Block 2: Analysis of Ann Romney's speech at the RNC

Ann Romney begins her speech by welcoming and thanking her audience as well as giving a description of how she and her husband met. The problem she identifies is that our country needs a leader who shows love and family values and is successful. She assumes that her audience members are parts of families, whether they are parents, siblings, aunts, uncles or grandparents. Her purpose is to give a well-rounded depiction of her husband’s character and family values and make him easier for the audience to relate to. In order to accomplish this purpose, she appeals mainly to the women in the audience. She also appeals to men to a smaller degree because they can relate to having mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, etc. In her speech, Ann Romney addresses the main argument against her thesis, the idea her husband’s success should be criticized. She refutes this idea by saying that parents and families encourage their children to succeed which the audience can relate to. Finally, she concludes by making the point that her husband built his own success by working hard and helping others through his business. Overall, the argument Ann Romney makes is effective because she shows Mitt Romney in a compassionate light and makes the audience able to relate to him through family values and love.