Smith 1

Jake Smith
Professor Vallade
CIS 110
15 September 2014
Public Speaking 101
Senator Marco Rubio shocked members of the Republican party with a powerful speech
headlining the Republican National Convention in 2012. It was an exciting night, with Governor
and presidential candidate Mitt Romney hoping to seal the hearts and minds of his political party
for a win in the 2012 election. Rubio did a great job pumping up the crowd before Romney took
the stage, in a way acting like the future of the Republican party and highlighting hes a rising
star. In his address, Rubio spoke a lot about the American dream, highlighting his parents long
journey from Cuba to the United States. He used the story as a back drop as to why the United
States as such a great country to live. Rubio did a great job assessing his audience and using this
story to make them excited and connected. Many of the ideals of the Republican party lie within
the American dream, so Rubio using this story helped him connect well with the audience.
Rubio effectively used stories and topics that connected well with the ideas of the Republican party, making it such a powerful speech. He took shots at President Barack Obama, a democrat, saying he wasnt a bad person, rather a bad president. Obviously, a room full of thousands
of Republicans are going to connect well with criticism towards the president who aligns himself
with the opposing party. Rubio effectively used his stern nature to highlight the seriousness of
the topic. In the 20 minute speech he didnt laugh once, and used words like you to engage the
audience. With your permission, Id like to take a few seconds to talk about another nation.
Theres no freedom or liberty in Cuba.

Smith 2
I think Rubio did a stellar job in his speech, and there wasnt much he could have improved upon. However, some political pundits criticized him for talking about President
Obamas shortcoming, and not focusing more on the future of the Republican party and its ideals. I believe Rubio highlighted that a person must be confident when speaking. They must know
their topics like an expert, and have confidence delivering them. They also must have stories that
can be relatable, so the audience can connect. Annunciation, speaking clearly, and speaking
loudly are important to getting your message across while giving a speech, and I feel Rubio did
this really well.
When it comes to speaking, I get nervous that Im going to mess up and make a fool of
myself. Usually I feel pretty confident in the type of content that Im presenting, but I dont want
to jumble a word or sentence that causes the room to laugh. I feel that practice before a speech
would be the best way to get rid of these fears, and ensure I am confident to go in front of a room
and talk.