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Scott W. Downs Professor Scott Pierce COMM 1020: Principles of Public Speaking Section #030 2 December, 2013 President Barak H. Obama The President was invited to speak to the Wall Street Journal CEO Council to discuss the financial forecast moving forward. Immediately following President Obamas expression of appreciation he launched into an admission of disappointment with the failings of his Affordable Care Act (AFA) roll-out as well as the Government shutdown. He acknowledged their respective adverse effects upon the economy. In so doing, it seemed like a refreshing and unexpected admittance of under-performing which eliminated the proverbial elephant in the room. With the room full of brilliant economists, Mr. Obama preferred to be the party to broach these subjects, rather than be attacked in a scathing fashion later in the question and answer. It appears that the audience for this speech was economists of influence with the purpose of reassuring them of his belief in optimism ahead. Mr. Obama quickly transitions into a heavy appeal to pathos as he bemoans these blights upon his Presidency. One of the phrases he used to describe the untimeliness of the shutdown was that, damage to the economy at a time when we didnt need self-inflicted wounds, (Obama, Par. 4). Shortly thereafter adding that the shutdown was a direct result of, ... the seeming incapacity of both parties in Congress to work together... (Obama, Par. 4). Realizing that these initial disclaimers would not appease the intellectual audience at his feet, or meet the need of the rhetorical situation, Mr. Obama sought to establish the credibility of his position that the nations economy is better than perceived by referencing numerous facts which demonstrated growth in manufacturing; specifically in the production of vehicles, natural gas, wireless infrastructure and agriculture. Not missing an opportunity to denounce the practices of his most ardent opponents, the President detailed the estimated losses

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to the economy from the shutdown. Making this maneuver early in the speech served to insinuate that he and his Cabinet are attempting to aid in economic recovery, while the opposition seeks to impede it. To further paint the other half of the portrait he asserted that his Office had provided several alternatives to such a drastic measure as a shutdown by effectively utilized epiphora with the phrase, but we havent gotten as much take-up from the other side as wed like to see so far on a couple occasions (Obama, Par. 15). Recognizing his audiences concern for monetary benefit from each political decision, he used the colloquial phrase, bang for the buck to describe the economic value of investing in early childhood education (Obama, Par. 17). When the presentation moved from lecture to question and answer, I was disappointed that structurally he began his first response with a numerical signpost, yet never returned to that same system (Obama, Par. 26). Later in his speech he committed a similar signpost mistake, announcing a letter-focused manner of addressing points, and then failing to continue it (Obama, Par. 42). While in a lengthy explanation of the AFA he presented several additional facts pertaining to the competitive insurance program pricing model, stating, insurers came in with bids that were even lower than people expected -- about 16 percent lower than had originally been projected (Obama, Par. 31). This continued his attempt to augment the credibility of the position that this was a program worth being patient with. The President drifted from his main focus near the middle of his presentation, emphasizing his displeasure with the manner the Government handles technology transitions (Obama, Par. 33-37). This tangent did not seem to fit with the balance of the discussion at-large. Once he refocused the President resumed reassuring that the temporary financial concern about the AFA was not to be fretted over. He stated, So, look, I am confident that the model that we've built, which works off of the existing private insurance system, is one that will succeed (Obama, Par. 42). As we passed the halfway mark the audience asserted is weariness of political rhetoric and directed more poignant queries to the President about repatriating U.S. global assets (Obama, Par. 52) and immigration reform

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from an economical perspective (Obama, Par. 62-64). With global assets Mr. Obama provided a list of three alterations to make (Obama, Par. 53). The short list allowed for a memorable and concise response. Similarly, with immigration reform he outlined four steps that he proposed be applied, two of would inject capital into the economy, appealing to the interests of the audience (Obama, Par. 64). As he neared the end of the speech, I was intrigued to observe him again implementing the use of epiphora in the phrases, just like I do and so do I; twice respectively (Obama, Par. 74). This was memorable, particularly in closing. However, at the same time, he was using these methods to thinly disguise blame for financial strife he projected upon Republicans. There was one final attempt to remind the audience of an earlier main point within his conclusion about the forecast of the economic future, but the effort was undermined by another diversion into a different weighty topic (Obama, Par. 80). In summary, I felt like the President did an above-average job of accomplishing his mission to reassure the minds on Wall Street of what he views as a prosperous economic turn ahead for the United States due to manufacturing increasing. His cause-effect structure, with parallelism mixed-in, supported this effort. Additionally, his pace and pauses were used deftly to draw the audience into laughter or to emphasize a main point which was being contested. These two reflected his charm and awareness of the moment. Repeatedly throughout his speech he blamed the Republican Party for major failings under his Administration, which seemed to be excessive. Depending of the political disposition of the room, it was either too much or unwelcomed. The Presidents closing was unexpectedly abrupt and did not blend well with the overwhelming majority of his presentation. That same conclusion seemed to delve too deeply into an oil related negotiation with an adversary for that particular occasion. This was one of the few moments where he seemed to lose the rhetorical context.

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Works Cited Obama, Barak H. Remarks by the President to the Wall Street Journal CEO Council. Four Seasons Hotel. Washington, D.C. 19 Nov. 2013. Keynote Address. Web. 3 December 2013.