I think Trump’s speech was more than average. Yes there were no rhetorical highlights but the speech was inspiring, exciting and rejuvenating for a lot of Americans. Also, to be fair, from what CBS/YouGov published, approx 60 %of the people who watched the speech and who were the sample in their poll, were republicans, approx 20% independent and 20% democrat. So the high approval ratings are not surprising. If I remember right, the 20% who were democrats were on the negative side of all the questions.
If you took Trump’s words out of the moment they would not be particularly inspriing on their own, nor would they illuminate his political philosophy to any great degree. (To illustrate what I am talking about, if you read Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate where he says “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”, you can just read those words and get the message.)
Thus in terms of rhetoric and oratory it was really just average.
But everything that happened around those words, yeah, that was inspiring. That was the theater part, and on that point yes, Trump nailed it.
If the Democrats are to ever again regain leadership in this country, the first thing they have to do is stop being “offended”. Wow, has that gotten old! Being offended is their automatic, habitual response to everything, and it has become as ludicrous as their also-knee-jerk reaction in calling everything “racist”. I am embarrassed for them in their childish behavior during Trump’s speech. The same people who call for unity and democracy were sulking like spoiled children, at a time when true statesmen would have shown respect for the office of the Presidency.
Trump came off looking really good, just on the basis of comparison with them. Yet more points for a leader inspiring hope and pride in America!
What the Democrats fail to understand is that we are always graded on a curve. Donald Trump ends up looking “Presidential” in large measure because he comes off more poised, more confident, more in control than the Democrats.
Their antics go a long way towards making Trump look good.
I think Trump’s speech was more than average. Yes there were no rhetorical highlights but the speech was inspiring, exciting and rejuvenating for a lot of Americans. Also, to be fair, from what CBS/YouGov published, approx 60 %of the people who watched the speech and who were the sample in their poll, were republicans, approx 20% independent and 20% democrat. So the high approval ratings are not surprising. If I remember right, the 20% who were democrats were on the negative side of all the questions.
The SPEECH was average.
The THEATER was way above average.
If you took Trump’s words out of the moment they would not be particularly inspriing on their own, nor would they illuminate his political philosophy to any great degree. (To illustrate what I am talking about, if you read Ronald Reagan’s speech at the Brandenburg Gate where he says “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”, you can just read those words and get the message.)
Thus in terms of rhetoric and oratory it was really just average.
But everything that happened around those words, yeah, that was inspiring. That was the theater part, and on that point yes, Trump nailed it.
Agree. As an orator is no Reagan! It sure was great theater.
Good summation, Peter. Linking it today @https://nothingnewunderthesun2016.com/
If the Democrats are to ever again regain leadership in this country, the first thing they have to do is stop being “offended”. Wow, has that gotten old! Being offended is their automatic, habitual response to everything, and it has become as ludicrous as their also-knee-jerk reaction in calling everything “racist”. I am embarrassed for them in their childish behavior during Trump’s speech. The same people who call for unity and democracy were sulking like spoiled children, at a time when true statesmen would have shown respect for the office of the Presidency.
Trump came off looking really good, just on the basis of comparison with them. Yet more points for a leader inspiring hope and pride in America!
What the Democrats fail to understand is that we are always graded on a curve. Donald Trump ends up looking “Presidential” in large measure because he comes off more poised, more confident, more in control than the Democrats.
Their antics go a long way towards making Trump look good.