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A Political Speech Analysis

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Political speeches must be some of the most carefully and meticulously crafted speeches. Politicians have to be cognizant of how they are being perceived, even through the gestures they use. Streeck (2008) believes that use of pragmatic gestures provides viewers with a “visual structure” that helps them comprehend the contents of the speech. However, these gestures also help the politicians to convey their emotion and their conviction behind the message to make their contrived speech seem authentic to their audience. This form of authenticity is one that makes the speech perceivably true to its espousal, regardless of the speaker’s intention (Montgomery, 2001). Using these pragmatic gestures and display of authenticity, politicians can build …show more content…

[…] S S But he wasn’t a cheerleader. He’s actually a negative force. He’s been S S a negative force. […] We need somebody that can […] make it great again. […] AUDIENCE: [claps] Trump’s sweep creates the impression that he is being dismissive of President Obama, as his words corroborates. The congruity in his speech and gestures enhances his authenticity as his speech seems unscripted and spontaneous (Montgomery, 2001), as evinced by the applause from the audience (Heritage and Clayman, 2010). The secondary viewers will then be able to make what they think is an informed decision of him and respond accordingly. The aforementioned reactions from public figures and organizations, the only formally documented reaction from a secondary audience, show that Trump’s words and gestures combined, have been effective and suggests that Horton and Wohl’s parasocial interaction has been fostered between Trump and his secondary …show more content…

It is, hence, important to consider that not all gestures convey the same emotions. By mixing a few gestures, a speaker may be able to blend different emotions together. Therefore, while segments of the speech are isolated for analysis, the full speech must be assayed for its congruity. A speaker that is only convincing in parts of the speech and unconvincing for others can create doubt for his authenticity. This congruity, however, requires a more thorough research to

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