Rhetorical Analysis Of The 1992 Republican National Convention

The 1992 Republican National Convention was held in August, at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. While the convention managed to nominate President George H.W. Bush and Vice President Dan Quayle for reelection, the most memorable moment overall was the compelling and powerful speech by a straight, white, blond, blue eyed, female republican, and heiress by the name of Mary Fisher. Her speech was so moving that is ranked in American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century. Mary delivered a speech informing the public about HIV and AIDS not discriminating against whom it infects and to help them spread the word instead of keeping silent. Twenty five years ago, HIV and AIDS was infecting and killing millions of people worldwide. There were

Fischer calls out all the stereotypes that were associated with being HIV positive when she states “In the context of an election year, I ask you-here, in this great hall, or listening in the quiet of your home-to recognize that the AIDS virus is not a political creature. It does not care whether you are Democrat or Republican. It does not ask whether you are black or white, male or female, gay or straight, young or old.“ Her reasoning is both convincing and all inclusive. While she states that the virus is not a political creature she uses words that are meant to scare her audience into action. “Tonight, HIV marches resolutely toward AIDS in more than a million homes, littering its pathway with the bodies of the young men, young women, young parents, and young children.” To get an emotional reaction from her audience. Another powerful example of pathos is when she uses the words of a Nazi death camp survivor, Pastor Nemoellor, to make her audience

They came after the trade unionists, and I was not a trade unionist, so, I did not protest. Then they came after the Roman Catholics, and I was not a Roman Catholic, so, I did not protest. Then they came after me, and there was no one left to protest”

Fischer also claims that no one is safe and anyone can be at risk. Later in her speech, she makes an emotional appeal to her family and children to remember her as a fighter. She gains sympathy and empathy from the audience by making a public and emotional plea that her family not suffer shame on her account. Overall, Mary Fischer’s rhetorical techniques proved to be effective towards many, myself included. Mary was able to establish credibility throughout her speech by using her relationship with the President of the United States and the First family as a way to impress her audience to boast her message of acceptance, empathy and awareness. She delivered sound logic with her statistics on the disease and her passionate and emotional pleas helped to draw the audience in and made her speech extremely relatable to