Houlihan "Resigning the Presidency" Rhetoric

            In “Resigning the Presidency,” Richard Nixon uses rhetoric to soften the blow of the Watergate Scandal and to immediately begin rebuilding his shattered image to the American public. He begins by addressing each member of his audience as “I.” Although the audience was obviously much bigger than a single individual, in referring to his audience as such he gives a personal sense for the viewer or listener of the speech. Nixon talks of being elected to office by “you,” another device to make the audience feel as though he is specifically addressing them. He even later goes on to say “we” when talking about the feats of the nation during his presidency. By doing this throughout his speech, Nixon appeals to his audience on a much more intimate and personal level, attempting to make the viewer or listener feel connected to Nixon.

            President Nixon then begins to assert his authority as a speaker. This step is crucial for his speech, because through the Watergate Scandal he had lost the influence that is normally accredited to the United State’s presidents simply based on their title. Nixon states that both he and his family wanted to him continue his presidency despite any “personal agony” he may have had to endure. He then says that the “interest of the Nation must always come before any personal considerations.” This first statement leads the audience to understand that if necessary, Nixon would have struggled through the difficulties of what would have remained of his presidency. By making the audience believe that he has the nation’s best interest at heart, he slowly regains his credibility as a speaker. He claims that he has never been a “quitter,” and in saying this Nixon tries to make his audience grasp how trying the end result of his decision to resign has been for him. The viewer or listener gets the sense that this decision was not made lightly, but one that was long contemplated by Nixon and discussed with many other people in positions of power. Nixon also becomes more reliable as a speaker when explaining his reasoning for resigning. By mentioning that he would need to completely absorb himself in reshaping his image as a political figure to Congress if he were to remain president, the audience gets the impression that he understands the depth and significance of Watergate, furthering his reforming believability.

            Nixon spends the last portion of “Resigning the Presidency” discussing his achievements as president, how he hopes to see the nation continue to prosper, and his gratitude towards Americans. He refers to the various diplomatic feats he has accomplished, and focuses mainly on what he has done for a more peaceful world. He advocates for peace and prosperity throughout not only America but also globally. Nixon states that he is “confident the world is a safer place” after his presidency. By reminding his audience of all he has done to work towards world peace and a better America, he successfully starts the budding of a new image for himself. Nixon further states that even though he is resigning, he will continue to work towards the goals he claims he has kept as a priority during his presidency. The speech concludes with a statement of a “kinship” Nixon says he felt with every American, and with a prayer for all in the audience. These final few words work to really assert what Nixon wanted to say in his speech. The last statements Nixon makes are solely attempts at transforming his ruined image. He sends a message of hope for a better nation, and for hopes of a positive legacy left behind from his presidency rather than simply the scandalous matters that brought his presidency crashing down.