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Political Rhetoric

Rhetoric -- Ours or Theirs?

John R. Burbank | Posted 05.05.2013 | Politics
John R. Burbank

"Reform" is a word we have lost and conservatives have taken over. Reform has become a code word for decreasing Social Security and Medicare benefits, for commodifying, marketizing, and privatizing public education, de-funding public higher education and insuring that no rich child is left behind.

What's in a Name?

J. Travis Smith | Posted 04.29.2013 | Politics
J. Travis Smith

Rhetorical manipulation clouds reality. We aren't debating the facts anymore, but how the facts are delivered.

To Change Washington, Obama Must Turn to Main Street - Part III

Richard C. Harwood | Posted 03.25.2013 | Politics
Richard C. Harwood

Americans intuitively know that it will take a collection of small steps to put the nation and their lives on a better path. There is no quick fix. And yet so many people lack the belief that the nation is even capable of coming together to take those steps.

Why I Like Negative Ads

Jonathan Haber | Posted 02.08.2013 | Media
Jonathan Haber

I actually like negative ads. I know this might seem counterintuitive, given that negative ads suffer from so many shortcomings critical thinking-wise. But negative ads at least present an argument.

Campaign Finance -- Solved!

Jonathan Haber | Posted 02.04.2013 | Politics
Jonathan Haber

No one in his or her right mind would spend over a billion to win an election unless the value of victory was much higher than that, which in the case of winning the presidency includes influence over trillions in spending (not to mention the other extraordinary powers and perks of office).

Critical Thinking: How Long Does it Take?

Jonathan Haber | Posted 01.29.2013 | Home
Jonathan Haber

Far from being some form of esoteric knowledge, critical thinking turns out to be one of the more easy-to-learn and pragmatic skills available to all. Or at least all those willing to put in the reasonable amount of work needed to achieve success.

Will Team Obama Blow It by Not Labeling Romney the Etch-A-Sketch Candidate?

Joseph Romm | Posted 12.08.2012 | Politics
Joseph Romm

Even though the Romney campaign has apparently changed its losing strategy of being an "extreme conservative," team Obama has so far failed to respond with the obvious, winning strategy -- labeling Romney theĀ Etch-A-Sketch candidate.

Natasha Trethewey Begins her Domestic Work as Poet Laureate

Nicole Brittingham Furlonge | Posted 09.25.2012 | Arts
Nicole Brittingham Furlonge

This month, Pulitzer Prize winning poet Natasha Trethewey officially began her stint as Poet Laureate of the United States. One of Trethewey's poems that I return to often is "Housekeeping."

Obama's Other Climate Messaging Mistake

Joseph Romm | Posted 11.14.2012 | Green
Joseph Romm

President Obama's failure to speak out repeatedlyĀ on the urgency of climate action is his biggest communications mistake. If our leaders don't talk about an issue, it generally won't become sufficiently salient for either the media or the public.

How to Give a Winning Speech Like Obama and Clinton

Joseph Romm | Posted 11.07.2012 | Politics
Joseph Romm

Everyone would like to be as memorable and effective a speaker as Barack Obama or Bill Clinton. And the fact is that anyone can because there is really just one big secret to being a memorable speaker -- knowing how to use the figures of speech.

Will We Elect a President With No Language Intelligence? Should We?

Joseph Romm | Posted 10.29.2012 | Politics
Joseph Romm

Mitt Romney is about to deliver the most important speech of his life, at the GOP convention in Tampa. What's fascinating is that Romney is one of the worst communicators to win any party's presidential nomination in recent memory.

Has Tony Perkins Seen The Light On Hate Speech?

Tom Krattenmaker | Posted 10.24.2012 | Religion
Tom Krattenmaker

Never has the moment seemed more opportune to forge consensus around an overdue new rule in the culture wars. Starting now, can we all please watch our words?

Tired of Chest-Thumping Patriotism

Leonard Steinhorn | Posted 09.02.2012 | Politics
Leonard Steinhorn

We are indeed an exceptional country, and we should celebrate that. But patriotism also means calling our nation out for its problems and troubles. Here are my top four patriotic criticisms of Americans that I wish a politician would articulate.

Lessons From Chancellorsville

William McGrath | Posted 06.21.2012 | Politics
William McGrath

As I watch America become more polarized, I worry that a balanced approach to the biggest problems of our generation will elude us as a country. I worry the lessons of Chancellorsville will be lost, and the battle lines will be drawn again.

Bored to Death

Cole Hill | Posted 06.19.2012 | Books
Cole Hill

"The IRS knows very well that such qualities help insulate them from public protest and political opposition, and that abstruse dullness is actually a much more effective shield than is secrecy," says David Foster Wallace's in "The Pale King."

"Obama? I Wouldn't Vote for That Socialite"

Bernard Starr | Posted 05.26.2012 | Politics
Bernard Starr

If you don't know the difference between a socialite and socialist, you are a prime candidate for the U.S. Republican debate team.

Rhetoric to Reality Ratio High

Jared Bernstein | Posted 05.14.2012 | Politics
Jared Bernstein

Often politicians pack so many misleading strains into a sentence that I step back in awe, almost impressed by the linguistic gymnastics. In that regard, and speaking exclusively in policy terms, I found recent statements by Gov. Romney to be deeply troubling, though potentially effective.

Counterproductive Rhetoric: Why President Obama Is Right on Iran and Israel

Cody Pomeranz | Posted 05.06.2012 | Politics
Cody Pomeranz

The threat of Iran obtaining a nuclear weapon is real -- the goal of preventing Iran from doing so is of utmost importance and the consequences of failure are dire. But the consequences of capricious war, of giving up on diplomatic solutions when not all have been exhausted, are equally grave.

Football, Pizza and Power

Mark Osler | Posted 12.05.2011 | Religion
Mark Osler

We will be remembered by how we used that power, by what we did with those abilities, not by how much power we had.

Gabrielle Giffords: How Quickly We Forget

Judge H. Lee Sarokin | Posted 08.13.2011 | Politics
Judge H. Lee Sarokin

Somehow I feel that what may prohibit Gabrielle Giffords from returning to Congress is more important than what may prevent Anthony Weiner from remain...

John Dunsworth of Trailer Park Boys on Liquor and Politics

Ben Evans | Posted 05.31.2011 | Entertainment
Ben Evans

These are some truly choice answers taken from an audio interview I recently did with Canadian actor John Dunsworth, who played Jim Lahey in the famed Trailer Park Boys TV/movie franchise.

Let's End Bi-Partisan Hatred by Changing the National Language to French

James Napoli | Posted 05.25.2011 | Comedy
James Napoli

Let's face it, once the language is absorbed into the culture, even if things do get ugly, doesn't merde sound nicer than the alternative?

The Religious Case For Less Civility And More Passion

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie

All this talk about civility is beginning to make me uncomfortable. Civility refers to courteous and polite behavior. But courteous and polite behavior is not, in and of itself, a religious value.

Obama State of the Union Speech will be Predictable for the Middle Class

Lloyd Chapman | Posted 05.25.2011 | Business
Lloyd Chapman

The American Small Business League (ASBL) is predicting that President Obama will rely on the same tired rhetoric regarding economic stimulus, while continuing to ignore the diversion of federal small business contracts to corporate giants.

How To Create A 'National Conversation'

Steve Knight | Posted 05.25.2011 | Religion
Steve Knight

Have you noticed that "national conversations" are really hot right now? There seems to be a new one starting every week. And there seems to be a really simple formula for creating one.