Ethos and pathos

Barack Obama uses mostly ethos and pathos in his “Audacity of Hope” speech. 

Ethos 

Obama mainly borrows ethos from previous political leaders, like the Founding Fathers. This way, his message is more believable, as he borrows credibility from the people involved in establishing the United States of America:

Our pride is based on a very simple premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago, ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’

In this example, Obama alludes to the basic freedoms mentioned in the Declaration of Independence and, later on, he highlights his pur...