Bias, Rhetorical Devices, and Argumentation

1.     Assignment: Bias, Rhetorical Devices, and Argumentation

·         Resources: American Rhetoric Web site; and Bias, Rhetorical Devices, and Argumentation, all found on the student Web site.

·         Listen to the speech at http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechcitizenkane2.html  by clicking the Microsoft^® Windows Media video link or the Audio mp3 link, or read the transcript of the speech.

·         Write a minimum 500-word response to the following questions:

o    What are some examples of bias, fallacies, and specific rhetorical devices in the speech?

o    How did the speaker address arguments and counter arguments?

o    Were the speaker’s arguments effective? Explain your answer.

·         Post your paper as an attachment.

http://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechcitizenkane1.html  

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Campaigner: There is only one man who can rid the politics of this State of the evil domination of Boss Jim Gettys. (rhetorical device – scare tactics) I am speaking of Charles Foster Kane, the fighting liberal, the friend of the working man, the next Governor of this State, who entered upon this campaign – (rhetorical device – innuendo)
Kane: with one purpose only: to point out and make public the dishonesty, the downright villainy, of Boss Jim W. Gettys' political machine -- (fallacy – personal attack ad hominem) now in complete control of the government of this State! (rhetorical device – proof surrogate) I made no campaign promises, because until a few weeks ago I had no hope of being elected.
Now, however (rhetorical device – expletive), I have something more than a hope. And Jim Gettys -- Jim Gettys has something less than a chance. Every straw vote, every independent poll shows that I'll be elected. Now I can afford to make some promises! (rhetorical device – innuendo with statistics)
The working man -- The working man and the slum child know they can expect my best efforts in their interests. The decent, ordinary citizens know that I'll do everything in my power to protect the underprivileged, the underpaid, and the the underfed! (rhetorical device – apple polishing)
Well, I'd make my promises now if I weren't too busy arranging to keep them.
Here's one promise I'll make, and boss Jim Gettys knows I'll keep it: My first official act as Governor of this State will be to appoint a Special District Attorney to arrange for the indictment, prosecution, and conviction of Boss Jim W. Gettys! (fallacy – poisoning the well)380
When reading the speech by Charles Foster Kane for his campaign for governor you can tell all throughout his speech his bias against Boss Jim Gettys.  His bias is clear from beginning with his campaigner stating the “evil domination” all the way to the end where he claims to be able to indict Mr Gettys upon his appointment to as governor.  Kane uses a lot of rhetorical devices during his speech.  His campaigner uses a rhetorical device called scare tactics when he uses the statement “evil domination of Boss Jim Gettys”.  It is meant to put fear into the voters about the current governor and what they can expect if he is reelected.  Kane’s campaigner uses innuendo when he called Kane “the fighting liberal, the friend of the working man”, which is meant to imply that Mr Gettys is not such.  Kane goes on to use an ad hominem fallacy called personal attack ad hominem when calling Jim Gettys’ political machine “downright villainy”.  Implying to the public there is some sort of villainy in the current governors reign.  He then uses a rhetorical device called proof surrogate when saying this villainy is now in control of the government of the state.  This has no basis in fact, no proof of support so it is deemed rhetoric.  Kane uses a rhetorical device known as expletive when using such terms as “however” which is meant to interrupt the normal syntax of the sentence and lends emphasis to the words in the sentence.  There is a rhetorical device known as innuendo with statistics when we uses a mock survey results to lend proof that he will be elected.  You see his use of the rhetorical device called apple polishing when he says “the decent, ordinary citizens” implying that if you are a decent citizen you should see things his way.  One other rhetorical device used is the one known as poisoning the well when he says his first act as governor will be to indict Jim Gettys.  This is meant to make the people believe he has done something really awful and only by electing Kane will Gettys actually be held accountable. 
Throughout his speech he approaches arguments by deflecting emphasis off the issues and attacks Jim Gettys or begging off answering as in his statement “Well, I’d be making promises now if I weren’t too busy arranging to keep them”.  This implies that he is currently working on his promises which he hasn’t even made yet.  Kane implies that he knows what is wrong and that the people do not even have to ask because not only does he already know but is already working on these issues. 
I believe Kane makes an effective speech for governor of the State.  He makes his biased point of view very plain and uses many rhetorical devices to get the people to see his point of view, and also, to make them feel as though this was already how they should be feeling if they are “decent, ordinary citizens”.