Rhetorical Analysis-Rhetorical Devices: Vivek Ramaswamy’s Powerful & Awesome Speech Rhetoric #4

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Join me as I perform an argumentation and rhetorical analysis on one of Vivek Ramaswamy’s 2024 GOP candidate speeches. Whether you’re a fan of Mr. Ramaswamy’s policy vision or not, it’s clear that Ramaswamy is an exceptional critical thinker and rhetorician. This series breaks down the rhetorical analysis into a series of posts:

Subject Analysis Details

  • Speech: 2023 Faith & Freedom Coalition
  • Speaker/Speechwriter: Vivek Ramaswamy
  • Campaign Slogan: Truth
  • Date of speech: 06/23/2023
  • Speech Length: 14 minutes
  • Rhetoric Type: Constitutive Rhetoric
    • provide a collective identity for an addressed audience
    • construct the audience as a subject in history; justifying their identity across time
    • demand that subjects act in accordance/take action with their identity as enacted in history

Rhetorical Situation

  • Exigence: Driven by a concern for the changing cultural landscape in America, especially among the younger generation. It reflects a perceived erosion of traditional values and the search for a unifying American identity. Ramaswamy believes that addressing these challenges is crucial to the future of the nation. Moreover, his political aspirations and vision for the presidency are entwined with this exigence, making it a central theme of his speech.
  • Audience: Faith & Freedom Coalition
  • Purpose:
    • To advocate for a renewed sense of purpose and meaning in American society.
    • To persuade the audience, particularly the conservative base, of the speaker’s vision and political agenda.
    • To gain support for his candidacy for the U.S. presidency as a Republican.

Rhetorical Device Categorization

I use my own homegrown method to categorize the many rhetorical devices available for use. After much thought I am currently oversimplifying my categorization into two categories:

  • Elucidate Devices – devices used to explain or clarify something through storytelling, comparison, etc. Some examples include:
    • Analogy
    • Antithesis
    • Metaphor
  • Emphasize Devices – devices used to highlight something through rhythm, repetition, etc. Some examples include:
    • Anaphora
    • Epistrophe
    • Parallelism

Rhetorical Data Analysis – Rhetorical Devices

Some of the observations and data insights I thought were worth noting from the rhetorical devices data analysis. I included the device data dashboard below this table. Play around with the data and let me know in my YouTube comments if I missed anything of interest.

#Rhetorical Data AnalysisCommentary
1Data distribution between the 2 types is pretty even: Eludicate = 57%, Emphasize = 47%My expectation was that Pathos would be the dominant appeal since this speech is an example of constitutive rhetoric
2Anaphora (emphasize) has the highest share by a wide margin of any single rhetorical device at 32%Anaphora in combination with the rule of 3 may be in our future for political speeches for a very long time in honor of MLK’s “I have a dream” speech.
3Establish Identity line of reasoning: Elucidate = 67%, Emphasize = 33%Ramaswamy primarily uses anecdotes and metaphors to establish identity.
4Identify Issues line of reasoning: Elucidate = 80%, Emphasize = 20%Ramaswamy primarily uses metaphors to elucidate the issues that support his claim that we are in a national identity crisis.
5Present Policy line of reasoning: Elucidate = 17%, Emphasize = 83%Ramaswamy primarily uses anaphora for emphasis which is a common device to use for calls to action
6Connect Values line of reasoning: Elucidate = 56%, Emphasize = 44%Ramaswamy uses a combo of hypophora to elucidate and anaphora to emphasize.

Rhetorical Data Analysis Dashboard – Rhetorical Devices

  • Use the Full Screen icon in the bottom right to expand the dashboard
  • Use the bar or pie chart to filter by Rhetorical Device
  • Use the Line of Reasoning to filter by Line of Reasoning

Rhetorical Analysis – Arrangement Summary

  • Speech Opening
    • Vivek Ramaswamy begins by expressing gratitude and acknowledging the importance of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
    • He shares his personal journey, from being the child of Indian immigrants to becoming the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company.
    • He sets the stage for discussing a “cultural cancer” that threatens the dream Martin Luther King talked about.
  • Decline of Traditional American Values
    • Vivek Ramaswamy is concerned about the decline of traditional American values, such as faith, patriotism, hard work, and family. These values have historically been seen as central to the American identity.
    • This decline is seen as a cultural crisis that threatens the moral fabric of the nation.
  • Identity Crisis and Lack of Unity
    • The younger generation, represented by the speaker as a millennial, is described as experiencing an identity crisis.
    • There is a perceived lack of a unifying American identity that transcends diversity and differences.
    • Vivek Ramaswamy sees this as contributing to societal issues and a sense of purposelessness.
  • Political and Societal Issues
    • The speech alludes to a range of political and social issues, such as affirmative action, border security, and dependence on foreign nations (specifically, the Chinese Communist Party).
    • Vivek Ramaswamy presents these issues as problems that require attention and solutions.
  • Preservation of American Values
    • The overarching exigence is the preservation of what Vivek Ramaswamy views as core American values and principles, such as meritocracy, the rule of law, and the pursuit of truth.
    • Vivek Ramaswamy is calling for action to protect and restore these values.
  • Speech Conclusion
    • Vivek Ramaswamy concludes by emphasizing the potential for America’s ascent and the need for collective effort to preserve the American dream.

reason, rhetoric and rainbows