Joe Biden Acceptance Speech

In his acceptance speech, President Joe Biden was attempting to appeal to a diverse range of voters. Biden’s speech seemed to appeal to white, older, black women and working-class voters. Among the audience demographics taken into account include age, sex, race, and educational level. Biden’s appeal to white working-class voters and people who, like his Irish Catholic father, draw their “dignity from a paycheck” is more inclined to be successful (C-SPAN, 2020). Biden pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare, to prioritize workers above the affluent, and to work tirelessly on behalf of common people so that each person’s potential can be exceeded by their “visions and God-given talents.” The goals of young people were frequently brought up by Biden. He particularly mentioned the millions who participated in or spearheaded the Black Lives Matter rebellion that began in the spring of 2020 after George Floyd was killed by the police. Biden also appealed to union workers and immigrants and black and brown women.

President Donald Trump’s Address

In 2020, former president Donald Trump addressed the Republican National Convention delegates in Charlotte, NC. In his speech, he tried to appeal to several audiences. One of the major audience demographics he was trying to appeal to is working-class citizens (C-SPAN, 2020). He claimed to have experienced the same problems as the Tennessee Valley workers, therefore he was not afraid to oust the leader and restore the rights of employees. He also appealed to religion. Additionally, Trump repeatedly used the word “God” during his address to express the American people’s strong religious beliefs and to convey to those in attendance how special and wonderful the United States is as a nation. As an adherent of Puritan belief, he also made an effort to constantly remind people that America is a place favored by God. Trump also appealed to socioeconomic status, particularly the low-income earners affected by natural disasters. Trump pledged all of his support to those who were affected by Hurricane Laura’s devastation and conveyed his sympathy for them. By arousing and cultivating compassion in his audience, Donald Trump used pathos to appeal to them.

Question 2

If President Biden’s speech was given to Democrats only, these appeals would still work. This is because most democrats are African Americans. Biden used pathos to appeal to African Americans concerning how much they have suffered due to racism, brutality, and discrimination. He promised that he and Harris would work to resolve our nation’s racial differences and mend our common “racial wounds” (C-SPAN, 2020). Also, many democrats are low-income earners and ordinary citizens facing different challenges. Biden had to recognize and empathize with the pain of the public while also expressing a feeling of hope and promise in a historical period. His words were defined by a worldwide epidemic, the collapse of the economy, global warming, and racial upheaval. The convention has achieved an impossible balance by appealing to the party’s conventional base on the following nights. It also was appealing to unaffiliated and disillusioned Republicans on the opening night.

References

C-SPAN. (2020, August 24). President Donal Trump addresses 2020 Republican National Convention delegates in Charlotte, NC [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eunqLLUWgMw

C-SPAN. (2020a, August 21). Joe Biden Acceptance Speech at 2020 Democratic National Convention [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnmQr0WfSvo