Unfortunately, I was not alive for any of Ronald Reagan's presidency, so I was not able to personally witness any of his spectacular skills as an orator. However, by simply watching several clips of speeches from his time in politics, I am struck by his unique ability to captivate and motivate an audience. Now, it is no coincidence that Reagan was a professional actor in his life before presidency, leading to his understanding of how to speak in public and win support from an audience. This understanding of superb rhetoric helped catapult Reagan into the Presidency and a figurative throne (in the eyes of many) in American history.
I think Reagan serves as a great example of the influence of showmanship and theatre in rhetorical argument. It is difficult to sustain a successful public argument without the ability to gain the crowd's attention and affection before outlining one's own argument. In the case of this now famous clip from 1980, Reagan uses an expression from a 1940's movie (also the time Reagan was an active actor) to shock the crowd. By doing so, he won their respect and affection for standing up for himself. It was this ability that Reagan showed throughout his reign in office that helped keep American hopes high, even as the Cold War dragged on.
Now, I do believe there are some key similarities between written rhetorical argument and verbal rhetorical argument. While their forums are different, the message is the same behind both kinds of rhetorical argument: gain the reader or viewer's trust, attention, and affection through proper usage of ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion) , and logos (data/facts). Often, strong rhetorical arguments are heavily based include a heavy dosage of pathos, because logically, appealing arguments are not centered on facts. Rather, those facts should be almost tucked into a larger, overarching argument which appeals to the reader/viewers emotions.
Being able to present a strong rhetorically argument, whether it be written or verbal, is a necessary skill to succeed in the real world. Whether that argument centers on the American Health Care situation or why you should be hired to drive a school bus, being able to speak convincingly for a specific cause is undeniably crucial. With that said, go practice your own personal rhetorical skills before it is too late...
Go Cubs and congrats Big Z!
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