Think about a national or international issue that matters to you and write your own speech for that issue, using the Rogerian style of argumentation.

Introduction

In lesson six, you learned about the Rogerian argumentative style of writing. Lesson

seven will review this style of writing again through the examination of two famous examples

of this argumentative style: President Obama’s DNC speech given in 2008 and President

Reagan’s RNC speech given in 1980.

Rogerian Argument Review

Remember that the Rogerian strategy of argumentation does not seek to win a

debate but instead seeks to prove a claim through an understanding of the other side and a

discussion of shared values. In other words, with the Rogerian style of argumentation, a

writer must first make a claim about an issue. Then, in order to prove this claim, that writer

needs to demonstrate a clear understanding of the other side of this issue and find the

common ground between both sides. This common ground is used to prove the writer’s

claim. This strategy encourages the audience to be more open to the argument being made

because the writer has demonstrated respect for other arguments about an issue.

Rogerian Sample Argument – President Obama’s DNC Acceptance Speech, 2008

Our first stop in this week’s lesson is to review a Rogerian sample argument,

President Obama’s DNC Acceptance Speech in 2008. Please click on the following link to

listen to the Acceptance Speech: The American Promise. You may also read the acceptance

speech given by President Obama below at the end of this lesson. This discussion will not

focus on the topics that Obama presents in his speech, but the way in which Obama

organizes his speech. When you listen to or read this speech, note that there is an

argument that President Obama makes – he wants to prove to the audience that he is the

best candidate. However, to do this, he needs to ensure that the other side, made up of

Republican voters, is not alienated by his discussion. Therefore, his acceptance speech

cannot be confrontational. Instead, he must attempt to prove his side by considering the

views of Republicans and Independents and showing the common ground.

Let’s take a look at the speech in further detail. First, the purpose of Obama’s

speech is not only to accept the democratic nomination for president, but also to convince

voters to vote for him. However, President Obama not only wants to convince Democrats to

vote for him, he also seeks Republican votes. Therefore, when he opens his speech, he

does not ‘attack’ the views of the Republicans. Instead, he opens with a dream that holds

true for all Americans: “It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that

through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come

together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their

dreams as well.” Then, instead of insulting the Republican candidate, John McCain, he

praises him: “Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn

the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our

gratitude and respect.” In this way, Obama keeps the views of his audience in mind.

Remember from lesson six that the Rogerian strategy appeals to the audience by showing

the benefits of the opposing side. The audience would not be swayed to vote for Obama if

he insults their beliefs or their candidate.

In the body of the speech, Obama begins to give the meat to his side, the reasons in

support of his argument. He first lists some of the issues that American faced in 2008.

Then, he explains how his policies differ from McCain’s. In this section, he carefully avoids

insulting McCain. Instead, Obama shows how McCain is mistaken. However, he does so in

a manner that unifies all Americans, no matter what their political affiliation is: “Tonight, I

say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this

great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century,

the American promise alive.” As illustrated in Obama’s speech, in a Rogerian essay, it is

important to keep the audience in mind throughout the argument, even when presenting

your particular argument.

Lesson six mentioned that at the end of a Rogerian essay, the common ground and

higher interest benefiting both sides should be emphasized. President Obama does this at

the closing of his speech:

[L]et us agree that patriotism has no party. I love this country, and so do you,

and so does John McCain. The men and women who serve in our battlefields may be

Democrats and Republicans and Independents, but they have fought together and

bled together and some died together under the same proud flag. They have not

served a Red America or a Blue America - they have served the United States of

America. […]

We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the

number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may

be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in

Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping

AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex

marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters

deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of

discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits

when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American

wages by hiring illegal workers. 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.

In this section, Obama attempts to bridge the gap and establish the common ground

between Republicans and Democrats. He shows that all Americans want the best for the

United States, and he also attempts to show the common ground between a number of

ethical issues. This section of the speech illustrates what is meant by common ground.

Rogerian Sample Argument – President Reagan’s RNC Acceptance Speech, 1980

Of course, Barrack Obama was not the only president who made use of the Rogerian

style of argumentation. Ronald Reagan did the same with his Republican National

Convention speech in 1980. Please click here to listen to this speech: President Reagan's

RNC Acceptance Speech. You can also find his speech at the end of this lesson as well. Like

the section above that discussed Obama’s acceptance speech, this section emphasizes the

organization of Reagan’s speech, not the particular topics within his speech. In this speech,

Reagan’s goal is similar to Obama’s 2008 speech: he too wants to win the votes of

Americans. To do this, Reagan utilizes the Rogerian format.

First, Reagan begins his speech by removing the barriers between Republicans and

Democrats. He states this directly at the beginning of his speech:

I want my candidacy to unify our country, to renew the American spirit and sense of

purpose. I want to carry our message to every American, regardless of party

affiliation, who is a member of this community of shared values.

In this quotation, Reagan does not polarize his audience. He is keeping his audience in

mind, and he lets his audience know that his speech and candidacy is for all Americans, not

just for one political group. In the introduction, he also tells his audience that all Americans

share the same concerns:

Never before in our history have Americans been called upon to face three grave

threats to our very existence, any one of which could destroy us. We face a

disintegrating economy, a weakened defense and an energy policy based on the

sharing of scarcity.

This quotation from Reagan shows that all Americans, no matter what their political

affiliation is, share the same concerns. Rogerian arguments do not start by honing in on the

argument and antagonizing the other side. Instead, like the example above from Reagan’s

speech, Rogerian arguments should appeal to both sides of an issue.

In the body of his speech, Reagan continues his argument in a calm, rational

manner. Reagan shows the flaws with the other candidate; however, he avoids insulting the

other side, and instead, Reagan explains why his beliefs are stronger than the other

candidate. He does this through specific points that illustrate unity between Americans:

“Together, let us make this a new beginning. Let us make a commitment to care for the

needy; to teach our children the values and the virtues handed down to us by our families; to

have the courage to defend those values and the willingness to sacrifice for them.” Reagan

also unifies Americans in his speech with the following: “It’s time to put America back to

work, to make our cities and towns resound with the confident voices of men and women of

all races, nationalities and faiths bringing home to their families a paycheck they can cash

for honest money.” Reagan does this in his speech because he wants the other side to vote

for him, so he attempts to create a tone of unity, not division.

Finally, at the end of his argument, President Reagan shows the common ground

between all American voters:

It is impossible to capture in words the splendor of this vast continent which

God has granted as our portion of His creation. There are no words to express the

extraordinary strength and character of this breed of people we call Americans.

Everywhere we’ve met thousands of Democrats, Independents and

Republicans from all economic conditions, walks of life bound together in that

community of shared values of family, work, neighborhood, peace and freedom. They

are concerned, yes, they’re not frightened. They’re disturbed, but not dismayed. They

are the kind of men and women Tom Paine had in mind when he wrote, during the

darkest days of the American Revolution, "We have it in our power to begin the world

over again."

In Reagan’s final section of his speech, he establishes the common ground between all

Americans by showing that Americans share the same issues and the same values. Like

President Obama above, President Reagan shows that all Americans want the best for the

United States. In this final section, Reagan, like Obama, illustrates how finding the common

ground between political parties can help strengthen an argument and a politician to be

elected.

Conclusion

In this lesson you read two examples of successful Rogerian arguments. Often,

politicians use the Rogerian strategy in order to win over voters. Using Rogerian win-win

strategy appeals to audiences, and, at least in the case of Barrack Obama and Ronald

Reagan, helps to persuade an audience. Just like the Rogerian argument helps politicians

win elections, the Rogerian argumentative method can help you successfully persuade an

audience as well.

Questions to Consider

1. Why would politicians consider the Rogerian method useful?

2. How can reading Rogerian arguments help strengthen your argumentative skills?

3. Why is it important to consider the values of your audience when forming an

argument?

Works Cited

Obama, Barack. “The American Promise.” American Rhetoric. n.d. Web. Jan. 6, 2012.

Reagan, Ronald. “Acceptance of Republican Nomination for President at the 1980

Republican National Convention in Detroit, Michigan.” Ameircan Experience. PBS.

WGBH Educational Foundation. n.d. Web. Jan. 6, 2012.