Rhetorical Analysis Of 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address

Barbara Charline Jordan: 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address Great American speeches are famous and moving for many reasons. Some are inspiring with their delicate imagery and strong diction, others because of their purpose and prose. Barbara Charline Jordan uses all these traits in her address to the Democratic National Convention in 1976 to cement her argument about the new purpose for the Democratic party; she uses familiar diction to call to the collective pride and hope of the Democrats about the party’s role, and depicts trustworthiness and an informed mind through her choice of first person plural and intriguing comparisons between the past and the present. Being the first female African American speaking a national

She makes sure that the audience is aware that the Democratic Party isn’t perfect, they “have made mistakes” before but they are willing to “admit [their] mistakes” (Jordan). The willingness of the Party to accept their mistakes creates a sense of trust between them and their followers. She also evokes emotion through addressing the mistakes of the Party as being “of the heart” and with good intentions for their followers (Jordan). With this, she gains the sympathy of the audience because she is reassuring them that the Party always has the best intentions. She claims that the Democratic concept of governing is “deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience of all” (Jordan). The words “rooted” and “etched” are words that evoke power and emotion (Jordan). These words by themselves conjure up an image of a tree roots deep in the soil or the Ten Commandments inscribed on a stone tablet things that are not easily removed and have a deep meaning to them. She also adds the adverbs “deeply” and “firmly” these power words are that much more intensified helping, her get her point across (Jordan). The core value of cherishing those of “diverse backgrounds” by the Democratic Party is repeated to get the point across they are open to anyone of different “race, sex, economic condition” this creates close ties to many Americans (Jordan). The Democratic Party prides itself in being an “inclusive rather than an exclusive party” having this quality to it makes everyone feel welcome and have a group of standing up for “equality for all and privileges for none” (Jordan). Her use of a simple and comprehensive language makes it easy for all to understand her points and she also puts herself in the shoes of