We have all had our fill of rage in the speeches and messages vomited forth by this regime. Last Tuesday’s State of the Union was an abomination. What it lacked in elegance it sought to make up in length; what it lacked in aspiration it sought to make up in vitriol.
Though we’ve become inured to the poverty of thought and the slackness of expression from this gibbering sack of petty grievances, spite, and hatred, we must remember that Americans are capable of greater things—and greater rhetoric.
At its best, political rhetoric reminds us of the grandeur of our ambitions, the humanity we share, and the collective effort we must undertake. There are countless examples to choose from, but this week I propose four classic expressions of American hope: Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech; George Washington’s “Farewell Address”; Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “First Inaugural Address” (“We have nothing to fear but fear itself”); and Dwight D. Eisenhower’s 1961 “Farewell Address” (the “Military-Industrial Complex” speech).
Please read at least a couple of these carefully. Consider what these speakers believed about human nature—and what they hoped America and Americans could become. And this time, bring a specific passage or two that you find especially powerful, whether for its political insight, its rhetorical craft, or simply the way it makes you feel about the country and its possibilities.
Let’s talk together about our aspirations for one another and for the United States.
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Eisenhower, Dwight D. “President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Farewell Address.” Speech, January 17, 1961. https://catalog.archives.gov/id/594599. Download Download
King, Jr., Martin Luther. “I Have a Dream.” American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches. Washington, D.C.: American Rhetoric, August 28, 1963. https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm.
Roosevelt, Franklin Delano. “Inaugural Address.” The American Presidency Project. 1933. Santa Barbara, CA: UC Santa Barbara. Accessed February 28, 2026. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/inaugural-address-8.
Washington, George. “Washington’s Farewell Address.” Senate Historical Office Edition. 1796. Reprint, Washington, D.C.: United States Senate, 2000. https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/Washingtons_Farewell_Address.pdf. Download
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