Nixon used several logical fallacies in his 1952 Checkers Speech when addressing the issue of funding and how it was received. He attempted to use distraction (Red Herring fallacy) when discussing communism. This was an obvious attempt to capitalize on the fear of communist parties of that time and provided distraction from the illegal funding he had received. Nixon further uses logical fallacies in his speech, including the use of begging the question and appears in the manner of circular logic. This is shown in statement "Now, was that wrong? And let me say that it was wrong. I'm saying, incidentally, that it was wrong and not just illegal. Because it isn't a question of whether it was legal or illegal, that isn't enough. The question is, was it morally wrong?" This is an attempt to bring into question …show more content…
I'm going to campaign up and down America until we drive the crooks and the Communists and those that defend them out of Washington. And remember, folks, Eisenhower is a great man. Believe me. He's a great man. And a vote for Eisenhower is a vote for what's good for America." Again, he dismissed the issue of funding and chose to focus on crooks and the communists, his commitment to fight for America, and Eisenhower. Nixon also attempts to appeal to the nations emotions by using emotive language when discussing the Cocker Spaniel instead of the funds by stating "it was a little cocker spaniel dog in a crate that he'd sent all the way from Texas. Black and white spotted. And our little girl-Tricia, the 6-year old-named it Checkers. And you know, the kids, like all kids, love the dog and I just want to say this right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we're gonna keep it". This too is obvious in its delivery, as he was appealing to the families all across
Nixon used this fact to his advantage and portrays himself as one of them, a family man and a veteran. Nixon uses pathos, an appeal to emotion to relate to the American values emotionally by blending right in with them. He downplayed the fact that he served in the military and simply pretends he was in the right place at the right time. For example, he stated “I guess I’m entitled to a couple of battle stars. I got a couple of letters of commendation. But I was just there when the bombs were falling. And then I returned and ran for congress.” By using the phrase “I guess,” he pretended his part during the war was not relevant. He also presented his wife on screen and continued to mention that Patricia Nixon herself was never on payroll. This is significant because it established trust and emotion between him and the audience. In addition, he used the rhetorical device, repetition, to build up even more emotion. It emphasized his confidence and ideas while also guilting the audience into questioning why they ever doubted him. By repeating “Do you think..” he creates a sense of disappointment amongst the American People, and they are forced to rethink themselves for ever doubting such an honest man. Using guilt, although effective, is not successfully persuading the audience into believing his
In "The Checkers Speech," Richard Nixon responds to criticism regarding an alleged "secret fund." At this time, 1952, Nixon was running for vice president with presidential candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower was enjoying enormous popularity when the rumor surfaced one month before the election. Nixon was accused of accepting a supplemental salary of $18,000 dollars, contributed by a group of supporters back in his home state of California. There were also rumors that Eisenhower would drop Nixon from the ticket. So Nixon was forced to come up with a remedy for the untimely situation. Not only did he have to convince the American people he was
In the farewell speech given by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he left office, he warned the nation about the power of the military establishment and the arms industry. "In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist." Some conspiracy theorists have argued that Kennedy planned to end the involvement of the United States in Vietnam, and was therefore targeted by those who had an interest in sustained military conflict, including the Pentagon and defense contractors.
Nixon was involved with the Watergate scandal which led to his impeachment. Nixon’s speech to America was given a purpose, and this was to let the people of his country know that this may not be ideal, but it was best. It states
Eisenhower may have played the part of an amiable duffer, but he may have been the best prepared president we have ever had — a five-star general with an unparalleled knowledge of national security affairs. When he resorted to gobbledygook in public, it was in order to preserve his political room to maneuver. Reagan may have come across as a dumb thespian, but he spent decades honing his views on public policy and writing his own speeches. Nixon may have burned with resentment of “Harvard men,” but he turned over foreign policy and domestic policy to two Harvard professors, Henry A. Kissinger and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, while his own knowledge of foreign affairs was second only to Ike’s.
With the Vietnam War affecting so many people across the world, Kennedy took extreme caution in what he said. His use of pathos includes many patriotic expressions and words to unite Americans. His phrases like “forge against these enemies,” (Kennedy par 23) “cultural and spiritual origins” (Kennedy par 6) and “a celebration of freedom” (Kennedy par 1) imply that the war is not simply a political issue, but a moral responsibility. On the other hand, though these phrases offer a feeling of civic duty, nothing compares to the legendary quote: “Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country” (Kennedy par 25). This message is so powerful because it speaks of
Nixon uses words like “abhorrent,” “vindication,” and “turbulent” that may be hard for all Americans to understand. Since Nixon’s audience is all of the American public, the language used should be easily understandable. The use of varied syntax is effective in keeping the audience’s attention even if they cannot understand everything Nixon says. Richard Nixon talks in long, complex sentences for a long paragraph and then adds a short concise sentence. In this manner, Nixon simply states that he has “never been a quitter” between explanations of why he must resign. The concise sentences seem more effective in informing the audience of the important facts, like his resignation, while the complex statements are only present to defend
According to Tony McConnell, Nixon was the first president to consider a basic income and was the originator of the Environmental Protection Agency (28). Just like any other president, Nixon made his own policies and impacts on America. Another noteworthy topic of Nixon’s legacy is his foreign policy. McConnell notes that “it could only have been… [Nixon] to make common cause with the Chinese against the Soviet Union” (29). Nixon established nuclear arms control with Russia during the Cold War and establish the diplomatic openings with
President Richard M. Nixon’s administration had to face many international and domestic challenges in the United States between 1968 and 1974, some positive and some negative. His achievements in expanding peaceful relationships with both China and the Soviet Union are contrastingly different with his continuation of the Vietnam War. In the end, Nixon’s scandals and abuse of presidential power caught up to him, and his administration did much to corrode America’s faith in the government.
In 1968 Richard Nixon was elected President. One of the promises he made was to end the
the purpose of the “Checkers Speech” was to reaffirm Nixon’s status as a reputable politician the public
He began his comparison of himself to governor Sparkman by explaining that an easy way to be successful in politics is to have a wife that also receives a government income, like most politicians carry, which Nixon was proud not to have, while Sparkman did. Sparkman isn’t the only one he compared himself to, he also compared himself to Governor Stevenson by saying that he had earned his political placement by merit, while Stevenson inherited a fortune, which played a major role in getting him his spot in the office. He even claimed that if the two men didn’t prove that they weren’t guilty of fraud, then they had something worth hiding. However, not only did Nixon juxtapose himself with these men, he also juxtaposed Dwight Eisenhower with Governor Stevenson. Richard Nixon was in favor of Eisenhower, so in his speech, Nixon claimed that Eisenhower a better insight and more wisdom than Governor Stevenson, which ultimately made him seem like a better man (during his thought process), which made it seem like he would be the better presidential choice. When comparing Eisenhower to Stevenson, Nixon claimed that Eisenhower would lead America better than Stevenson would, and he compared the two by saying that Eisenhower owes nothing to
In 1948 through 1950, Nixon received a role in the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC)(“Richard Nixon Biography”,2016). In 1952, he became the vice president of the United States. Before the election, he was accused of having a “slush fund”(“Richard Nixon Biography”,2016). He denied anything to do with through a speech on September 23, 1952.(“Richard Nixon Biography”,2016) He named the speech “Checkers speech” after his daughter’s pet Checkers(“Richard Nixon Biography”,2016).
John F. Kennedy once said, “I am not the Catholic candidate for President. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for President, who happens also to be a Catholic.” In this single sentence, he uses a method of Aristotle’s persuasive speech making. One of the greatest examples of using rhetorical strategies is indeed John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address of 1961. John F. Kennedy uses diction, syntax, and Aristotle’s method of persuasion in his inaugural address that not only made it uniquely his own, but made it undoubtedly one of the best, emotion tugging, speeches ever.
Nixon wrote his speech with the acknowledgement that the war was of great concern to his fellow Americans. He then based that concern in a way to establish an emotional connection with the audience. He continued that connection with the audience by developing questions which many Americans listening to this speech would have already raised themselves. For example Nixon asks, “What choices do we have if we are to end the war?” By asking these questions he is showing that he understands the concerns of what the people have on the Vietnam War. He also makes it seem like he is not just making a speech to make him look better; he has taken in consideration the feelings and concerns of the people. By asking questions this sets up a balance early in his speech which he would then continue on by examining the facts and answering those questions. For this reason it makes him seem like he has a caring heart and is not just out for another vote in the ballot box. Another question Nixon asks is “How and why did America get involved in Vietnam in the first