Rhetorical Analysis of The 1976 Republican Convention

Mary Dlabaj   
English 1302
Dr. Wolfe
Essay 1-Rhetorical Analysis

    In 1976, the Presidential elections were between Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.  Ronald Reagan gave an on-the-spot speech at the Republican Convention after narrowly losing the Republican nomination. 
    Even though Ronald Reagan lost the election, his speech was very uplifting for the Republican Party and the country.  Obviously because he is speaking at a convention, his audience is fellow Republicans, but he went out of his way to speak to Democrats and Independents watching and listening elsewhere by saying, “…who I know are looking for a cause around which to rally, which I believe we can give them.”  By saying this, he was making them want to listen.  He was hoping to give them something they could argue with or agree with in their own rallies for the Presidential election in 1976.  He wants to reveal to the American Public the things that the Democrats have left unchanged during the forty years prior to this election.  He does not point out those things during his speech because this is the thing that he wants the Democrats to rally around in hopes that it will actually bring the American Public’s majority vote to the Republicans.  This is a very passive aggressive way to bring out the truth without actually saying anything himself.  During the speech, he spoke of a Time Capsule he was asked to write for.  It is planned to be opened in 2076, one-hundred years from that time.  He spoke of the things that he thinks would affect that time that both Republicans and Democrats alike would have to work on together for the Nation as a whole. 
    Ronald Reagan works from an emotional standpoint through out most of his speech.  First off, he is very proud that the people and Gerald Ford welcomed him and his wife with open arms and minds.  He even says that it is “a memory that will live in our hearts forever.”  He seemed very humbled even though he had just lost the nomination for the Republican Party.  He kept poised and smiled throughout the speech, nodding his head in thanks.  As he spoke about the Time Capsule that he had been asked to write for, you could tell it was very personal to him.  He said that as he was driving up the coast of  California with the Pacific to one side and the Santa Ynez Mountains to the other he thought how beautiful it was and if it would look like that in 100 years.  This is a very emotional thought that he shared and makes the audience know that he cared what our country would look like in 2076.  He painted a picture of his private thoughts for all of the country to see.
    Throughout the speech, Ronald Reagan used the Time Capsule as a catapult to put into perspective the things happening in the country at that time and what will happen to the country if the Government doesn’t uphold freedoms, and economy and wars.  He talked about the loss of freedom that would come to this country by Democratic rule.  He mentioned the invasion of privacy and rights, and the controls and restrictions on the economy that were challenges in 1976. Challenges of the time that the people in 2076 will know.  He pointed out that the powers of the world were against each other with missiles aimed to destroy the world we know and in 100 years, the people will know if those missiles were fired and if the country had met its challenges and if the people still had their freedom.  This is concern for the future by what was being done in the present.  He said, “…and if we failed, they probably won’t get to read the letter at all because it spoke of individual freedom and they won’t be allowed to talk of that or read of it.”  He wondered if the people in 2076 will be appreciative of what was done in 1976 or if they will know that they had been failed. 
    Ronald Reagan showed much concern for his country throughout his speech.  He firmly believed that what was done in 1976 would be of grave determination of what will happen in 2076.  He didn’t want to put off the responsibility on future presidents or government, but had “the right here, right now attitude.”  He didn’t blame past presidents for what was happening in the economy then, but wanted to embrace what the current parties could do to make it better for the present and future to come.