Obama's Victory Speech

In Obama's victory speech for the presidential election 2008, he uses a several examples of metaphors and hyperboles.

Examples of metaphors included "It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches" (Obama)

"We have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of Red States and Blue States" (Obama)

"The rock of our family" (Obama) here is refering to his wife, Michelle.

"New energy to harness" (Obama)

"Our climb will be steep" (Obama) talking about the journey that America will have to take

"Work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years--block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand." (Obama)

"A new dawn of American leadership is at hand" (Obama)

Obama also uses pathos is speech;

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay straight, disabled and not disabled" (Obama)
-here, President Obama is naming off all different races and genders and talking about them as one

"Sasha and Malia, I love you both more than you can imagine, and you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the White House. And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and I know that my debt to them is beyond measure" (Obama).
--here Obama is trying to create an image for himself as a "family man."

"[One story] that's on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice hard in this election except for one thing: Ann NIxon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons: because she was woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America--the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed"

When Obama presents this anecdote in his speech, he is identifying personally with this woman and not just talking about how there are citzens out there like her, but actually using her name.