clinton affair and apology essay PDF

Preview

Summary

This essa yis the second essay of this course. ...

Description

Bernal1 Salvador Bernal Prof. Minifee RWS 500 10/27/15 The Sinner And the Rhetor In 1998, former president Bill Clinton addresses the annual White House prayer breakfast following his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Clinton finds himself with the difficult undertaking of redeeming himself before his audience of religious leaders. Otherwise, he risks losing his career or severely compromising his political power. He responds to his crisis by delivering the speech “I Have Sinned”. This speech exemplifies various methods of crafty and profound rhetoric that emulates that of the rhetor Chaim Perelman. In this this essay I will analyze how Clinton uses Perelman's notion of Presence to amplify his rhetorical devices he employs in a particular section of his speech. Furthermore, I will explain Clinton's strategic means and careful reasoning he uses to bridge himself with the audience by manipulating Perelman’s elements: “opinions, convictions and commitments.” to ultimately have the audience adhere to his argument. To briefly paraphrase Perelman's notion of presence; It is when the audience has the disposition to listen. One creates presence when he/she stylistically amplifies the audience’s ideas, opinions, commitments, etc. in order to make them present or absent from their mental field to his advantage. I will focus on the following section of the speech part: “I will intensify my efforts to lead our country and the world toward peace and freedom, prosperity and harmony.” Clinton understands at this point in time his reputation is stained. His name now represents cheating, lying, deceiving etc. All these negative associations that he carries are made absent in his speech by not mentioning them at all. In other words, they are de-ampliefied as an effort to remove their

Bernal2 presence from the mental field of the audience. Instead, Clinton chooses to make present benevolent and positive ideas. However, not only does he present benevolent ideas inside the audience mental field, he cleverly amplifies them by associating himself with these ideas too. He does so, by realizing that these ideas are elements of presence. In other words, they are important ideas and values that virtually everyone shares and agrees on inside. As the Richard Long analysis of Perelman would suggest, “...values, as objects of agreement…” In this case the values/elements Clinton associates himself with are “peace and freedom, prosperity and harmony.” He does so by stating “I will intensify my efforts to lead our country.” He could have chosen to say we will intensify our efforts. Yet, he chose “I” because it implies that his audience can hold him accountable if he fails to deliver; and that reassures his audience. This subtle hint prepares the audience to be more accepting of his association with the elements that follow that sentence. Thus, when he exclaims, “peace and freedom, prosperity and harmony” the audience link these abstract values to Clinton, a concrete item. Therefore, Clinton can now serve as link between these powerful values and the audience. For that reason Clinton has the new availity to shed his stained reputation and replace it with a brilliant armor in an effort to repair his ethos and bridge with the audience. In addition to the previous abstract and concrete associations Clinton executes other rhetorical devices in the same section. This time around he enlaces with the audience, they intertwine. Again, as Long says “Rather than merely analyze the audience, the rhetor becomes the audience...the union results in action.” Notice Clinton’s word choice this second time around more carefully in “intensify my efforts to lead our country and the world toward peace…” He could have said my country and exert some explicit notion of responsibility. Such hypothetical expression: “to lead my country” could be illustrated with a mentor and mentees relationship; where the mentor is territorial and concerning of his mentees. Even though such hypothetical might arguably have been of use in showing concern and responsibility, Clinton chose “our

Bernal3 Country.” The reason is because the word “our” enlaces the audience with Clinton; it makes them a single entity. Unlike the hypothetical “my country” it does not detaches Clinton from the audience. Therefore, when Clinton says “country” it amplifies the sense togetherness between him and his audience. Meaning Clinton has the means to be now be part of the audience and nudge it into an intended direction. Which in this case is again the elements of “peace and freedom, prosperity and harmony.” This results are masking his “sin” by blending in with the audience while simultaneously amplifying his connection with them. Clinton in the midst of his exigence resorts to Perelman’s rhetoric of presence and amplification of elements to bridge with his audience. He utilizes association to link himself with positive values and therefore attract his audience. In addition, clinton enlaces with the audience to blend into a single identity and further amplify a connection with them. Overall, Clinton used profound and significant rhetoric to save his ethos and ultimately gain the cooperation of the country again.

Works Cited

Clinton, Bill, Pres. ""I Have Sinned"" Annual Prayer Breakfast at the White House. Washington

Bernal4 D.C. 17 Aug. 1998. Speech. Long, Richard. "The Role Of Audience in Chaim Perelman's New Rhetoric." (1969): n. pag. Print....