Second Inaugural Address



Second Inaugural Address

Some people think that second inaugurals do not have the same level of impact and power that the first inaugurals have, and that they cannot come up to the novelty of witnessing someone who was once a presidential candidate, transform into a new president (Cohen et. al, 2013). However, I think that second inaugurals have one main advantage. The advantage is that the second time when the inaugural address takes place, the president is not that nervous and conscious, and thus he does not have to weigh and watch what he says. Apart from that, the president is devoid of the worry regarding his chances for re-election. At the second inaugural address, he is able to speak freely as he knows that he will never have to face the voters again, and be held answerable to their never ending questions. I saw the same type of confident feelings exuding out of President Barack Obama when he delivered the speech for his second inaugural address. The speech was shorter now, and it was directed straight to the point rather than being roundabout, compared to his address in 2009.

The second inaugural address had taken place on a national holiday where most of the Americans have off from work, and his speech was written to reflect a broad narrative which appealed to Americans as it highlighted the deeds and words of the nation's founding fathers. Apart from that, the speech made use of the rhetoric of unity which had made President Obama win the presidential campaign, and his words depicted sharing of American values (New York Times, 2013). He chose the historical arcs for his second address, and thus his choices were specifically telling; Selma, Seneca Falls and the Stonewall.

I think these places were chosen because they had ...