Speech Comparisons

Obama and McCain undoubtedly have very different viewpoints on how to run the country. Despite their differences, they have similar ideas, as you can see in their speeches. They use many of the same words, but these identical words sometimes have very different definitions. It all comes down to the meaning of the words. One word that both candidates use in their speech is "unite" or "unity." In Obama's speech, he says, "This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort." I believe in this quote, Obama uses "we" to mean the American people. Different from Obama, McCain talks about unity between himself and Obama, declaring that "much more unites us than divides us." This may be a major different between Obama and McCain, or at least a difference in their speeches. McCain goes out of his way to mention that they are truly fighting towards the same thing, despite the difference in their ways of getting there.

I also found that within Obama's and McCain's speeches a difference in the word "safety." Obama plans to keep the nation safe by providing them jobs and healthcare and keeping them off the streets. McCain plans to keep the nation safe by protecting it from terrorism and preventing any future attacks. As you can see, safety can be seen in many different aspects. Safety can be used in terms of safety within your own home, with a secure job and money to survive. It can also but used in terms of national security.

Another thing I found interesting in the speeches is the different ways to strike fear into the people. Obama uses the fear of being "on your own" if McCain is president. If you're in poverty of of the lower class, there is no hope for you under McCain's rule. It kind of links back to safety and how it is defined. Any time someone feels unsafe, they are usually afraid. McCain, speaking of al-Qaeda, says "they are not defeated, and they'll strike us again if they can." This is a definite attempt to scare the nation and make them feel that military, which is McCain's forte, is crucial if they do not want to be attacked again.

Again, it is all in the eye of the beholder and how a person defines a word.