The speech’s topic
The topic of President Reagan’s speech was “change that brings hope and stability.” He addressed the Evangelicals in a variety of matters concerning how they would promote religion and morality in the United States.
The speech’s thesis and main point
The speech’s main point was to promote religion and morality in the country while supporting the nation’s initiative for better United States (Historical Speeches TV, 2018). According to President Reagan, working in public service was not easy as many politicians were not acquainted with matters of religion. President Reagan noted some of the ongoing issues of immorality happening in the country. He suggested that adopting religion and morality would be appropriate to minimize issues of immorality.
The speaker’s analysis of the audience and adaptation of the speech to its needs
The speaker talks about supporting those in public service through prayer and intercession. He was aware of being talking to a group of evangelists who were well-conversant with religious matters and prayer. Talking about intercession and prayers shows that he was conscious that evangelicals were well familiar with religious matters. Engaging in prayer would help those in public service to act morally. Serving in public service can be hard as people face many challenges. Assisting them in prayers encourages them to execute their duties effectively. The speaker, therefore, seems to have analyzed the audience to understand they wanted information related to religion and morality.
The speaker’s use of effective and relevant material
The speaker used quotes from authors and leaders of the past to support his speech. For example, he quoted the words of George Washington, who had mentioned that “of all the dispositions and factors that lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.” He also quoted William Penn, who once said, “If we were not being governed by God, we must be governed by tyrants.” These quotes supported the importance of religion and morality in promoting political prosperity in the nation.
The speech’s organization
President Reagan’s speech was not effectively organized because he just spoke about matters as they came to his mind. It is because he was not frequently referring from anywhere to know the exact matters to discuss. He only made a glimpse of a small material he was holding. It seems he had only listed the main points that he could quickly be referring to before expounding on them.
The speaker’s Clear, Interesting, and Accurate Language
President Reagan used clear, interesting, and accurate language to deliver his speech. He often cracked jokes making the audience laugh. His interesting language also enabled him to deliver the message effectively by attracting the attention of the listeners.
The quality of the speaker’s voice
The quality of the speaker’s voice was well accepted because he projected his voice well to enable every person to hear. It enabled the listeners to be more attentive as he never bored them during his speech. His voice also varied, helping to break monotony among the audience. It also enabled the audience to know where to applaud or to laugh. Being a president enabled him to be a good public speaker.
The speaker’s movements and gestures
In the video, the speaker utilized a few gestures and movements that were meaningful and effective. He often nodded slightly to bring emphasis and conclusion to a point. The speaker rarely utilized hand movements to support his speech. However, he maintained eye contact with the audience by being able to move his eyes to the people seated in all corners of the room. Moving the eyes through the audience was an effective cue that assisted in attracting the attention of the people while breaking monotony if he looked only at one place.
Reference
Historical Speeches TV. (2018). President Reagan’s address to the National Association of Evangelicals, March 8, 1983 [Video]. Web.