Bill Clinton tries to salvage his term.

RA: Speech (Bill Clinton)

November 20, 2010

Emily Krebs

Word Count: 360

1.     Argument: Bill Clinton is a good religious man and should remain in office because of his sorrow that he feels and the forgiveness he desires.

2.     Audience: The American people, in particular religious people and compassionate people.

3.     Goal: To convince the American people that Bill Clinton is a man with religious values who makes mistakes just like everyone else and needs forgiveness of those mistakes.

4.     How:

a.     Ethos:

b.     Pathos: Bill Clinton really appealed to the compassion of people in this short explanation. He apologizes for not being contrite in his first statement, and then admits his wrongs in a religious way. He even references the bible to prove that he is a religious person.

c.      Logos: The way this speech is organized is very logical. He first addresses the problem people had with his first statement: that he wasn’t contrite enough. And then he admits that the people are right (appealing to their ego and to their logic) and expresses his sorrow in hurting the people. Then he goes on to explain that not only sorrow on his part is required-genuine repentance and a broken spirit must also be present. Here he appeals to the faithful people as well as logical people who believe he must do more than just feel badly.

d.     Sufficient: Clinton doesn’t have any concrete evidence that he genuinely feels badly or has genuinely repented, hence the reason for this second statement. Though he expresses emphatically his sorrow, it is difficult to believe because of previous statements.

e.     Relevant: I feel like the evidence that he does give is very religious, which is extremely relevant to the mistake he has made. However, the audience he is addressing includes people from all different backgrounds, including people who are not religious, so it won’t reach people in the same way.

5.     Effectiveness: I felt like this speech was relatively effect. Because there was so much mistrust in Clinton already, it was difficult to eradicate that feeling, but he did a decent job of expressing how he really felt about the situation. It allowed him to be acquitted, but of course, he was still impeached.

"I agree with those who have said that in my first statement after I testified I was not contrite enough. I don't think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned. It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow I feel is genuine: first and most important, my family; also my friends, my staff, my Cabinet, Monica Lewinsky and her family, and the American people. I have asked all for their forgiveness... But I believe that to be forgiven, more than sorrow is required - at least two more things. First, genuine repentance - a determination to change and to repair breaches of my own making. I have repented. Second, what my bible calls a ''broken spirit''; an understanding that I must have God's help to be the person that I want to be; a willingness to give the very forgiveness I seek; a renunciation of the pride and the anger which cloud judgment, lead people to excuse and compare and to blame and complain..."