Reagan's Challenger Address Term Paper

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speech "Challenger Address to the Nation" by President Ronald Reagan. Specifically, it will analyze the elements of the rhetorical situation in the address. It will also discuss how the elements relate to Reagan's presidency and popularity at the time of the speech in January 1986. Ronald Reagan endures as one of the most popular American presidents, and speeches such as this one are one indication of his popularity. They are poignant, resilient, and emotional, all of which characterize his administration and his outlook as a politician and a person.

When the Challenger space shuttle exploded during take-off in 1986, the event shocked and saddened the nation. America lost seven of its brightest and best astronauts, and the country grieved over the loss. Reagan's speech acknowledged that grief and mourned along with the nation. The speech is quite indicative of Reagan's public popularity at the time. Just like Reagan himself, the speech was emotional and touching. Two Reagan speech experts note, "In many ways the Challenger speech included the most salient features of Reagan's rhetoric: unself-conscious references to God, emphasis on heroes, appeals to values of freedom and progress, and Reagan's fitting presentational manner" (Ritter & Henry, 1992, p. 4). He was an emotional president, and his speeches and actions often conveyed this, which is one reason he was so popular with so many of the American people.

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When the Challenger disaster occurred, Reagan was probably at his lowest point in public popularity. While he was elected in a landslide with almost 60% of the votes in 1984, his popularity was slipping by 1986. In fact, in November 1986 Americans voted in a Democratic Congress, indicating their dissatisfaction with the Republican administration. However, in speeches such as the Challenger address, Reagan connected with the American people, and by the time he left office in 1989, he was (and remains) one of the most popular presidents in history. As another historian notes, "Eventually, the public also came to admire Reagan, but for different reasons, namely his likeable persona and crucial role in ending the Cold War" (White, 2004). Thus, Reagan's public approval was not always high, but overall, the American people admired him and liked him, and much of this came….....

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