Obama's Eulogy for Ted Kennedy

Obama's excellent use of multi-media enhances his eulogy for Ted Kennedy in multiple ways. The video shots showed during the eulogy are expertly taken such as the video of the painting given to Obama from Kennedy. The shot effectively zooms in on the painting of a Cape Cod landscape and a note from Kennedy saying, "To Barack. I love your audacity - With great respect and best wishes. Ted Kennedy" becomes legible. The use of still images throughout the eulogy also contributes to the enhancement of the speech. Multiple pictures of Obama and Ted Kennedy together in political scenes show Kennedy's dedication to his beliefs and his strong relationship with Obama. These Pictures show how much of a powerful person he can be, but other pictures and videos such as the ones of his childhood show his more gentle side. The most meaningful piece of multimedia in this eulogy would have to be the video of Kennedy sailing with his family. This video shows Kennedy with a broad smile on his face steering a sailboat into the horizon and making it clear that he is also just a regular guy who loves his family and would do anything for them.

Kennedy's main focus of his political career was public service and he made that clear in Congress. Ted Kennedy accomplished many things in his lifetime when it came to improving public service. These things ranged from sponsoring the Family opportunity Act of 2006, which allowed states to expand Medicaid coverage to children with special needs to his constant goal of making healthcare a right and not a privilege. The "liberal lion of the Senate" convinced his opposers on many occasions with stirring speeches on his beliefs. Kennedy always kept a positive attitude when it came to his reforms and even returned to the Senate floor on July 8, 2008 after being diagnosed with cancer just months before.

Throughout the eulogy, Obama used many rhetorical devices and outstanding diction to make his speech nothing short of stellar. Obama accurately showed the different sides of Kennedy by making the eulogy simple yet very descriptive. Kennedy's passionate public life was brought to the forefront but his private life was not left behind. Obama made it clear that Kennedy was much more than a public figure for reform, he was a family man. Kennedy had a softer more humorous side to him that went along with his serious side. Obama used the most flattering and fitting words of praise to describe Kennedy like when he described him as "the baby of the family who became its patriarch; the restless dreamer who became its rock." Obama described Kennedy as the great person he was, but made it clear that like everyone else, no one is perfect.