Question

In his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama said: "Nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy. We've opened millions of new acres for oil and gas exploration, and more than 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources. Right now, American oil production is the highest that it's been in 8 years. Last year, we relied less on foreign oil than in any of the past 16 years. But with only 2% of the world's oil reserves, oil isn't enough. This country needs an all-out, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy—a strategy that's cleaner, cheaper, and full of new jobs." Analyze the types of appeal used in President Obama's statement. Use your findings and examples from the text to explain whether this is an argument or persuasion. Answer in a minimum of three complete sentences.

Answer 1

This is an argument, because Obama is striving to prove that America needs a new strategy for energy. In this argument he uses logos when he gives the audience specific statistics to support his point. He also uses pathos when he appeals to the emotions of the audience, the emotion of hope for a brighter and cleaner future.