Considering his audience, the
contemporary world events, and our present-day hindsight, Romney’s speech was
brilliant. Considering the rhetoric that drove this genius, the tactics used to
convey his message were no less remarkable. It is a special skill to be able to
see the things happening in the world around you and present a convincing
solution – it demands a knowledge of those events, a reciprocity towards one’s
audience, and a special command of syntax to pull it all together.
Many
people will say that Romney’s speech would have been offensive towards those
without a belief in God – but think about it, how many Republican’s don’t
believe in God? 2007 – the year this speech was given – was the year preceding
Romney’s unsuccessful run for the Republican party presidential candidate. I’m
not saying that there are no atheistic Republicans, but a person that wants to
win does not appeal to the minority, he or she appeals to the majority.
So
how does one appeal to the possibly offended religion-hating Republicans? Why
not with logic? That seems to be Romney’s approach to the situation, and he
does it well. 2007 was also a time of great political and religious upheaval
throughout the world, waves that seem to be reaching their peaks today, seven
year later. He brought up ISIS and other major threats to U.S. security and overall world well being, and presented at least one solution - what he thought mattered most. What might have helped him? Had the country known the horrible economic tragedy
that would strike the nation in early 2008, an occurrence that would have
certainly suited this great businessman better than any other person in the
world.