Page 69 - Cultural Studies A Practical Introduction

5

Rhetoric

with Brett Ingram

Rhetoric has a bad reputation. Often used as an insult in the contemporary
political scene, the word rhetoric has come to suggest mere verbal trickery
set in contrast to real action, the ornamental play of words rather than
serious and responsible attention to facts. For instance, it is a common
strategy for one political candidate to frame his or her opponent as a dealer
in fanciful rhetoric while positioning himself or herself as a “ straight
talker, ” more “ down to earth, ” and therefore more authentic and capable
of enacting change. Examples of this strategy abounded in the 2008
US presidential campaign, as Republican candidate John McCain and
Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton both attempted to halt the momentum
of Barack Obama by calling into the question the substance behind Obama ’ s
eloquent speaking style. John McCain cautioned voters to “ listen carefully,
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because his ideas are not always as impressive as his rhetoric. ” Likewise,
Hillary Clinton stated, “ Some people may think words are change. You and
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I know better. Words are cheap. ” Bill Clinton, himself an acknowledged
master of wordplay, added, “ I think that action counts more than rhetoric,
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that solutions are more important than speeches, however beautiful. ” We
can see here a dichotomy being constructed, in which ideas and action are
set in opposition to linguistic expression; the former are represented as
forces capable of making thing happen, while the latter is rendered as na ï ve
idealism, pleasing to the ear but ultimately ineffectual as a means of trans-
forming the real world.
What must be noted is that the Clintons ’ and McCain ’ s attacks are
themselves rhetorical, that is, they are intentionally composed arrange-
ments of language designed to provide an interpretive framework through
which the listener is prompted to think and act in a prescribed way. These
rhetorical constructions are formulated not simply to provide a fl eeting
stimulation to the listener ’ s senses and emotions, but also to actually move