Eastwood/Valvano

I believe the least effective speech was Clint Eastwood’s speech at the Republican National Convention. His primary audience was supporters of Mitt Romney (non-supporters of President Obama). His message was a little edgy. I would have enjoyed it more if his theme was more noticeable, instead of having the audience “search” for it. I would’ve liked if he’d tied his points back to one central point in his conclusion. Although, his speech was ineffective, I believe he did well with his pathos appeal. His audience enjoyed his humor against President Obama. Also, the large number he used to describe unemployment triggered emotions of disappointment, and also appealed to the audience’s reasoning (logos).

The most effective speech was Jimmy Valvano’s ESPYs speech. His audience was people who were interested in sports which I’m sure included people he had worked with and people who knew his struggle and success. He appealed to the audience’s emotions triggering feelings of sadness, but also humor to lighten the mood. He showed good character in that he sent an inspiring message to help others with their lives, and most importantly to help the lives of those battling cancer. His speech showed selflessness and humility, which built his ethos. Also, stating the number of people battling cancer built his logos. I really enjoyed his speech and did not see any ineffectiveness. If anything, stating more facts about cancer would have been helpful to the speech in persuading people to contribute to his foundation.