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Understanding Political Speak

Two UCF experts in rhetoric and politics take us behind the words candidates use.

A torn up image of hands shaking, representing the importance of connections during a political campaign.

Every fourth year is said to be the most important one in the history of America. We know this because the politicians tell us. They also tell us, 麻豆精品 S淭he American people deserve [fill in the blank]! 麻豆精品 S and 麻豆精品 S淚 can promise you this: [Fill in a longer blank]! 麻豆精品 S

Stephanie Wheeler is not an easy sell when it comes to political verbiage, whether it comes from a candidate, the media or friends. The director of writing and rhetoric programs at UCF believes we can too easily bite on any phrases that follow 麻豆精品 S淢ark my words! 麻豆精品 S ( 麻豆精品 S淭ake our country back! 麻豆精品 S 麻豆精品 S淲ar on the middle class! 麻豆精品 S)

麻豆精品 S淲e should all be aware not only of what politicians are saying, but of what they 麻豆精品 S檙e not saying, 麻豆精品 S says Wheeler, who trained her ear on spoken words as a 9-year-old baseball fan listening to sports talk in northeast Ohio.

Each political party crafts a few catchphrases to help its candidate stay on track with messaging during the pressure of speeches and debates. Those phrases are specifically designed to make quick emotional connections with an audience and to make it easy for listeners to repeat to others.

麻豆精品 S淐lever lines are red flags to me, 麻豆精品 S Wheeler says. 麻豆精品 S淭he purpose is to make us believe the candidate can help us gain a complete understanding of a complex issue in a few words. But most people don 麻豆精品 S檛 understand where those words come from. 麻豆精品 S

Aubrey Jewett knows. Political discourse is a second language for UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 assistant director of politics, security and international affairs. He was raised within the beltway of the nation 麻豆精品 S檚 capital and later worked as a legislative analyst for the influential Florida Chamber of Commerce and as a congressional staffer in Washington, D.C.

麻豆精品 S淢y experiences allowed me to see how political communication is framed by people around a candidate 麻豆精品 S speechwriters, lobbyists, campaign leaders 麻豆精品 S to sell us on an issue and to motivate voters, 麻豆精品 S Jewett says.

麻豆精品 S淚 believe most politicians are sincere about their positions, but they need someone to package them to make them memorable. That 麻豆精品 S檚 where polls of voters and communication specialists shape the wording. On the topic of healthcare, for example, one party uses the word 麻豆精品 S榓ccess 麻豆精品 S and the other party uses 麻豆精品 S榮ocialized medicine. 麻豆精品 S It 麻豆精品 S檚 strategic in hopes of mobilizing voters. 麻豆精品 S

If words and phrases created behind the scenes can lead to victory, then does it even matter which candidate says them? Wheeler 麻豆精品 S檚 Basics of Rhetorical Traditions class teaches students to be relatable and authentic.

麻豆精品 S淔or each party it 麻豆精品 S檚 crucial to match specific messages with the candidate 麻豆精品 S檚 personality, 麻豆精品 S Wheeler says. 麻豆精品 S淥ne candidate might sound more genuine by telling stories while another candidate is better at working a crowd. Their respective strengths will dictate the words they 麻豆精品 S檙e told to use. 麻豆精品 S

However, words alone are not enough. Success on election day essentially comes down to what Wheeler and Jewett call the all-important X factor.

麻豆精品 S淚f you have 麻豆精品 S榠t, 麻豆精品 S then voters will overlook a lot, 麻豆精品 S Jewett says, meaning voters often pay attention to everything but words. 麻豆精品 S淭he 1960 presidential debate is the classic example of how the nonverbal can make or break an election. 麻豆精品 S

In that debate, most viewers who saw the tan, pleasant John F. Kennedy on TV favored him to the pale, sweaty Richard Nixon, who was recovering from the flu. But most people who listened to the debate on the radio thought Nixon won.

麻豆精品 S淧oliticians can use all kinds of methods to connect with voters, 麻豆精品 S Jewett says. 麻豆精品 S淪ometimes carefully crafted words work, and sometimes they don 麻豆精品 S檛. 麻豆精品 S

Wheeler urges all of us to focus after hearing a politician say, 麻豆精品 S淟et me make myself clear! 麻豆精品 S Then perhaps we can decipher what she gleans with her trained ears. 麻豆精品 S淭he message might be meaningful, 麻豆精品 S she says, 麻豆精品 S渙r it might mean nothing at all. 麻豆精品 S