Perceptions

“Perception is reality.” — Lee Atwater

There is a rhetorical trick now becoming popular among liberal interrogators (saw it being used by Wolf Blitzer and Kamala Harris) ... I expect it to show up often in the upcoming debates. And that is to ask Republicans if they acknowledge that there is a “perception” of something damaging to them? And, if they acknowledge such a perception, then this is conflated with agreeing with the slur. Obviously claptrap ... but easily passing over the heads of many naive viewers.

Even though they don’t  teach rhetoric in schools anymore, clearly liberals have gone back and read the textbooks.

Watch for it!


Afterthought: what would good answers be? How about “perception is NOT reality” or maybe “my perception is that you are bullying the witness ... are you?”


STAND UP FOR AMERICA!

Con Artist

Someone who wins the confidence of  people with promises using rhetoric and showmanship in order to benefit financially, socially and/or politically ... and, importantly, then doesn't deliver on the promises made.

Rhetoric vs. Results

And all the while the results-guy has had a pack of media and deep-state jackals nipping at his heels trying to bring him down.

Rhetoric

Here are the concluding lines of  last night's address to Congress by President Trump. Surprisingly, I thought for a short while he was  transformed into a classic rhetorician (I think Melania was crying) :

When we have all of this, we will have made America greater than ever before. For all Americans.

This is our vision. This is our mission.

But we can only get there together.

We are one people, with one destiny.

We all bleed the same blood.

We all salute the same flag.

And we are all made by the same God.

And when we fulfill this vision; when we celebrate our 250 years of glorious freedom, we will look back on tonight as when this new chapter of American Greatness began.

The time for small thinking is over. The time for trivial fights is behind us.

We just need the courage to share the dreams that fill our hearts.

The bravery to express the hopes that stir our souls.

And the confidence to turn those hopes and dreams to action.

From now on, America will be empowered by our aspirations, not burdened by our fears — inspired by the future, not bound by the failures of the past — and guided by our vision, not blinded by our doubts.

I am asking all citizens to embrace this Renewal of the American Spirit. I am asking all members of Congress to join me in dreaming big, and bold and daring things for our country. And I am asking everyone watching tonight to seize this moment and — believe in yourselves.

Believe in your future.

And believe, once more, in America.

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless these United States.

But Nancy Pelosi and Al Franken did not seem to be moved ...

The Trump Way

Watching Donald Trump in action over the last nine months has been very educational as to how he has and is succeeding. And it is obvious that Trump is a very talented verbal pugilist. He has a very effective way of dealing with questions and debate issues. (Notice I didn't say "good," just effective.) He continually pulls from the following remarkable repertoire of rhetorical trump cards ... see if you don't agree:

Taking both sides - often Trump will deny an accusation and then within two or three sentences pretty much verify it.

Eliding -- Trump quite often will not finish a sentence ... leading the listener up to an expected word or phrase, but never actually saying it ... preserving his deny-ability.

Talking over others -- If an opponent is starting to score a point, Trump will often talk so loud as to drown out his opposition.

Eliciting sympathy -- This to me is a surprising side to Trumps rhetoric ... and one he may have learned from the Clintons. He often tries to elicit sympathy by accusing opponents of unfair charges.

Denial -- Trump seems to have no compunctions to deny things that have repeatedly been seen on video clips ... and, for some strange reason, he seems to get away with it.

Insults -- I won't repeat Trump's many demeaning and puerile slights of his adversaries ... but everyone has seen and heard them ... and they do seem to cower his opponents.

Repeated themes -- The Donald repeats certain themes ad nauseam ... "We'll build a beautiful wall," "Our administration people are dumb negotiators," etc. ... and he accuses Rubio of repeating himself.

Playing on emotions -- Trump often uses apocryphal stories to tug on the emotions of his listeners.

Bluster -- Trump shouts down his opponents, waves his arms around, and tries to intimidate his debate foes or news anchors.

Changing the subject -- Very often, when Trump's rhetoric is dead-ended, he will change the subject ... like when talking about violence at his rallies, he will launch into praising the police.

Demagoguery -- Call it lying if you wish, but Trump very often stretches the truth past what anyone who was truly listening would accept.

Lacking in details -- Donald Trump usually talks in generalities ... avoiding specifics to which he might be held.

Braggadocios -- "I went to the best schools," "I am very smart," etc.

Refusing to answer -- Sometimes Trump will refuse to answer a request for specifics like "who are your foreign policy advisers?" Often over and over.

Mugging -- When opponents are pressing, Trump will often start Mussolini-mugging for the camera  to show his contempt or disagreement.


Trump has clearly learned these rhetorical tricks and street smarts (or, better, force of personality) in his years of dealing with tough (but dumb) Manhattan pols and labor bosses. Then they have been refined during his stints on reality TV ... all perfect training for this political arena.

Obama’s Legacy

Heads of state are aptly remembered for what they had accomplished while in office … their legacy if you will.  There are big legacies and not-so-big legacies.  Clearly those Presidents who are memorialized on Mt. Rushmore have left big legacies … winning important wars, freeing the slaves, establishing for posterity firm democratic guidelines, ridding our nation of malignant structural forces, curing economic malaise, setting high ethical and moral standards, etc. According to the Associated Press, Obama wants his legacy from his second terms as President to be the following:

 - “an immigration law that would deal firmly but compassionately with millions of illegal residents”;

-  “an economic model that demands more money from the rich to shrink the debt;”

- “a tax system that is fairer and simpler for families;”

- “a bigger emphasis on education,”

- “more made-in-America energy,” and

- solving our “old problem of gun violence.”

See: A.P. Story

If one actually believes these pronouncements, our current White House occupant has not carved out for himself the loftiest of goals.  These stated objectives, to me, seem short-term and opportunistic … ignoring many of the gigantic economic, social, cultural, infrastructure, and geo-political conundrums that we face as a nation. And, truth be told, he has not, in the first half of his tenure, accomplished very much even toward his previous picayune pronouncements … other than through his rhetoric (which is all too often hollow and divisive).

So, seeing that we have to live with this man for the next four years, it sure would be nice if his upcoming inaugural address on Monday were to set a higher standard for his next four year than what we are being shown in the quoted Associated Press piece.  And it would be even nicer, were he to do so, I and the rest of the country would find ourselves nodding our heads in belief and enthusiastic agreement.