Obama Speech

On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for president. In his speech, he used a lot of pathos, or appeals to the audience's emotions. He did this to draw them in and keep their attention.
An example is his bringing his wife and kids on stage. He did this to appeal to the audiences feeling of love and family. He wanted them to know that he was a family man and would do anything for his family.
Another example is his mentioning God and his Christian faith. He did this to appeal to the religious feelings the audience may hold. He wants them to know that he is a Christian just like them and holds the same values as them. It will also comfort them knowing that a Christian may be in office.
He also talks about families struggling paycheck to paycheck despite working hard. This shows that he is caring and feels the pain of those people. He wants people to know that he is in touch with the lower class, not just the upper class.
Obama uses all of this pathos to really tap into the audience's emotion. He wants them to be drawn in and know that he cares. He also uses it as a ploy to get people to vote for his, since he got them to feel things during his speech.