Scaffolding of Rhetoric

We're in the throes of election season in the US, and for those of us who are professionally interested in the art of persuasion there's much to observe and discuss. Let me do that now, taking Harris' DNC speech as a case study, but focusing entirely on technique rather than policy. This is not a partisan blog.

Five principles stood out in this speech. They're all timeless principles that were once described in an 1897 article called "The Scaffolding of Rhetoric" by Winston Churchill, the greatest orator of his age. Here's how Churchill introduced the techniques, and how Harris modeled them herself.

#1: Labelling

Churchill said "there is no more important?element in the technique of rhetoric than the continual employment of the best possible word." As an example, he suggested the ideal term to describe the Scots was 'dour'. It was a rare and uncommon word, but it perfectly channelled the perception of the Scottish people (at least at the time) as "cold, grey, severe, just, thrifty, and?religious."

We see the same level of precision in terms such as "weird" or "joyful." Each of them is simple and direct. Each of them is slightly unexpected in the current political context. Each of them carries a lot of water, bursting with positive (joyful) and negative (weird) associations.

#2: Rhythm

Churchill was acutely aware of the musicality of language. He believed rhetoric should incorporate principles from music because of the "the great influence of sound on the human brain."

Just as music has cyclical patterns that move the listener, there were recurring motifs in Harris' speech. One of the most memorable ones was: "We are not going back. We are not going back. We are not going back." In Churchillian terms, the words were rolling and sonorous. Repetition stirred emotion as the pattern became hypnotic. Harris' use of repetition portrayed her conviction, and she transferred this conviction to the crowd with steady reinforcement.

#3: Anticipation

Churchill said the climax of oratory is achieved when a series of statements brings rising levels of enthusiasm. As he artfully put it: "The end appears in view before it is reached."? ? ?

There were moments of breath-bating expectancy in Harris' speech, most obviously when she accepted the nomination:

"On behalf of the people, on behalf of every American, regardless of party, race, gender or the language your grandmother speaks. On behalf of my mother, and everyone who has ever set out on their own unlikely journey. On behalf of Americans like the people I grew up with — people who work hard, chase their dreams and look out for one another. On behalf of everyone whose story could only be written in the greatest nation on Earth, I accept your nomination to be president of the United States of America."

That's an excellent example of the end appearing in view before it is reached. The moment of acceptance became more powerful because, by the time the words are spoken, the audience was pining for them to be said.

#4: Analogy

Churchill said the "the ambition of human?beings is to extend their knowledge." He believed analogies were the most powerful vehicle to the unknown because they made the abstract concrete. More philosophically, he said "the finite and the infinite become homogeneous" through an aptly chosen comparison.

One of the most powerful invocations of Harris' speech came when she urged the audience to "write the next great chapter in the most extraordinary story ever told." It's a compelling image that builds a sense of collective responsibility, determination, and hope. It brushes aside the dusty details of the day and asks the crowd to embrace their role as protagonists in a larger human drama. The impact was electric.

#5: Extravagance

Finally, Churchill understood the importance of extreme formulations to secure a place in people's memory. As an example, he cited William Bryan's 1896 warning not to "press a crown of thorns upon the brow of labour or crucify humanity on a cross of gold."

The Harris speech contained similar elements, using stark and alarming imagery to galvanize the crowd. She warned of journalists and political opponents being jailed, and of the possibility of seeing the military deployed against citizens. She asked people to imagine her opponent without guardrails.

Such statements have a deeply visceral impact. It's impossible not to pay attention. The stakes are described as high, haunting, and highly tangible. You can't help but keep thinking about them.

At the time Churchill wrote his essay, many people suspected rhetoric would become a thing of the past. They believed information and metrics would soon replace emotion as the primary basis of electoral decisions. Churchill predicted the opposite, saying "the sentimental and?emotional parts of the human mind will derive new vigor from the?spread of education and the easiness of intercourse."

Especially during political season, but also in general, we can see how foresighted he was.