Rhetoric is especially relevant to our society during political election years like the one we are in now. Every politician uses it to speak to the masses about issues that they think are important to us. Turn on any news channel and you’ll most likely hear a politician talking about “change” or maybe “cleaning up Washington”. These are all ideas that are appealing and create images in our minds of good things that these people want to do. It is funny because none of this is actually specific. You hardly ever hear these candidates discuss how they can actually change and what they would change, or how they can clean Washington, but it sounds good to say it broadly. This is generally because most people only catch and remember that rhetorical phrase that sounds like something good rather than some specific, detailed, and generally boring outline.
I really don’t think there is any better example of rhetoric in society than through politics. When people don’t have to get specific and can engage in manipulative and non-binding language, it is hard to pin them down. Politicians don’t want to be pinned down. They want to be able to shift positions if something becomes unpopular quickly. They put the responsibility of finding out what they really believe on each individual citizen.
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...and it's really easy to see how the term itself gets such a nasty connotation, because of that sort of usage too. While I agree--speech writers, media trainers, as well as the politicians themselves are very cognizant of what they are and aren't saying. Rhetoric too is the way that THEY see "us" though. Particularly, as you say, during election times, the rhetoric of the voters is under scrutiny--so they know what works and what doesn't work for next time.
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