1964 RNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech: Analysis

1964 RNC Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speech: Analysis

Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices

Rhetoric

PathosWhen speechwriters sit down with their pen and paper, or laptop, or tablet, or whatever they're into, they're thinking about which words are going to get their message across in a way that pr...

Structure

SpeechPolitical campaign speeches can get a little weird. In 2004, POTUS hopeful Howard Dean startled his audience when he let out this super-strange animal scream mid-speech. Barry Goldwater's 196...

What's Up With the Title?

Unlike many other impassioned political speeches, this one doesn't really have its own catchy title. In fact, it doesn't really have an "official" title at all, not like "I Have a Dream" or "T...

What's Up With the Opening Lines?

To my good friend and great Republican, Dick Nixon, and your charming wife, Pat; my running mate and that wonderful Republican who has served us well for so long, Bill Miller and his wife, Stephani...

What's Up With the Closing Lines?

This Party, its good people, and its unquestionable devotion to freedom, will not fulfill the purposes of this campaign which we launch here now until our cause has won the day, inspired the world,...

Tough-o-Meter

(4) Base CampBarry and his speech team must have figured themselves poets. In addition to using some thesaurus-worthy words like "becalmed," this speech also has its fair share of meandering, flowe...

Shout-Outs

In-Text ReferencesLiterary and Philosophical ReferencesThe Constitution (directly referenced in line 136; several indirect references)Historical and Political ReferencesBerlin Wall (22)Bay of Pigs...

Trivia

In 1940, Barry went on a 42-day rafting trip down the Green and Colorado Rivers with explorer extraordinaire Norman Nevills. Read Nevills' description of the trip, and look for mentions of "Phoenix...