In any case, in Clinton’s acceptance speech we heard something rare in American politics — a politician letting language do its job. Over the last half-century, I would guess — maybe since Adlai Stevenson — American political oratory has degenerated into a consultant-driven pseudo-science. As I listened to Hillary Clinton’s acceptance speech, though, I thought I heard attempts to use language itself to stir and provoke. The typical American political speech — and this is true at very high levels of government — relies almost exclusively on standard phrasing, trite metaphors and bad jokes. Name a recent political speech (excluding ones generated by the current race) in which you heard a line that has stayed with you.

Source: Washington Post July 29, 2016 05:15 UTC