translates clearly to space as well in Kennedy’s words that “Whether [space science becomes] a force
for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we
help decide [the future of space].” A further piece of evidence Kennedy uses to support his argument is
the example of flight across the Atlantic. President Kennedy reminds his audience of this event in order
to reference a previous accomplishment that had also once been seen as prohibitively difficult, much as
practical exploration of space was seen by many in 1962. In his address, Kennedy also utilizes another
evidentiary category, filling the second half of his speech with a lot of specific economic benefits for
the area surrounding Houston from the newly bolstered space program as it develops, designed to
overwhelm the listener with this positive side of investment.
Kennedy’s mastery of persuasive rhetoric plays out not only in the evidence to which he refers, but also
in the analogies woven through his address, which serve to evoke emotional responses in his listeners. The
initial words of Kennedy’s address provide the first of these analogies. Rooted in the history of
exploration, Kennedy states that “We set sail on this new sea.” A form of evidence in itself, this analogy
serves to recall the listener’s mind to a frontier that was once seen as unfathomably expansive and
beyond human mastery. Kennedy continues the sea analogy by saying that space may become “a sea
of peace or a new terrifying theater of war,” calling to the listener’s mind the unpredictable nature of
the sea itself to be calm or horrifyingly volatile, as he suggests that the position of the United States in
space exploration may decide the nature of this new frontier. Kennedy also reaches further back into
the historical commonality of his listeners as he analogously describes Houston as “once the furthest
outpost on the old frontier of the West” in order to call the listener’s mind to the nature of change over
time. The Houston in which Kennedy gave this speech looked essentially nothing like the Houston of the
old West, and this analogy provokes the listener’s imagination to project the possibilities for a new Houston,
built on a strong space program. A third analogy with which Kennedy appeals to his listeners’ emotions is
the reference to their local sports team. As Kennedy asks “Why does Rice play Texas?” he seeks to raise
the ubiquitous sense of pride many feel for their sports teams of preference, which he hopes may
translate to a sense of national pride for the space program.
As most any well-crafted argument will do, Kennedy also acknowledges the arguments of those who may
hold a counter perspective. By asking “But why, some say, the moon?” Kennedy introduces a potential
counterargument that the goal of reaching the moon may be arbitrarily lofty. Rather than dismissing
this point as irrelevant, Kennedy seeks to disarm it by embracing the lofty nature of reaching the moon
and calling attention to other lofty goals deemed worthwhile, such as to “climb the highest mountain”
and “fly the Atlantic.” He continues to acknowledge the nature of this potential objection by saying
that the goal has been chosen “because [it is] hard,” and therefore will “serve to organize and
measure the best of our energies and skills.” Another possible counterargument Kennedy addresses is
that “we are behind...in manned flight.” Again, Kennedy could have easily attempted to dismiss this
argument by protesting that the gap is small, but he instead chose again to affirm the objection by
stating “we...will be behind for some time”. Having fully acknowledged the strength of this potential
problem, Kennedy then proceeds to describe the precise means by which the United States “shall make
up and move ahead” through “new knowledge,” “new techniques,” and “new tools,” which Kennedy
seamlessly segues into economic benefits, as described above.