Rhetorical devices
Allusions and direct references
In his “Silent Majority” speech, Richard Nixon makes several allusions and references meant to strengthen his message. For example, Nixon ends his speech with a reference to President Woodrow Wilson, who said “This is the war to end war” when he talked about World War I. Nixon associates Wilson’s words with the present reality and explains that his plans will “bring us closer to that great goal to which Woodrow Wilson and every American President in our history has been dedicated — the goal of a just and lasting peace”.
Nixon then uses references to President Kennedy when he reinforces the idea that maintaining troops in South Vietnam is the best choice of action:
In 1963, President Kennedy, with his characteristic eloquence and clarity, said: '... we want to see a stable government there, carrying on a struggle to maintain its national independence. We belie...