Main takeaways thus far

           Understanding the breakdown of a public speak is very important in politics. This isn’t just a college presentation that you’re hoping you can get a decent grade on even though you showed up late to class. After reading about political oratory and public speaking as audience-centered rhetoric and experiencing it firsthand, my perception towards the art of a political speech has changed. Candidates are not just trying to make the audience smile and nod. They’re using their words in an effort to make the audience say, “I’m okay with you leading the country.” Giving a prepared speech,

Senator Bernie Sanders speaks to his audience at Morehouse
College in Atlanta, Ga. about minimum wage increase on February 16. 

 or simply talking on the spot, to an audience of college students is going to be drastically different than one given to a crowd of Vietnam veterans. In preparation for such public addresses, politicians must thoroughly prepare themselves by analyzing their audience. Have they heard this before? Am I speaking to the wrong crowd? How many people of color are in the audience? Are these blue-collar workers? How many questions should I let them ask me? A politician will not excel if they give a generic speech to every crowd that they address.

           After learning about the actions and characteristics of past presidents such as Nixon, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, it’s interesting to categorize current presidential candidates into the main attributes that Richard M. Perloff highlights in his book Mass Media and American Politics. Perloff’s main categories included expertise, trustworthiness and good will. After observing the actions and statements of several 2016 campaigning presidential candidates, it’s very easy to use these categories to personally select your favored candidate. During his town hall, John Kasich portrayed himself to the audience to be an experienced, caring and religious family man that doesn’t know all of the answers, but will work hard to solve problems. Donald Trump has been known to answer most questions by saying, “It’s okay, I’ve got it.”  Forever labeled by her email and Benghazi controversies, Hillary Clinton can’t be trusted by many voters. As more and more candidates continue to drop out of the race, it’s becoming difficult for some people to decide on a candidate that they can trust.

           After reviewing Daniel W. Turner, III’s report Qualitative Interview Design: A Practical Guide for Novice Investigators, it’s interesting to see how different media outlets will pose differing questions to politicians.

ABC NEWS – 11/17/15 – Barbara Walters talks to businessman and 

Republican Presidential candidate, Donald Trump, at his home

 in New York City. (Photo by ABC/ Ida Mae Astute)

They could be asking them, literally, the same question, yet, they might receive a new response. Also, it’s interesting, and sometimes comical, to see how different media outlets patronage or dismiss politicians based on their responses. Donald Trump is notorious for his oftentimes ludicrous interviews. When they ask the right questions, interviewers can shine light on the lives of politicians that the public may not know. In Trump’s case, many media outlets seem to be bashing Trump for his lack of experience and know-how. Trump has a difficult time responding to many interview questions. And in several cases, Trump tends to come down with a serious case of “word vomit” and a case of the “I don’t knows” as seen here.