Political Talking Points

Rhetorical Analysis: Political Talking Points

In the spring of 2006 with gas prices soaring, the Democrats took initiative. The nightly newscasts were filled with video of angry congressional Democrats standing in front of service stations with the posted gas prices looming behind them. One after another they blamed Republicans for the high gas prices, citing the Iraq war and Republican favoritism for “Big Oil” companies as the primary cause.

Not to be outdone, Republicans struck back a week later with a series of speeches and interviews lambasting Democrats for weakness in the war against terrorism. Democrats were “spineless” and “soft.” The Democrats didn’t have the strength to stand up to terrorists.

What was remarkable about these events were the similarities of the speakers. In each case, politicians from the same party used the exact same key words and phrases. Furthermore, the content and reasoning were all echoes of each other.

Why? Talking points!

All political parties issue “Talking Points” on a weekly basis (or more frequently, if necessary). The Talking Points identify issues and arguments, establishing the party’s position and providing facts, quotes, or statements for interviews.

The point is to create a cohesive front. If all Democrats say that Republicans favor Big Oil companies, people will start to believe it. Why? They keep hearing the same thing over and over again.

Also, the Talking Points give politicians a quick resource, helping them prepare for likely questions from reporters. (Consider that constituents generally expect their politicians to know everything that is going on.)

Lastly, the Talking Points are a way to keep order in the house. All Republicans are expected to stick to their party’s talking point. The same for Democrats. Those who stray may find themselves in trouble with their party. You may have been elected, but if you wish to get elected again, you will need financial support from your political party.

It is important to understand the concept of talking points, because they become pervasive.

Consider: Bloggers, politicians, television commentators, radio talk show hosts, newspaper columnists and editorialists—not to mention others—may have all received and use the same set of Talking Points. This creates cause for concern: How can you distinguish independent reasoning and opinion from pre-hashed Talking Points?

For example: A few years ago a black opinion columnist went on several television and radio shows—including his own—in support of school vouchers. Later, it was revealed that he had been paid by the Republican National Committee to build support for school vouchers. Was he speaking his mind, or simply being paid to further a partisan cause? There have been several instances in recent years of word-for-word political talking points being posted on Web Logs without attribution. In other words, the Bloggers presented the points as their own but actually posted information received from a partisan organization. –Are these Bloggers presenting their own views or are they being paid to spread the views of others?

Locating actual sets of talking points can be tricky; however, they can often be discerned by listening to a number of politicians from the same party. Have you heard the following phrases in relation to Iraq?

“We’re making progress.”

“[it will] embolden the enemy.”

“Support our troops.”

“Don’t tell the generals how to run the war.”

“Handcuffing our generals.”

“As they stand up, we’ll stand down.”

“Better to fight them there than here.”

“Iraq is the central front in the Global War on Terror.”

Heard repeatedly from various sources, these phrases make their way into the minds of citizens, affecting the way they think and feel about issues. In this manner, talking points become a rhetorical tool used to sway public opinion. This secret War of Words begun in political party think-tanks is ubiquitous (that is, everywhere).

TASK #1:

1. Your teacher will provide you with an alleged set of talking points culled from a reputable source.
2. Identify the date for the selected talking points.
3. Using Google (or other web browsers) search for politicians, bloggers, etc., whose statements mirror those found on the given set of talking points. Our goal is to find evidence of an organized web of information advancing certain ideas or causes.
4. In group discussion, share your findings. Be prepared to present your information to the rest of the class.

TASK #2:

1. Read and examine the speeches of your assigned political candidate given over the past month.
2. Compile phrases that appear almost word for word in at least three different speeches.
3. Present your findings to the class. You have just discovered your candidate’s campaign talking points.

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