candidates. Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain have put up a good stand against one another. Both speakers have well developed points and have effectively targeted the general audience. Using efficient language is very important for these debates because it allows the viewers to decide who deserves to be the president of the United States. In my opinion, I feel Barack Obama succeeded in winning over majority of the population and he clearly was the winner of the debate.
The rhetorical strategies that both candidates used were one of the major reasons for their appeal or repulsion. Mcain’s use of tone was not very effective because he came off sarcastic and insincere. His weary smiles and rude gestures gave off a bad vibe and created a uncomfortable mood. Obama on the other hand spoke very eloquently with a strong and powerful tone. This gave the viewers a sense of honesty and confidence as character traits of Obama. I think this rhetorical strategy of tone is the very first thing that either grabs the listener’s attention or turns them the other way.
The use of diction and syntax was also displayed by both candidates. McCain spoke very casually in short sentences which probably appealed to an older audience. Obama on the other hand spoke very firmly, in well constructed sentences. His choice of words were very appropriate and careful. These things made Obama’s speech more attractive and appealing to all generations especially the youth. Diction and syntax plays a big role in the structure of a debate, and Obama outshined McCain in this area by a mile.
When it came to specific questions, I felt Obama answered majority of them very efficiently. Specifically dealing with economics, McCain fumbled his way through the questions, unlike Obama who answered very confidently. Foreign affairs was perhaps one of the few areas where McCain seemed to have an advantage. He repeatedly kept on calling Obama naïve and inexperienced. This did have a powerful...