comparison to other officials who preferred a simpler approach to conflict resolution. This caution and deliberation in decision making was criticized as he took so much time in deciding on conflicts such as the war in Afghanistan. Despite being well known for his friendlier and humble approach, his positive representation began to decline due to his partiality towards countries such as Israel, where his political attitude was not different to the previous U.S president. Obama is known as one of the great presidents derived from the African American race, as his leadership affected the U.S. into a greater country. He has had the advantage of carefully and maturely discussing what he would do, or when he would issue a policy and action.

Leadership styles

Obama’s leadership styles including its advantages are summarized in the following theoretical frameworks:

1. Transformational Leadership:

A leader who encourages, inspires, and motivates others to innovate and create change to help grow and shape the future of their people is a classic example of a transformational leadership style. Obama’s personality is marked as a charismatic figure, which brought the attention of Americans, as well as foreigners, where he has the highest ability to bring others to his side and to accomplish tasks efficiently (Popa, Hazel, Whatley, Andenoro & Crandall, 2011). Obama has been regarded as a transformational leader, because of his ability to bring change to the electoral game, from party representative to a party leader, because of his ability to guide the will of the public, and shake up the internal and external affairs (Takala, Tanttu, Lamsa & Virtanen, 2013).

2. Cross-Cultural Leadership:

Obama has adopted different approaches to bring him closer to other cultures. He worked to improve United States image abroad, by visiting many foreign countries, focusing on the cultural standards and norms of those peoples. He gave more interest to improving America’s relations with the countries through consensual policies. His personal traits played an important role to approach to people of other countries (Hanson, 2014).

3. Global Leadership:

Obama had a global vision and was able to effectively create an independent strategic environment. He created a balance between the major powers in the world with a control of differences and contradictions and served the global ideology of equal humanity as well as co-ordinated various regional parties to a common framework. He had a strong management of internal crisis and a control over it, at the same time he had awareness of the existence of common development factors amongst countries. (Hanson, 2014)

4. Internal Leadership:

Obama’s leadership at an internal level was characterized by his effectiveness to resolve an accumulated problem of the economy such as unemployment, health insurance, and public security, in addition to global problems that reflected a bad image of America around the world. (Popa, Hazel, Whatley, Andenoro & Crandall, 2011).

Disadvantages of the same leadership styles are summarized as follows:

1. Transformational Leadership:

A transformative leader often faces the difficulty to obtain necessary support to pass his ideas, which is where Obama presented with new values to adopt in the presence of strong opposition from within and outside the political party (Wright, Moynihan & Pandey, 2012).

2. Cross-Cultural Leadership:

Many considered it was the weakness in Obama’s leadership which caused the conflicts in the Middle East and the spread of terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria, as the United States have given up most of their leadership roles for the benefit of Russia (Hanson, 2014)

3. Global Leadership:

During the international crisis in Iraq, Libya, Syria, Gaza and Ukraine, Obama found himself under criticism by lawmakers where he seemed to stand back and not do anything to make the congress into acting on the border crisis beyond giving speeches. Public had lost confidence in the President’s leadership (Mataconis, D. 2014).

4. Internal Leadership:

Obama’s internal leadership skills was by resistance due to his strict leadership personality. Although he lined up many American people with his ideas to bring a comprehensive change, he could not gather the necessary political support for the changes that he believed in. (Green & Roberts, 2012).

Concepts and theories

1. Behavioural Theories

This theory analyses and discusses how leaders behave during the decision-making processes. The theory identifies three types of behaviour where leaders are:

i. Autocratic

Under this style, leaders do not care about others’ opinions and determines the goals and ways to achieve them (Tourish, 2014)

ii. Laissez-Faire

This leadership style is where the leader allows his followers to take decision, draw goals and their implementation methods. The leader focusses on giving information to his subordinates rather than taking the lead in directing them (Tourish, 2014).

iii. Democratic

This leadership style obtains their follower’s views, express their ideas, provide them with the necessary information and support. (Tourish, 2014). Democratic leadership style enables leaders to get the cooperation and support needed under the presence of a strong opposition.

2. Traits Theory:

Barack Obama’s personality profile reveals that he is ambitious and confident. Traits like being accommodating, compatible and diligent to a certain degree classified him as a “Confident Conciliator”. He exhibited traits where he gave importance to tasks over relationships as well as giving preference to gathering information from different sources rather than relying on his officials. (Analysis Of A Present Day Leader Barack Obama Commerce Essay, 2020)

3. Skills Theory:

Like the trait’s theory, the skills theory places its attention to the leader. It illustrates that there are certain skills that leaders must possess or develop to carry out their job effectively. The skills that a leader must possess include proficiency in certain areas, effective communication and relationship skills, and ability to conceptualize, analyse situations, and craft strategies.

Obama is well known for his skills; he obtained his law degree from the Harvard University and was awarded the honour Juris Doctor. Before entering politics, he taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago for eight years, and practiced as a civil rights lawyer, making him well-versed with the legislations of the country. He served as a state senator and has supported several bills on the reformation of health care and ethics laws. (Analysis Of A Present Day Leader Barack Obama Commerce Essay, 2020)

Conclusion

As Obama took charge of the presidential office and stepped into the leadership role, he worked hard during his eight years to fulfill his promise to his voters. His two terms where characterized by great tensions, serious events, crisis and overlapping changes at both internal and external levels. Characterized by his personal traits, Obama’s ambitiousness, and self-confidence, identified himself as a transformational leader however due to a fierce opposition, in some cases struggled to acquire the support he needed. His decision making was influenced by his leadership styles and personal traits, as a result some of his decisions were criticized. It is found that the transformational leader must get the full support to achieve an effective leadership and need to be flexible in dealing with others. To conclude, Obama’s Transformational leadership style is not enough to earn the necessary support and unless the transformational leader involves a democratic behavior.

References

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