Bush, Rove, Cheney, and Aristotle's Rhetoric

[gulliver]

The Bushies are very good at rhetoric. We could use more of that. Clark and Hackett have it. Franken has it. Gore has it fairly brilliantly in writing (perhaps more so than in speech). Reid has it. Levin.

"RHETORIC 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. Accordingly all men make use, more or less, of both; for to a certain extent all men attempt to discuss statements and to maintain them, to defend themselves and to attack others. Ordinary people do this either at random or through practice and from acquired habit. Both ways being possible, the subject can plainly be handled systematically, for it is possible to inquire the reason why some speakers succeed through practice and others spontaneously; and every one will at once agree that such an inquiry is the function of an art."

<snip>

http://www.turksheadreview.com/library/aristotle-rhetoric.html

Look at the stuff about "frame" of mind, audience, enthymeme, fear, political persuasion. See if you can't see Bushian moves there. Bush has the rhetorical slickness of a poorly raised child. Rove has the rhetorical slyness of a dysmorphic, warped teenager. Cheney has the rhetorical viciousness of a cornered, paranoid badger.

I looked up Aristotle's Rhetoric (although I haven't read it in twenty years) because I thought I remembered a lesson about judging when an audience wants you to attack your opponent. The idea is that you can't really attack an opponent unless the audience is in a frame of mind where they want (or even expect) you to attack. I think the "audience" wants to see the Bushies called out.

I couldn't find that quote/lesson in Aristotle, but I did find looking through his Rhetoric very interesting. One thing it suggests that it may be as important to "frame" the mind of the audience as it is to "frame the issue." Anyway, it is kind of an interesting read and very topical, IMO.

[SpiralHawk]

1. "The audience wants to see the Bushes called out..."

You got it.

[NoFederales]

2. If the audience were the "citizens of the United States", then I would be

happy. Who is the audience? I witness primarily mesmerized people enthralled by the firelit images dancing on the wall in front of them. Is that the reality making the RW's have in store for us?

NoFederales

[ragin_acadian]

3. after skimming the article, i disagree that the Booshian/Rovian method

is rhetoric. i think it is coercion (threat)

Coercion,
from wiktionary: to compel or persuade by unethical means, usually force, intimidation, or bribery.
from Miriam-Webster online: 1 : to restrain or dominate by force <religion in the past has tried to coerce the irreligious -- W. R. Inge>
2 : to compel to an act or choice
3 : to bring about by force or threat <coerce the compliance of the rest of the community --

whereas: "Rhetoric has three distinct ends in view, one for each of its three kinds. The political orator aims at establishing the expediency or the harmfulness of a proposed course of action; if he urges its acceptance, he does so on the ground that it will do good; if he urges its rejection, he does so on the ground that it will do harm; and all other points, such as whether the proposal is just or unjust, honourable or dishonourable, he brings in as subsidiary and relative to this main consideration. Parties in a law-case aim at establishing the justice or injustice of some action, and they too bring in all other points as subsidiary and relative to this one. Those who praise or attack a man aim at proving him worthy of honour or the reverse, and they too treat all other considerations with reference to this one."

Booshian "nine'leven, terra-terra" is coercion: follow or die (intimidation, persuade by force, dominate)

you have brought about a great argument! i agree on Franken, Gore, and Clark, but what is this crap the administration shovels on us? Is it persuasion (what are they persuading us to do?) * hasn't really outlined a course, as much as described the whip, its' effects, and the aftermath.

GREAT POST!

just thought i would contribute. :D