After reading Aristotle, Socrates and Plato, I can't help but ask the question, who is actually the Master behind the Rhetoric?
Presidents are deemed great speakers, but how many of them truly write their own speeches? Bush didn't, (you could tell when he shot off the hip, he made an ass out of the Republican Party), the speaker is merely relaying the words to the audience. I understand that the speaker is using tone, facial features and such to appeal to the audience, but without the writers, the speaker would be just standing there.
I am not meaning this as a way to discredit the president or any speaker for that matter. I just wish that when the political races are over, the writers would get the true credit for what is being said.
Socrates' words are just what we are reading as Plato transcribed them. Again, is it truly Socrates, or should more credit be given to Plato for clever writing tactics?
In the sort of visual screen-based world we live in, this question is even more complicated - the people who set of the stage behind the candidate, or who design the web-page where the video appears, are also involved. It's a team effort, all supposed to stay on message.
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