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Rhetorical Analysis Of Richard Nixon's Resignation

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Richard Nixon’s Resignation Address In 1974 after the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon became the first and only president to resign the office. His speech to the American public was meant to inform everyone about his resignation and to clear his name, but ultimately his speech was ineffective because of the lack of ethos, a remorseful tone, and an apology. Richard Nixon opens the speech by stating he “always tried to do what was best for the nation” throughout his presidency. This seems like an attempt to build his ethos, but fails because instead of apologizing and moving on he defends his actions. Nixon continues to play the victim and blames congress for his lack of support. The tone in the beginning of the speech sounds somewhat guilty, but by not taking responsibility for his part in the Watergate scandal Nixon loses whatever ethos he still had. …show more content…

Nixon uses words like “abhorrent,” “vindication,” and “turbulent” that may be hard for all Americans to understand. Since Nixon’s audience is all of the American public, the language used should be easily understandable. The use of varied syntax is effective in keeping the audience’s attention even if they cannot understand everything Nixon says. Richard Nixon talks in long, complex sentences for a long paragraph and then adds a short concise sentence. In this manner, Nixon simply states that he has “never been a quitter” between explanations of why he must resign. The concise sentences seem more effective in informing the audience of the important facts, like his resignation, while the complex statements are only present to defend

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