Bush's "Address to Congress on Terrorist Attack".
Although many questioned President George W. Bush's ability to effectively deliver a presentable speech to the Nation, he proved differently in his address to Congress and the U.S. after the September 11th terrorist attacks. In George W. Bush's speech both ethos and pathos appeals, as well as rhetorical tropes and schemes can be found on several occasions. He uses the tactics both intelligently and efficiently throughout the entire passage. .
Ethos appeal can be essentially found all over Bush's speech. One example in which it appears is in his audience analysis. On various instances George W. Bush carefully analyzes his audiences and speaks in a way that will be appealing to each. The first illustration of this is in his greeting "Mr. Speaker, Mr. President pro tempore, members of Congress, and fellow Americans." In this, the president is identifying with each individual group that he will be targeting within his speech. President Bush also uses ethos appeal in his direct references to God, Allah, and prayer. Although this could be beneficial to Bush's address in some ways, it could also prove detrimental. This is due to the diverse audience Bush is addressing. Not everyone believes or agrees with the exact same things. Therefore, there are some who are pleased and can appreciate George W. Bush's use of religious authority, but there are also others who are disgruntled by his actions. Ethos appeal can also be sited throughout the speech in President Bush's tone. Although he apparently gets angry several times during his speech, he never seems to fully express it. He, at all times, keeps his anger under control. For instance, when President Bush lists the demands of the United States on the Taliban and concludes by saying, "These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion. The Taliban must act and act immediately. They will hand over the terrorists, or they will share in their fate.
