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Dan Wendlandt
Rhetoric of War
6/2/02
Essay #2 rewrite
George Bush’s Ground Zero Logic
Visiting Ground Zero for the first time only two days after the terrorist attack on the
World Trade Center towers, President George Bush stands at the center of a throng of rescue
workers, megaphone in hand, to impart a few words to an anxious audience. Speaking from atop
a crushed fire-truck amid the building’s rubble, Bush begins with words of compassion and
gratitude for the surrounding rescue workers. Yet amid the destruction and sorrow, Bush saw an
opportunity to send a message of hope to the people of New York City and the nation as a whole.
Like a general visiting troops after a devastating battle, Bush’s main goal is to raise the morale of
the workers, and indirectly the millions viewing taped footage, by assuring them of America’s
solid moral character in the face of the “evil terrorists.” In this emotionally charged atmosphere
directly following September 11th, the success of Bush’s delivery rests almost entirely on
emotional and moral appeals made through his words and appearances. By specifically targeting
his audience and effectively using visual and oral rhetoric, George Bush succeeds in asserting
America’s moral superiority to convince those at Ground Zero and across the nation that
America will remain strong in the face of any terrorist threat.
The crowd’s acceptance of Bush’s speech relies heavily on his ability to establish a
sincere and credible relationship with his audience. One obvious source of ethos is his
prominent status as President in the patriotic days following the attacks. After 9-11 Bush shed
the image as the leader who “cheated” his way into the oval office, overnight joining the ranks of
George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in the minds of many Americans. As a result, he had
no need to establish his credibility through official statements about the Presidency or with an
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impressive entourage of American flags and Secret Service agents. In the direct aftermath of
September 11th, President Bush represents a potent source of ethical and emotional appeal in
America.
In fact, the patriotic aura of credibility surrounding Bush directly after the attacks allows
him to make a different type of appeal. On his visit to Ground Zero, Bush attempts to identify
himself with the audience not as the President, but as a common American. The visual rhetoric
depicting a down-to-earth President Bush is striking. Replacing the Presidential navy sport coat
and patriotic tie, Bush wears an everyday brown jacket, partially unzipped to expose a casual
shirt beneath. He stands on a pile of rubble with the nearest onlookers only a few feet away and
no the secret service agents in sight. Like a protest leader, the President grasps a megaphone and
wraps his arm around a firefighter in a sign of solidarity. Not only does the visual rhetoric
distance Bush from the classic image of a politician, but the plain clothing gives him the
appearance of being on the front lines, doing his part to get American back on its feet.
The tone and diction Bush utilizes also indicates his wish to approach the rescue workers
on a person basis. The President opens with the words: “I want you all to know…” The use of
the personal pronouns “I” and “you” resembles the diction a personal conversation rather than
that of a political statement. He also uses “we” and “our” to strengthen the bond between
himself and those listening. The success of this strategy is immediately evident in the crowd’s
response. One rescue worker yelled out, “Go get’em George!” showing that the rescue workers
identified with the President well enough to use his first name. Beyond effective word choice,
Bush’s decision to stand with his arm on the shoulder of a rank-and-file firefighter gave his
message a personal spin. Every worker at the site, and millions of American’s across the
country, could image themselves as the “ordinary American” at the side of the nation’s
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Commander and Chief. Establishing a personal connection to those watching is a key means by
which Bush establishes the grounds of his ethical appeal.
The purpose of Bush’s speech is both to mourn the lives lost on September 11th and even
more importantly, to encourage the nation by reassuring them of the moral virtue possessed by
the United States in its conflict against “evil”. To achieve this objective, President Bush uses a
strong ethical and religious tone. The opening statement shows the moral tone used by Bush:
“I want you all to know, that America today is on bended knee in prayer for the people whose
lives were lost here, for the workers who work here, for the families who mourn. This nation
stands with the good people of New York City, and New Jersey, and Connecticut as we mourn
the loss of thousands of our citizens.”
By stating that “America is on bended knee in prayer…” Bush implies a high degree of moral
character in all Americans. The religious connotations of this line along with his closing
statement of “God bless America!” show an attempt to portray America as the correct and
morally superior side in the “War on Terror.” Specifically addressing those people in the crowd
by naming the three states most directly impacted by the WTC attack, Bush refers to those them
as “good people”, implying a moral virtue in those suffering from the attack. Bush’s statements
declaring America’s moral superiority also advance the unstated notion that those who attacked
these “good people” must in turn be evil. This depiction of a moral battle between good and evil
appeals to the emotions of the crowd and advances a theme of American superiority seen
throughout Bush’s speech.
Another way Bush promotes the greatness of America is by praising the rescuers who
stand before him for their hard work and dedication. He expresses gratitude to the workers both
in the opening and again in the closing statement, stating: “Thank you for your hard work, thank
you for making our nation proud…” Bush compliments the work ethic of the men and woman at
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Ground Zero and uses this fact to strengthen his assertion that American is a land of great moral
character. The use of this argument relies heavily on an appeal to the workers’ own sense of
pride, well also hearkening back to the American tradition of holding hard work in the highest
regard. Yet again, Bush proves to be a speaker successfully tailoring his words for the maximum
possible impact on those listening. In this setting, Bush’s praise for the audience is a simple yet
effective pathos appeal.
Bush employs another simple emotional appeal by recalling the devastating death toll
from the attacks. He speaks of “the loss of thousands of our citizens” and mentions America’s
mourning for the great loss of life. By evoking the memory of those who died, many of whom
had been friends, co-workers or even family members of those in the immediate audience, Bush
raises the emotional interest of the crowd. By reminding the audience of those who died, Bush
indirectly returns to the notion of a virtuous American under attack from evil terrorists.
Yet beyond depicting America as a virtuous nation under attack, the President also offers
strong words of encouragement to the tired rescuers. Building on his close connection to the
crowd and the high emotional level of the audience, President Bush ventures away from the
speech’s expected course to speak freely with the crowd. When a distanced crowd member calls
out: “George, we can’t hear you!” Bush smiles and responds loudly: “I can hear you! I can hear
you, the rest of the world can hear you, and the people who knocked these buildings down will
hear all of us soon!” In response to Bush’s extemporaneous pep-talk, the audience erupts in a
tumult of cheering. Showing strong “crowd sense”, Bush pauses long enough for the audience to
begin chanting “USA, USA…” in a moment of patriotic fervor. The President’s witty and
spontaneous statement proves powerful for several reasons. First, its impromptu nature makes it
both sincere and personal. Secondly, it builds on a theme common to this speech and much of
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Bush’s post 9-11 rhetoric: the assertion that good Americans will triumph over evil terrorists.
Finally, the cadence and energy of his words shoots the message directly to the hearts of those
listening and promises hope despite the dire situation. Surveying the crowd, Bush understands
that this is a group looking for an excuse to cheer and reason to believe in a better tomorrow.
His ability to capitalize on this highly emotional moment shows a keen understanding of
audience.
In another example of Bush’s acute awareness of the audience’s condition, the
President’s diction is highly euphemistic. Trying to provide encouragement and confidence to
the shell-shocked and tired rescue, he consciously avoids describing the high level of destruction
or the threat of another attack. As a speaker, Bush realizes that his audience had already faced
too much fear and destruction and his diction reflects an understanding of their fragile emotional
state. For example, avoids the word “death” by instead relying twice on the euphemism of a
“lost life”.
Later, instead of using clear terms such as “terrorists” or “bombing” he refers to the
attackers as “the people who knocked these buildings down.” By avoiding words that elicit
negative emotions, Bush keeps the audience from straying away from his encouraging and hope
filled message.
Viewed with both physical and chronological distance, Bush’s speech may appear
rhetorically simple and unconvincing. Yet the tremendous response by the crowd on September
13th shows Bush’s ability to use knowledge of the audience and context to deliver an effective
message. He utilizes a solid understanding of the audience to forge a tie between himself and the
rescue workers and he invokes ethical and emotional appeals to create an audience more open to
his message. The President’s intelligent use of concise rhetoric succeeds in convincing the
audience of America’s moral virtue and provides sorely needed encouragement. By constantly
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remaining mindful of his audience, President Bush offers a vision of patriotism and hope not
only to the beleaguered group of rescue workers directly before him, but to an entire nation still
struggling to cope with the devastation following September 11th.