Hey All,

I'm not sure how many of you watched President Obama's Afghanistan Speech, but I think that it was a great example of how powerful a person's words can be. Whether you agree with his policies or not, what cannot be denied is that President Obama is an impressive speaker, able to put emphasis on specific words or phrases in a way that is deliberate and effective.
For instance, in this speech, he begins by reminding the American public about how the United States became involved with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and surrounding areas. Since his ultimate point is to let the general public know that he has decided to increase troop levels in these areas, by reminding Americans of the terrorist attacks which launched the War on Terrorism, he was essentially recreating the sentiments which were felt on 9/11 and thus reminding Americans of their need for safety and security.
Then, he goes on to express his empathy for U.S. troops by listing the things he has done to see how the war is affecting troops and families including writing and reading letters to and from families of fallen soldiers and going to actually see the caskets of fallen soldiers on their way back to the U.S. With each experience he adds, President Obama is given more credibility in regards to his decision.
After that, he then goes on to talk about how he feels our future actions will be different from our past by focusing more on peaceful diplomacy and creating peaceful and lasting relations with Middle Eastern leaders for the sake of their citizens as well as American citizens.
The way that President Obama wields his words, forming them in a way that utilizes Logos, Ethos, and Pathos, makes him an effective speaker capable of persuading a vast amount of people.