American Oratory takes a look at moments of powerful rhetoric and wants you to do the same – in the book and here on the website.
Each section below provides context, content and questions for you to consider on different topics related to rhetoric.
Take a minute to read, watch or listen, and then start discussing and writing your own first take on moments of rhetoric that matter to you.
Big picture: the importance of election night speeches for US democracy
Watch a list of elections that resulted in tense moments in US politics:
“You can’t love your country, only when you win.”
Context: On the eve of the 2020 election, Donald Trump claimed victory despite not all votes having been counted. This has caused speculation on what he will do on the election night of the 2024 election if a similar situation should occur.
Look for:
What are Trump’s arguments for having won the election in 2020?
How does he describe the events of the election process?
What does Trump see happening going forward?
First take:
The speeches from both candidates on election night are very important, the losing campaign perhaps even more so than the winning campaign, because acknowledging defeat shows respects the democratic system and aids the peaceful transfer of power.
Big Picture: The strategy that goes into winning a debate
Listen to The Guardian’s US political podcast pre debate
Watch other debates, where one opponent managed to land a punch:
Can you match the quote with the debate it was said in?
“There you go again.”
“I am not going to exploit my opponent’s youth and inexperience.”
“We also have fewer horses and bayonets.”
“No puppet! No puppet! You’re the puppet!”
“The memorized 25 second speech.“
“Senator. I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.”
Context: Debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump in 2024
“The debate between Harris and Trump wasn’t close — and 4 other takeaways”
“A lot of towns don’t want to talk about it because they are so embarrassed about it. In Springfield, they are eating the dogs. The people that came in. They are eating the cats. They are (pause) eating the pets that live there. And this is what is happening . As far as rallies, as far as. The reason they go, is because they like what I say.”
First take: Mark Herron on the Debate in 2024
Read more (in Danish)
“I’m gonna invite you to attend one of Donald Trump’s rallies, because it’s a really interesting thing to watch. You will see during the course of his rallies he will talk about fictional characters like Hannibal Lecter. He will talk about windmills causing cancer, and what you will also notice is that people start to leave his rallies early because of exhaustion and boredom. And I will tell you, the one thing you will not hear him talk about is you.”
“Hvis man koger målsætningen for denne præsidentdebat ned til, at Trump skulle sørge for ikke at tale over sig, og Harris skulle have Trump til at sige noget kulørt, så er det klart, hvem der ramte tættest på mål. ”
Look for:
Which candidate would you vote for after watching the debate and why?
Why did Donald Trump start talking about dogs in Springfield?
Was it alright for Kamala Harris to laugh at Donald Trump during the debate?
Should the journalists have fact checked the candidates even more?
Additional study questions for the debate incl. transcript for a 22 minute excerpt.
Big Picture: Is Donald Trump a rhetorical genius when it comes to structure?
Context: Donald Trump on “the weave”
“You know what the weave is? I’ll talk about like nine different things, and they all come back brilliantly together, and it’s like, and friends of mine that are, like, English professors, they say, ‘It’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever seen.’”
First take: The New York Times on Trump and the “weave”
“Meandering? Off-Script? Trump Insists His ‘Weave’ Is Oratorical Genius.
Former President Donald J. Trump’s speeches often wander from topic to topic. He insists there is an art to stitching them all together.”
Look for:
Find an example of a weave in Trump’s speech
Do you agree with Trump that he manages to keep his focus on topics with his weave?
What does it do to you as a listener, when Trump weaves around a topic?
Can you find a contrast to the weave in another speech by another politician?
Big Picture: Convention speeches
Context: DNC 2024
“Kamala Harris will close out the DNC on Thursday night, after Gov. Tim Walz fired up the crowd Wednesday and Barack and Michelle Obama brought the energy Tuesday.”
First take: Mark Herron on DNC speeches 2024
Read more (in Danish)
“If we see a mountain in front of us, we don’t expect an escalator to take us to the top.”
“Kamala Harris skulle slå sin personlige fortælling fast, etablere et præsidentielt ethos og levere et fokuseret budskab for sit kandidatur, så flest mulige amerikanere fik lyst til at stemme på hende. ”
Look for:
Find one of the speeches from the convention and listen to what the person says about Kamala Harris
Consider what the role the speaker has on the convention
Does the speaker achieve their goals?
The Big Picture: Rhetoric and Assassinations
First Take:
Donald Trump blames Kamala Harris and Joe Biden for the assassinations:
“They use highly inflammatory language,” he added, in reference to Democratic politicians. “I can use it too — far better than they can — but I don’t.” (Donald Trump) Read more
Look for:
Do you agree with Donald Trump? Who is to blame for the assassination attempts?
How should politicians talk about political violence and about each other?
For the Love of Lists: Three Good Movies about US Presidents
“Lincoln” (2012) shows us how the president works with congress on passing new laws. The movie also shows us how President Abraham Lincoln led the country through civil war.
“Thirteen Days” (2000) shows us how a president works with close counsellors in diplomatic crisis. The movie also shows us the reason why the president is the commander in chief rather than career generals.
Look for:
How does the president talk to his fellow politicians and staff? Does he use logos and pathos appeals or the ethos of the office?
Does the president give a speech or a big ‘Oscar’ moment talk during the movie?
Is the president shown as being powerful or weak?
Is the president portrayed in a positive or negative light?
Are there differences between the president portrayed in the movie and the president in real life?
“Frost/Nixon” (2008) shows us how presidents try to define their legacy even after leaving office. The movie also shows us how the power of the presidency is open to interpretation. If the person in office is willing to challenge the rules, there is wiggle room.
Selected speech analyses and comments on US political rhetoric - Mark Herron (in Danish)
Harris formår at udmanøvrere Trump ved debat taleanalyse af præsidentdebatten mellem Kamala Harris og Donald Trump. I et debatformat, der sjældent efterlader en klar vinder og taber, er det alligevel svært ikke at se Harris som deltageren, der under aftenens præsidentdebat havde ‘the best sources, soundbites, structured arguments and punchlines’ for at parafrasere modstanderen Trump.
Er Trump et retorisk geni? Radioindslag om Donald Trumps brug af, hvad han kalder “the weave”, en metode hvor alle hans sidebemærkninger skal ses som en del af et stort sammenvævet argument i stil med James Joyces’ brug af stream of consciousness og William Shakespeare’s monologer.
“En kroning uden kamp” - taleanalyse Demokraternes Konvent i august 2024. Her kan du læse om Joe Bidens accept af Kamala Harris. Michelle og Barack Obamas kritik af Trump og Kamala Harris egen tale om sit kandidatur.
“Harris byder op til Walz” - taleanalyse af Tim Walz’ første tale som vicepræsidentkandidat sammen med Kamala Harris. Her kan du læse om Walz’ nøglepunkter, som han kommer til at bruge i valgkampen for at støtte præsidentkandidaten Harris.
