Kennedy’s Love Affair

Many of mans most important accomplishments occurred in 1969, such as mans landing on the moon, but the event with the most circulation attached to it was related to a Massachusetts senator named Ted Kennedy. He had taken a young woman by the name of Mary Jo Kopechne in a car and ended up in a massive body of water. The worst part being that he did not alert the police until nine hours later by which time it was impossible to save the young woman. Ted Kennedy’s “…career was threatened not by a violent enemy or a political foe but a scandal…” (Times 11B). He thus had to take action to save his reputation, and to do this he made an amazing persuasive speech that was actually placed sixty-two on the top 100 speeches of the twentieth century. Ted Kennedy creates this marvelous speech using persuasive techniques such as using logical proof, emotional proof and using hostile audience techniques.

            Initially, the persuasive speech used by Ted Kennedy to save his reputation was greatly made more persuasive because the use of logical proof. Examples of logical proof could be facts, an expert testimony, and comparisons. He uses facts when he says “… I felt morally obligated to plead guilty to the charge of leaving the scene of an accident,” (Kennedy 320). Another time he states facts would be when he described what happened that night. This will make the reader able to better understand the rest of his speech. In addition, it will eliminate a few questions the audience has. Furthermore, Ted applies an expert testimony when he says “.. my doctors informed me that I had suffered a cerebral concussion as well as shock..,” (319). When Kennedy states he has a medical condition, it makes the spectators blame him to a lesser degree. Intelligibly, Kennedy compares the people of Massachusetts to great people, such as “… John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster and Charles Summer…” this was clever because it gives the people pride in Massachusetts, and possibly in their senator. He might say this so he can mention his brother’s name and remind the people whom he is related to. Clearly, Ted Kennedy advantageously used logical proof.

            Furthermore, Emotional proof is extremely effective in persuasion. Ted Kennedy appealed to emotions and drives, needs or wants. For example, the emotions he appealed to would be pity and love and the drives, wants or needs he appealed to would be survival. He created pity in the audience by stating, “No words on my part can possibly express the terrible pain and suffering I feel over this tragic incident” (320). This causes the people, the ones Kennedy tries to reach out toward to, to feel empathy or sympathy for him and thus spare him any more pain. Additionally, he shows love towards Mary Jo when he says “ She was a gentle, kind, and idealistic person, all of us tried to help her feel that she still had a home with the Kennedy family,” (318). This will show the listeners of this speech he did not intend to hurt the woman. However, he is not trying to show that he loves her as he would love his wife, but more like a friend. Moreover, Kennedy makes apparent his drives or needs for his actions, when he says “ … cold water rushed in around my head… and I actually felt the sensation of drowning…”( 319). This shows the people he was in a life or death situation and this technique would help the people understand, it is difficult to thing clearly while drowning. The use of emotional proof in Ted Kennedy’s essay is obviously a vital reason for its effectiveness.