Rhetoric Paper - Ted Kennedy’s speech “Chappaquiddick”

Ted Kennedy’s speech “Chappaquiddick” addresses his involvement in the incident that took place on Chappaquiddick Island in 1969 that became a point of public discourse given his political position as the Senator of Massachusetts. His involvement in the death of his co-passenger, Ms. Mary Jo Kopechne, gave rise to speculations of an extramarital affair that went wrong. It prompted discussions on the misuse of power among the wealthy and influential members of society, which jeopardized Kennedy’s reputation as a politician. Kennedy’s response to the rhetorical situation suggests that political figures take accountability only if there is a personal gain attached to it.

Ted Kennedy addresses the rhetorical situation through the “Chappaquiddick” speech to restore the public’s faith in him as a Senator. The rhetorical situation as introduced by Lloyd Bitzer, consists of exigency, audience and constraints. The exigency is reflected in Kennedy’s speech, as he mentions “the publicity, innuendo and whispers” of his involvement in the incident of Ms. Kopechne’s death. Kennedy’s use of the words “innuendo” and “whispers” convey that he is aware of the negative public perception that looms over him in the light of his admission of guilt to leaving the scene of the incident. He states, “I regard as indefensible the fact that I did not report the accident to the police immediately” addressing his silence on the matter that began to come across as an evasion of responsibility that the people of his state had begun to criticize. This leads him to wonder if the people of Massachusetts still have faith in him as their senator, as he says, “My admission of guilt this morning raises the question in my mind of whether my standing among the people of my State has been so impaired that I should resign my seat in the United States Senate.” It can be inferred through this statement that Ted Kennedy was conscious of the damage to his reputation as a consequence of his actions with regard to Ms. Kopechne’s death and the delay in his admission of guilt. Kennedy’s statement to the police would not put his critics or the public’s doubts at rest, so he made the decision to take matters into his own hands and provide an explanation through a televised speech (Bauer, 2008). His decision to clarify his position came at a time when he had more to lose from not explaining himself as a senatorial candidate who needs votes to protect his political career. Kennedy contemplates resigning and shares it with the audience of the speech at a time when his entire political career was in shambles. In saying “so I ask you tonight, the people of Massachusetts, to think this through with me,” he reaches out to his audience, the voters who have the power to either end his political career or re-elect him as their senator and the citizens of the United States. The audience consisted mainly of the voters who determined whether he would remain in office. According to Kraus et al. (1974) “The media considered the senate race in 1970, a “test” of Kennedy’s political future” (p. 434). This gives the impression that the senatorial election ahead of Kennedy the following year, would be his last chance at maintaining his political career. The main constraints that he had to work with was the time limit of the speech and the fact that it was televised. These constraints were beneficial to him as they gave him the opportunity to speak his piece without having to face the people of Massachusetts, their questions, criticisms or reactions. Since the speech was televised, he was able to control his narrative without being brought down by the perceptions of others. Kraus et al. (1974) mentioned that “As a result of the telecast, however half of the defectors returned to his support” (p.436). This shows that Kennedy’s efforts to take accountability through the speech were fruitful in garnering public support, which helped him preserve his political career.

Kennedy relies on the artistic proof of ethos developed by Aristotle to protect his credibility as a worthy political leader. The line “I do not seek to escape responsibility for my actions by placing the blame either on the physical and emotional trauma brought on by the accident, or on anyone else,” helps him affirm that he holds himself to a high moral standard as he wishes to own up to his deeds. He draws attention to the fact that he has held the position as the Senator of Massachusetts for a number of years through the line “It has been seven years since my first election to the Senate. You and I share many memories” to convey that while this incident was tragic, it was one blemish and not a true reflection of his character. The mention of “seven years” goes to show that for a prolonged period of time, the people of his state believed in his abilities as a politician worthy of holding office. He acknowledges that his “scrambled thoughts” resulted in him saying “various inexplicable, inconsistent, and inconclusive things” that call attention to the self-contradictions and discrepancies in his narrative. It can be inferred through this that he was overwhelmed and not himself as he made those statements, and therefore his character should not be reduced to one instance. As he establishes personal credibility he also manages to make himself appear as a politician who is deserving of holding a position of power.

Ted Kennedy’s response to the rhetorical situation and the use of ethos in the “Chappaquiddick” speech highlight his need to take accountability for his role in the death of Ms. Kopechne to remedy the damage that has been done to his reputation. In his frantic attempt to salvage his political career, Kennedy chose to take responsibility for his actions and re-establish his personal credibility to strengthen his professional credibility. He attempted to restore the faith in his abilities among the people of Massachusetts with the aim of keeping his position as a senator and hoping to be re-elected in the future.