Discussion Question #1 Blog Week 1

I have recently found a speaker who genuinely moves me. His tone, poise, and emotion are admirable. Barack Obama has earned the trust and hope of millions of Americans. His power to persuade others mostly stems from pathos and ethos. When speaking, he knows how to draw on the emotional desires of the people. His presence over the past couple of years has provided him the opportunity to establish a liking based upon his knowledge and moral ground, which plays on ethos. In regards to myself, I think that I draw on these same points. I always want to draw my points of persuasion from what an individual can relate with emotionally. In addition, I work to establish ethos. It is much easier for me to persuade others through speaking when they can clearly see my moral stand. I think that overall Barack Obama’s power to persuade fits perfectly within Aristotle’s classification scheme. He is a distinct combination of both ethos and pathos that make him a strong speaker.