Premium Essay

Political Rhetoric

Submitted By
Words 719
Pages 3
I joke a lot about only being able to talk about music and standup comedy for extended periods of time and in a lot of ways that may be true. However, one of the reasons I joke about that is because I believe comedians are some of the most intelligent political commentators around right now. With the current state that our presidential campaign is in. I think now more than ever people should stop interpreting political rhetoric and start educating themselves on the politicians they think they support. I also think that it is extremely important to be critical of the news you consume and not look at politics through the eyes of a hate driven spiteful baby man with cheeto covered infant fingers. A lot of the major themes I have currently been …show more content…
That is why I myself will begrudgingly be voting for the lesser evil in November. And that may be sad, however, I feel much more comfortable doing that than I do voting for any of the third party candidates. And, instead of telling people not to do that I ask that you critically look at those third party candidates platforms while Gary Johnson and Jill Stein may look appealing to you I encourage you to look at the rhetoric both of those candidates circulate before you make a decision.

I like to think I am well educated on the nature of political discourse and by me proposing that I will now be thrown right wing rhetoric that says I am wrong because Donald Trump is the most progressive conservative we have seen in a long time, but is that really true? This is a guy that has talked a lot about abolishing human 1st amendment rights this is also a guy who has openly been endorsed by white supremacy groups around the nation. He appeals to these people because they create their own definition of a “Great America,” which leads them to blindly follow the soundbites that are created within his …show more content…
Comedians in my opinion play a very complex role in discussing politics and that is an important thing to know. In a recent episode of WTF with Marc Maron he discusses the very nature of a Trump presidency to relieving desperation, anger and hopelessness and compares it to drug addiction.
“ When I think about the appeals of Donald trump I think about the opposite of that you know, how do you relieve that those feelings in the real world among people how do you relieve it? Because I cant understand intellectually what the decision is to vote for a man like that. What’s compelling about engaging with his visions? Is because it’s a rush of shameless hate it’s a hit of arrogant ignorance it is the satisfaction of moments in empty victory it is the nihilistic intensity of potential chaotic appeal and

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Analysis of Political Rhetoric in "The American Promise"

...Analysis of political rhetoric in “The American Promise” 2. Divide the speech into sections. Give each section a headline. American workers have kept the promise alive for more than 200 years. Page 109, Line 1-15. Hard work, Individuals, American Family, Sacrifice, Dreams, Belief. The American Promise. Page 109, Line 16-Page 110, Line 2. “Our own lives”, Freedom, Drive, Innovation, Growth, Education, Opportunity, “I am my brother’s keeper; I am my sister’s keeper”. The American Spirit Page 110, Line 4-Page 110, Line 17. Wealth, Rich, Strong, Powerful, Envy, Binds us together, differences, promise. Martin Luther King, an inspiration. Page 110, Line 19-Page 110, Line 31. Destiny, Lincoln’s Memorial, A young preacher, “people of every creed and color”. Be a man of your word. Page 110, Line 33-Page 110, Line 42. No turning back, much to be done, fix, rebuild, save, protect, mend, Walk together. 3. The American Promise according to Barack Obama. The American Promise is about being helpful, responsible, industrious, believing and not giving up. You have to look out for your fellow Americans, and the government has to make sure everyone has the same opportunities. You are not only responsible for yourself, and you rise and fall as a nation. And when you get these opportunities, you are responsible of using the opportunities. You have to be hard working even in hard times. 4. Rhetorical Techniques used in the text. Alliteration: “.. who weren’t well-off or well-known” ...

Words: 1033 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Aristotle

...and the Rhetoric Books I and II Aristotle (384-322 BCE) • Aristotle was a student of Plato’s who disagreed with his mentor over the place of public speaking in Athenian life • born in Macedonia about the time Plato was opening the Academy in Athens • age seven went to Athens and entered the Academy--stayed on as teacher; left 20 yrs later on Plato’s death in 347 • Was ineligible to inherit Academy because he wasn’t Athenian • believed only scientific demonstration and the analysis of formal logic could arrive at transcendent truth • Dialectic and rhetoric form 2 major divisions in his view of human inquiry but they deal with subjects on which true knowledge isn’t available • Rhetoric: making persuasion possible • for Aristotle, rhetoric as the discovery in each case of the available means of persuasion--this discovery requires scientific investigation o in terms of speech situations, he focused on civic affairs • forensic speaking considers guilt or innocence—judicial speech centering on accusation and defense • deliberative speaking considers future policy—political speech centering on future policy • epideictic speaking considers praise and blame—ceremonial speech ▪ Aristotle classified rhetoric as the counterpart of dialectic o dialectic is on-on-one conversation; rhetoric is one person addressing the many o dialectic searches for truth; rhetoric demonstrates...

Words: 3666 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Donald Trump Rhetoric Essay

...Political strategy and propaganda have varied widely over the past centuries. And indeed, at the center of political planning and public interaction while often unnoticed is rhetoric. Rhetoric if employed properly or improperly can make or break a political campaign and in one case for candidate Donald Trump it is hurting him. Trump has compromised some of his credibility or ethos with potential voters because how can you promote a tax reform for the rich, when you don’t pay taxes yourself? Even if he has paid taxes his refusal to release his tax return has comprised his credibility. Ethos is critical for politicians and Trump, in this case has failed to communicate rhetorically. The term ethos was a term coined by Aristotle to describe the...

Words: 1053 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Potential Product – Sunsilk Shampoo Is Still Evolving and We Have Seen That Every Alternate Year Some Major Improvement Is Introduced in the Product Line to Incorporate Innovation to Satisfy Customers and

...THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS ON THE WORK OF THE INTERNAL HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL by Julie A. Paleen Aronow A Research Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Master of Science Degree in Training and Development Approved: 4 Semester Credits Dr. Kat Lui The Graduate College University of Wisconsin – Stout May, 2004 ii The Graduate School University of Wisconsin – Stout Menomonie, WI 54751 ABSTRACT Aronow Julie Ann Paleen ________________________________________________________________________ (Last Name) (First) (Middle) THE IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL POLITICS ON THE WORK OF THE INTERNAL HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONAL ________________________________________________________________________ (Title) Training and Development Dr. Kat Lui May 2004 65 ________________________________________________________________________ (Graduate Major) (Research Advisor) (Month/Year) (No. of Pages) American Psychological Association, 5th Edition ________________________________________________________________________ (Name of Style Manual Used in this Study) The coveted epicenter for the contemporary human resource professional is partnering with other internal business leaders to fulfill the organization’s mission through sound and ethical business principles and human resource practices. Over three decades, the discipline has matured into one that includes transactional practices along side the more sophisticated organizational development...

Words: 16734 - Pages: 67

Premium Essay

Ethos Pathos Rhetorical Triangle

...People have many perceptions of the term “rhetoric,” most of them relating to political subversion and deception. While this negative connotation is one way the term can be defined, Merriam-Webster also defines rhetoric as “the art or skill of speaking or writing formally and effectively especially as a way to persuade or influence people.” In essence, rhetoric is simply a means of expressing ones viewpoint in a manner that may or may not have an influence on others; but rhetoric isn’t simply about speech, it’s far more complex than that. Joshua Johnson’s video on the subject offered a simple, easy to follow basic guideline, introducing the idea of Pathos, Logos and Ethos as the “rhetorical triangle.” Further reading expands on those ideas and introduced Telos and Kairos, as well as offering a broader understanding of the concepts....

Words: 587 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Burke Rhetoric Of Dialect Analysis

...Midterm # 1. The Concept of Identification— Burke In Rhetoric of Motives, Kenneth Burke quoted Aristotle. In this Burke is attempting to illustrate a less challenging way to connect and persuade an audience. Burke is implying that there is a need for a “common place”, similar purpose, or belief in order to identify with an audience when he said, “It is not hard to praise Athenians among Athenians” is needed to persuade (Rhetoric of Motives 56). Establishing the commonality with your listeners, viewers, and readers is important and will support the purpose of “praise and “blame” (Rhetoric of Motives 55). The projection of “assumed qualities” identifies directly with the audience and resembles that of any quality that the audience may be familiar...

Words: 541 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Persuasion Thought Rhetoric

...inform everyone that The sponsors of ill-conceived Proposition 10 are perennial political activist millionaire Rob Reiner and four other Hollywood/Los Angeles millionaire social engineers who believe they know more about raising your children than you do. This warning was accompanied by a grainy black-and-white photograph of Reiner (whom you may remember from reruns of the popular 1960s TV show All in the Family) that brought to mind a police mug shot. Now, when others want us to do something or want to influence our attitudes or beliefs, they may use an argument. That is, they may offer a reason why we should or shouldn’t do or believe or not believe whatever it is. They might also use threats, bribery, or even more extreme measures. But the passage quoted above illustrates a technique that is used much more frequently: the persuasive power of words, or what we have called their rhetorical force or emotive meaning—their power to express and elicit images, feelings, and emotional associations. In the next few chapters, we examine some of the most common rhetorical techniques used to affect people’s attitudes, opinions, and behavior. Rhetoric refers to the study of persuasive writing. As we use the term, it denotes a broad category of linguistic techniques people use when their primary objective is to influence beliefs and attitudes and behavior. Is Rob Reiner “a perennial political activist millionaire”? Or is he an “untiring advocate of social reform willing...

Words: 1106 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

How Old Major Uses Language to Persuade the Listeners in His Speech

...by George Orwell in 1945, the first paragraph presents an attractive welcome into the satirical masterpiece. In spirit to augment the trending prospects of the schools of thought and the political ideologies, the author settles on animal characters to help present his views in the catchy story. Old Major is the twelve-year-old boar, the most respected animal, and the major character in the chapter. He enjoys the loyalty of the other animals, especially their regular assembly for his custom speeches. Indeed, the allegiance is not with respect to age alone, but mainly the ability to hold the audience and grab their attention amid profound linguistic skills. It is equally significant to comprehend that the primary reason for the speech was to persuade his “comrades” to understand the need to rebel against humans. It was, therefore, his obligation to possess the full attention of the audience throughout the session. Hence, this paper uncovers fundamental language concepts that he employed in his speech to keep the listeners’ attention glued to him. Indeed, Old Major’s listeners would follow every sentence of his address due to the outstanding oratory and persuasive techniques he employs in almost each of them. The techniques involves the use of emotional language, repetitions, hyperboles, rhetorics and mutually imperative phrases. To start with, he repeatedly uses the language of emotions in his sentences. For instance, “…and to the very instant that our usefulness has come to an...

Words: 1013 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Was Socrates a Sophist

...Was Socrates a Sophist? (20 mark) Sophists were known as teachers of rhetoric, philosophy and virtues. They were well known in ancient Greece for making the weaker argument the stronger and for speculating on sciences that went against the ‘gods’. They were often regarded as intellectuals as the word sophism derived from the word ‘sophos’, meaning wise man. In the latter years of Socrates’ life he has often been regarded as a Sophist but there are many evidences which prove he is not. Firstly, Sophists were teachers who charged a fee for their efforts and instruction. This was the case as they were said to be the only ones who were wise, and were giving people knowledge to benefit from and better themselves with. Socrates on the contrary did not establish a fee or a payment; he on the other hand went out on his own will to question the people about virtues. His regular trips to the Agora reinforce this point as he was simply looking for people to question about matters with no answer, with no intention of taking money or making people wiser. Nonetheless, although Socrates did not ask for money from his interlocutor, he would sometimes be rewarded through hospitality such as, foods and places to stay. This was however the choice of his ‘student’ whether or not they wanted to pay him in such a way, which distinguishes Socrates from the Sophists. Additionally, the Sophists were skilled in elaborate argumentation; were they would try and make the argument they were focusing on...

Words: 642 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Taking Political Power Back

...Taking Political Power Back For the People of America Context Described In January 2010, the Supreme Court ruled that the government may not ban political spending by corporations in candidate elections. It was a split decision (five to four). The argument in favor of the decision is that the government has no right regulating political speech. Those who oppose the decision believe that allowing corporations to endorse candidate elections would degrade democracy. Traditionally, we have been a nation based on a democracy of individual voices however; this ruling may change that creating a nation influenced by corporate spending. Some members of the nation support this change but others are fearful of it (New York Times, 2010). Message Described Whether in support of this change or fearful of it, the decision affects everyone. The video is from the website FreeSpeechForPeople.org. It is entitled “What Did the $upreme Court Do to Our Democracy?” It is in response to the Supreme Court ruling that private for profit corporations are citizens with political rights and takes a position that opposes the ruling. The audience of the message is the people of America who are competent in political issues. The video is composed of interviews of common people on Capital Mall, clips of Senators who oppose the decision, a comedian using sarcastic satire making fun of the decision, and a narrator with an informative style combining these elements. The main argument of this video...

Words: 1616 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

The Riot Grrl Rhetoric

...The Riot Grrrls use rhetoric as the power to persuade their audience to stand up against the abuse that people face in their daily bases by connecting with them. America has always struggled with the problem of racism. However, the problem that we currently see, such as “Make America great again” Another problem that America and the rest of the world are dealing with is feminism....

Words: 1017 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

I Have A Dream Speech Rhetorical Essay

...Now recognized as one of the most powerful speeches of the 20th century, Dr. King’s speech was a masterpiece of political rhetoric. In Dr. King's I have Dream Speech the use of rhetorical strategies is seen throughout his speech with metaphors, Allusions and anaphora being most useful in getting his whole point around. With these rhetorical strategies Martin Luther king Jr. uses anaphora to emphasis through repetition makes these phrases more memorable, and, by extension, makes’ King’s story more memorable. Another rhetorical strategy he uses is allusion from the great Gettysburg’s address to show the equivalent worth of both cultures. The last major rhetorical strategy martin Luther king Jr. uses is metaphors, which he uses to this strategy to make point in his speech. Dr. king uses anaphora throughout his speech to gain momentum with each line to erupt in cheers after a few repetitions. For instance dr. king uses the phrases” one hundred years later, the negro is still not free” throughout his speech. Dr. King uses thus phrases...

Words: 475 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Rhetoric Strategy in Artistic Writing

...Student’s Name: Eric Elias Kiruja Instructor: Professor Kirui Course: English literature Date: 15th May, 2004 Rhetoric strategy in Artistic Writing Pathos, logos, and ethos is clearly a tool and an instrument of writing that appeal to the seat of emotion, reason and ethnic. The strategy pays dividends to the extent that it calls to these three aspects of life to address issues. Scholars and majority writers in their scholarly and oratorical works have relied so much on the use of the rhetorical style of writing to construct pathos logos and ethos. “Letter from Birmingham Jail," by Martin Luther King Jr (Francisco, 23) is a profound example of this style at play. The three ideologies independently can survive any intellectual argument; they don’t have to work in tandem. This paper seeks to decipher the effect of using the rhetorical strategy to address racial injustice, and diverse religious ideology. Martin Luther employs the use of pathos and logos to create such a strong emotional appeal. To some extent, all human beings are caught in the inescapable network of mutuality. Martin Luther contends that whatever affects one person directly affect another indirectly. Martin Luther King Jr. in a sense achieves a deep sense of pathos by appealing to the logos. The emotional stylistic appeals clearly put the issues on steroids by drawing from particular aspects that cut across geographical location. The racial injustice is a threat...

Words: 1921 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Communication

...Classical Communication Models 1.     Aristotle’s definition of rhetoric. a.      “Rhetoric” is “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion” Rhetoric is the counterpart of Dialectic. Both alike are concerned with such things as come, more or less, within the general ken of all men and belong to no definite science. Aristotle, On Rhetoric Aristotle was the first to take an initiative and design the communication model.Let us first go through a simple situation.In a political meeting, the prospective leader delivers speech to the audience urging for more votes from the constituency. He tries to convince the crowd in the best possible way he can so that he emerges as a winner. What is he actually doing ?He is delivering his speech in a manner that the listeners would get convinced and cast their votes only in his favour, or in other words respond in the same manner the speaker wanted to. Here the leader or the speaker or the sender is the centre of attraction and the crowd simply the passive listeners. | The example actually explains the Aristotle model of communication. The Aristotle model of communication is the widely accepted and the most common model of communication where the sender sends the information or a message to the receivers to influence them and make them respond and act accordingly. Aristotle model of communication is the golden rule to excel in public speaking, seminars, lectures where the sender makes his point clear...

Words: 736 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Great Speeches

...Whether like it or not, some aspects of our lives are influenced by decisions made by anyone but us. Politics and political movements containing discourses could be listed under this category of decisions. It`s been a long while since public speakers are concerned with various dimensions of speech such as sounds, gestures, syntax, rhetoric, meanings, speech acts, moves, strategies and turns. In this paper our main focus is on the rhetoric of a speech. As we know where rhetoric is concerned we should inevitably deal with literature. In other words rhetoric is like a joint which connect literature with politics and establish a method of analyzing political speeches called polio-linguistic approach. Thus we can consider political discourses as pieces of literature. Literary techniques especially rhetorical devices serve as one of the most distinctive features of the greatest and most influential speeches of all time. There is no shortage of rhetorical devices used in these speeches, but we can prioritize them by count of repetitions in political discourses. In this study first I have represented the necessity of using these types of persuasive skills in political discourses, the methods within which politicians take advantages of these skills and the different sides of a successful speech. Then after a glance through different rhetorical devices, excerpts from four of the greatest speeches in history are provided with the rhetorical devices indicated in them. Finally a quite...

Words: 4138 - Pages: 17