David Oh

Comments:
Michael Chiang: I thought your attention-getter was very good. I thought many people in the class could relate to it. Your pace and the flow from each point you wanted to make was very smooth. Good job showing credibility.

Carolyn Graham: I really liked how you opened and closed your speech with the parallels between the two September 11ths in our history. It was very intriguing. You had a very interesting topic, and spoke with a good pace. You also seemed knowledgeable and confident. The only suggestions I have is to work a little on eye contact. Overall, well done!

I. Introduction

Attention-getter: How many people have watched Family Guy? How many people have seen Bill Clinton on Family Guy? Bill Clinton is consistently ridiculed by the numerous amount of parodies that portray his sexual acts with Monica Lewinksy.

Thesis: September 11, 2001 was a day of mourning; September 11, 1998 was a day of sinful crime that will be remembered throughout history, giving the United States a reputation of disgrace through the shameful acts of our trusted former president, Bill Clinton. (New York Times)

Transition: I am not here to judge Bill Clinton and his speech that was made to America, but to analyze the reasons for giving that speech.

II. Background:
A. 22 Year old intern, Monica Lewinsky was hired to work for the White House in 1995 which is when the affair started. (wikipedia)
B. Bill Clinton was put upon charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power. (NY Times)
C. August 17, 1998 was the day Bill Clinton admitted to the nation (televised) that he had an “inappropriate relationship” with Lewinksy.
D. September 11, 1998 was the day Bill Clinton delivered his “I have sinned” speech voluntarily. (NY Times)
III. Exigence
A. Earlier, Clinton had firmly pointed out that he did not have a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinksy but he decided to come out in front of his nation and not ask for forgiveness but to merely repent.
B. He simply said, “I don't think there is a fancy way to say that I have sinned”. (Speech)
C. America is not choosing a president for just a face to represent the United States. They are choosing someone to lead, put a good image on and to prove that they truly are the commander in chief of the United States. (NY Times)
D. “Some, particularly in the Muslim world, fear that Mr. Clinton no longer has the moral authority to use his power in ways they would like to see.”
E. 12 minute speech was given at a breakfast meeting with Church figures (EMI) where he could tell his personal feelings to a crowd that was not affiliated with the nation. However, some religious figures did not show up.
F. Forgive and Forget- Forgiving is what Bill Clinton wanted because he stated he had a “broken spirit”, but the world is not going to forget. Bill Clinton wanted to leave a legacy, but it turned out to be a legacy of shame. (NY Times)
IV. Audience

V. Constraints
A. Bill Clinton couldn’t actually lie again because he already stated to the world that he did.
B. Clinton was no longer afraid to speak of his inappropriate behavior because now was not a time to debate on if he did right or wrong, but rather a time where he can repent his sins and for one last time, show that he is really sorry. (New York Times)
C. In the past, Bill Clinton gave out speeches that consisted with his family members describing that his life wasn’t a very pleasant one because of all the drug abusers, parsimonious members and so. However, This speech he could not be specific because he is generally apologetic to all and specifically his family and friends.
VI. Conclusion
A. Based on Bill Clinton’s work that either hurt or aided the country in becoming a stronger nation cannot be judged by me.
B. He wasn’t an incompetent president based on political issues. Chancellor Kohl of Germany stated that President Clinton is number 1, however he still has responsibilities.
C. Overall, both September 11th occurrences will be remembered as days that were unfortunately harmful to the United States, however, as history goes by, in the midst of all this chaotic turmoil, there will be those that will always be there to remember. How will you remember this day?

Bibliography

Herlinger, Chris “Clinton tells religious leaders: I have sinned” 18 Sept. 1998 5 Feb 2008
<http://www.layman.org/layman/news/news-around-church/clinton-tells-ihave-sinned.htm>

Kakutani, Michiko. “TESTING OF A PRESIDENT: ESSAY; An American Drama Replete With Ironies” 12 Sept. 1998 5 Feb 2008
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEED71731F931A2575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

Lewinky Scandal Wikipedia 2008 5 Feb 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewinsky_scandal

Whitney, Craig. “TURMOIL IN RUSSIA: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT; Beyond Personal Faults, The Power of the Office” 1 Sept 1998 5 Feb 2008
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DA143FF932A3575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1

Alex: I think you really drew everyong in with your family guy reference. You ended really strongly and within a good time frame. Maybe a bit more eye contact next time?

Derek: Good intro brought something that we all were familiar with for the most part to catch our attention. You had a good pace and I liked how you ended with a question, which is different from what everyone has been doing thus far, so that was a good. Like Alex said maybe a little more eye contact, but overall good job.

Joe DeArmitt: Your speech was very straight foreward and to the point, you also did a good job of saying it without fillers. One thing I would work on is the eye contact. Good job.

Sarah Dunning: Good opening, very interesting way to develop your topic-- your intro seemed a bit long but you had a lot of good background info in it. Great closing, overall it was a really good speech, but you may want to focus on your eye contact for next time :).

Liz Peters: You chose an interesting topic that caught my attention and you had a good introduction with a lot of information. The quote you used from the NY times about choosing a president was a great choice. You had a great conclusion, but I thought you were still on constraints when it was actually your conclusion. For you next speech, make sure you have a transition from your last topic to your conclusion.

Scot Brown: I would be careful drawing parallels between two events so dissimilar as the two September 11's mentioned here. Unless your intention is really to say that the two are equal in magnitude of damage done (and I don't think it is, at least I hope not) then it may be confusing or even offensive to your audience to make it seem like a comparison is being made. Luckily I think you avoided this, but be careful in the future.

Speech II Outline
I. Introduction
a. Attention-Getter: The last time I was up here, all of you guys got excited that I was going to talk about parodies such as Family Guy, not Bill Clinton. This time it’s going to be about Bill Clinton again, unless you guys want to watch a parody? Show Clip First 30 seconds
- (This clip shows how Bill Clinton is portrayed).
b. Credibility Statement: As an American citizen, my opinion matters as much as any other, therefore my analysis on different perspectives will be interpreted after doing thorough research.
c. Background: Bill Clinton has had several different political parties and religious figures commentate on his “I Have Sinned” speech. Each individual’s perception is consistently expressed, causing a tremendous amount of conflicting speculations.
d. Thesis: There were ambivalent thoughts and feelings that were expressed after Clinton’s speech, as a result, giving both parties a drastic change in perception, whether it was for or against Clinton’s actions.
e. Preview: Last speech, I expressed the thoughts of Bill Clinton, however the main points that I am going discuss this time is the reality of listener’s view points and why it really matters.
Transition: Much analysis is required to create a clear and well-thought out verdict, therefore we must be objective and focus on the factors that changed other’s perception due to the speech.
II. Body
1. Presence and structure of the speech in order to refresh your memory.
a. The speech was made on 09/11/98 on a White House breakfast prayer.
b. There were over 100 ministers, priests, religious figures and even Hillary Clinton was present. (Herlinger)
c. The speech brought upon radical change of thoughts that altered several mentalities of Bill Clinton.
Transition: Now we will move on to the responses that were in favor of Bill Clinton and how it brought several audience members to favor him.
2. Favoring Bill Clinton
a. It was quite effective: Charles Jones, former president of the American Political Science Association said, “I can think of no comparable speech to this”. (NYTimes)
b. Several people were touched by the speech and were in favor of him because they were astonished by the fact that he was striving to a path of repentance.
c. Minister Jones’ said, “I was impressed with his strength and his will to serve.” (NYTimes)
d. Some were bewildered by the fact that others can’t forgive him. Rabbi Edward Cohn of Los Angeles said, “I love this man. I’ve been surprised how unforgiving religious leaders seem to be. I want to see him continue what he’s started. He’s good for America.”(NYTimes)
e. When Bill Clinton concluded his speech, there was a 15 second applaud and then they all stood up and applauded him for over a minute. That already says that a great amount of people agree that Bill Clinton can do better and should be forgiven. (NY Times)
Transition: A part of the audience were moved by his speech, however there were those that still thought it was absurd and unnecessary for Bill Clinton to make his speech.
3. Against Bill Clinton
a. Others were amazed at why the religious figures of the audience actually favored him. In his speech, he consistently uses the Bible in order to enhance his speech.
b. Several religious leaders were upset about his speech because Bill Clinton used the Bible in ways he shouldn’t have used it.
c. Susaane Scholz, a professor at College of Wooster in Ohio said,” he used the Bible to pacify a broader American public which likes to read the Bible in a literalist way.” (Herlinger)
d. Bill Clinton actually used the Bible because he knew that it was a “Powerful source in American culture” and it was “loving quoted”. (Herlinger)
e. Several were still greatly upset and they actually called Clinton a “serial liar” and he was “no longer able to lead the free world effectively”.
f. Bishop Grein told New York Times that his moral presence in the country has been undercut so badly that he can’t lead. (Herlinger)
Transition: Responses varied distinctly, and the perspective of the audience is the main factor. However, Bill Clinton’s thoughts of himself and his speech was an important factor also.
4. How did Bill Clinton Feel
a. Before the speech, Clinton was determined to keep moving on with his presidency, so he always kept one thing in mind. He wanted to progress.
b. He said that, “it is very important that our nation moves forward” and called the Lewinsky matter merely “a caution light in my life.” (Knowlton)
c. The results of the public’s view were yet to be found. He still needed time in order for the feedback of the American public.
Transition: After seeing how everyone felt back in 1998, now the matter depends on how people perceive Bill Clinton currently.
5. Bill Clinton Current Status
a. The perceptions back in 1998 and now could be totally different or remain the same to others. As a result, the latest Pew Research Center did a survey on their feelings toward Bill Clinton. (NY Times)
b. Finally October of 2007, there was a hand full of citizens that expressed their thoughts of Bill Clinton. (Seelye)
c. 34 percent of voters disliked the fact that Bill Clinton should go back to the White house.
d. However, February of this year, the percentages rose.
e. The results came out to be that 45 percent of American citizens don’t favor him and do not want to see him back in the White House. (NY Times)
f. On the other hand, how did political parties feel about Bill Clinton?
- 68 Percent of the democrats like him back in October of 2007 and the number has not changed since. (NY Times)
- However, the Republicans never liked the idea of Bill Clinton coming back to the White House. Back in October there were 66% that disliked him, now it rose to 80%.
Transition: Overall, the speech was made with strong focus on repentance and it changed perception of various people.
III. Conclusion
a. Restate Thesis: There were distinct perceptions based on Bill Clinton’s acts, however after the “I have sinned” speech made by Bill Clinton, there were numerous amount of alterations of mentalities.
b. This speech gave true meaning to Bill Clinton, whether it alleviated or caused negative results. However, at the end of the day, whether they are for or against Bill Clinton, the fact that he made this speech will be recorded in history.

Bibliography
Herlinger, Chris “Clinton tells religious leaders: I have sinned” 18 Sept. 1998 5 Feb 2008
<http://www.layman.org/layman/news/news-around-church/clinton-tells-ihave-sinned.htm>
Kakutani, Michiko. “TESTING OF A PRESIDENT: ESSAY; An American Drama Replete With Ironies” 12 Sept. 1998 5 Feb 2008
<http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEED71731F931A2575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1>
Knowlton, Brian. “I Sinned, He says in Apology That Includes Lewinsky: Clinton Vows He Will Stay and Fight” 12 September 1998
< http://www.iht.com/articles/1998/09/12/pray.t.php?page=2>
Seelye, Katharine. “Fewer want Bill Clinton back in the White House”. 3 February 2008 < http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/fewer-want-bill-clinton-back-in-the-white-house/?scp=2-b&sq=i+have+sinned+bill+clinton&st=nyt>
Wehner, Peter. “Bill Clinton, Historian” 22 July 1999 < http://www.jewishworldreview.com/weekly/standard072299.asp>
Whitney, Craig. “TURMOIL IN RUSSIA: THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT; Beyond Personal Faults, The Power of the Office” 1 Sept 1998 5 Feb 2008
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE2DA143FF932A3575AC0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1
Visual Aid
<http://youtube.com/watch?v=lZroPLQWNVc>

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