- The Forensic Funnel
- Posts
- Speech Analysis of Cori Bush
Speech Analysis of Cori Bush
An in-depth breakdown of the victory speech
Speech analyses are so great because you don’t have to swing for the fences. You can look at powerful speeches and take their blueprint—the techniques and tactics used and then adapt them for yourself. By breaking speeches down and seeing why they work, we can learn how to make those same foundations for our own speeches. One good case is Cori Bush.
🤓 Pro-Tip: If you want to do speech analyses and breakdowns on a more regular basis and improve your writing, just join classes like AP Lang where speeches are a commonly analyzed medium!
In the aftermath of a landmark election, Cori Bush delivered a victory speech that transcended personal achievement. As Missouri's first Black congresswoman, nurse, activist, and single mother, Bush's triumph can hardly just be called an electoral win. Her speech, delivered with great emotion and rhetorical mastery, was truly heartfelt. This article explores the substance and significance of that speech, analyzing its emotional resonance, rhetorical strength, and techniques/tactics used.
If you want to watch the speech for yourself and also look at the tonal and body language aspects of it, here it is:
Table of Contents
Category I: Emotional Resonance
What made Cori Bush's speech so emotional was the fact that it was anchored in her lived experiences, which lent it an authenticity that few political orations achieve. Her words were not abstract appeals to policy or vague promises. Instead, they were recollections of pain, perseverance, and purpose that the average person could relate to. She spoke of fleeing domestic abuse, struggling with homelessness, battling illness without health insurance, and raising children as a single mother. These confessions were not staged or sanitized; they were raw and relatable.
It’s because she shared these vulnerabilities that Bush connected with countless Americans who have experienced similar hardships. It’s not just general, either; notice her repeated acknowledgment of specific communities, "To the Black women. The Black girls. The nurses. The single mothers. The essential workers. This. Is. OUR. Moment." Yes, vulnerability is a good first step to an emotionally powerful speech, but the next biggest one is specificity. Not everyone is going to share the same struggles, so you have to figure out what you can say that would resonate with your audience
Moreover, Bush expressed her love for these communities; expressions like love can push speeches beyond just political or general rhetoric and step foot into areas of communal strength
Category II: Rhetorical Strength
Bush's rhetorical approach was strategic. Her use of anaphora is a good example; the repetition of phrases such as "I was..." and "To every...” created a lyrical cadence that mirrored the rhythm of protest chants and church sermons. The joining of these two phrases also makes the speech far more memorable and clearly indicates the key points.
Her speech was replete with inclusive language. Phrases like "We the people," "our movement," and "this is for us" reframed the narrative from individual success to communal success. This rhetorical choice aligns perfectly with someone who wants to be seen as a representative of the people.
Category III: Rational Clarity
What set Bush's speech apart from many others was its combination of emotional depth with policy-driven purpose. It was rich in personal storytelling and rhetorical beauty, but it also conveyed a clear, rational agenda. This is the pitfall that many speakers fall into. They’re too rational or too emotional. She asserted healthcare as a human right and called for economic justice and structural reforms. Her policy priorities were necessities drawn from her own life and the lives of those she represents.
This grounding in reason ensured that her speech was intellectually robust. It avoided the pitfalls of performative politics by offering a coherent framework for change, informed by both lived experience and systemic critique.
Conclusion:
This is one of many successful speeches that we can learn from and use to our advantage
Political speeches often veer toward the superficial or self-congratulatory; Bush offered something profoundly different: a speech that felt human. Bush's words weren’t just heard; they were felt. And in politics, that may be the most powerful form of persuasion there is.
Happy Speaking,
The Forensic Funnel Team
Reply