The Literary Art of Persuasion,

And Those Who Do It Poorly

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/25/BUSH.TMP

Our current commander and chief is making a wave of speeches with the purpose of convincing the U.S. and the world that our mission in Iraq is not a failure. He is fulfilling his duties as a politician...he is persuading...but very badly.

There are few people in the world with the gift of oratory. Interestingly enough, you can easily find this sparse population in one particular profession: politics. There are politicians that could tell you that your green sweater was blue, and you would absolutly believe them. Master orators, especially in politics, can smooth over any situation. War, scandal, anything at all that could cause ratings to go down, can be erased by the power of mindful persuasive speech.

I certainly believe that oratory gifts are wonderful things. To this very day, my father can tell me a story so vivid and belivable that I am left speachless. It is so powerful that in a sense, a story lacking very little truth, becomes real. The stories become unforgettable...ones that my children will tell to theirs. There is somthing very beautifle about the mind of an orator and the stories that they tell.

However, such gifts are often squandered. As I have referenced, many politicians use this gift to hide things...to decieve. Such practices are a perversion of a priceless gift.

I find that I am often disapointed with the oratory skills of our current president. I was certianly not surprised to see that Mr. Bush failed to convince the world that everything is okay in Iraq. He does not have the gift to hide or decieve. I have spent many hours watching the president give speeches...many hours cursing at his horrible grammer...many hours wondering why such an oratory oaf could be our president. Today, when I watched him unsuccessfully try to convince our nation that Iraq is not a failure, I was glad he is an oratory oaf. I was glad that he is not the kind of person who has the ability to decieve. I was glad that because of his oratory failures, we have been able to see truth...or at least some of it.