Obama Speech: Aimed at the Kids

When I hear Obama speak, I'm usually impressed by his use of unusual and lengthy words, not to mention his complex sentences and grammar. However, when I tuned in to hear his speech to the students of America, I realized he was speaking in a different way to a different audience.
Intermittent anecdotes were meant to show the students how Obama himself was once a school student. They increased the connection between the seemingly lofty president and the average students of today, augmenting the ethos of the speech. Obama also seemed to use rather simple rhetoric, getting straight to the point with his speech: do your homework, try hard, and you and America will be rewarded later in life. This made it easier for the audience to understand and gave the president the best chance of getting his point across.
Obama considered his audience, and chose to speak in a way that would best be understood by them. He gave specific examples such as the Xbox to try to relate with the students in the hope that they would be more likely to listen. It worked for me, and I hope the rest of the students in America received his urgent message.