My best birthday present ever happened on a Wednesday in Cleveland m.youtube.com/watch?v=HOp8...
Cubs win World Series with Game 7 win
YouTube video by MLB
m.youtube.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:38 PM
My best birthday present ever happened on a Wednesday in Cleveland m.youtube.com/watch?v=HOp8...
More critiques of Trump's rhetoric! I'm looking at his UN speech and, in particular, his public diplomacy toward India.
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Donald Trump Insults the World
Recognition, Rhetoric, and India
substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 1:25 PM
More critiques of Trump's rhetoric! I'm looking at his UN speech and, in particular, his public diplomacy toward India.
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
"Appeasement" feels like it's in the air tonight, as it were, and so I thought a brief rhetorical history of appeasement, bullies, Hitler, Trump, and more might be useful.
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Munich on the Charles and the Potomac, and the Eagle...
A brief rhetorical history and appreciation of appeasement
substack.com
August 27, 2025 at 1:19 PM
"Appeasement" feels like it's in the air tonight, as it were, and so I thought a brief rhetorical history of appeasement, bullies, Hitler, Trump, and more might be useful.
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
In which I think about Trump, Nixon, and his little dog Checkers, or How did we get to Resentment Politics?
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Nixon, Checkers, and Trump
The Renewal of the Republican Party, 1952
substack.com
August 12, 2025 at 3:04 PM
In which I think about Trump, Nixon, and his little dog Checkers, or How did we get to Resentment Politics?
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Fascism is one way to explain Trump but he’s also embraced the Republican, authoritarian agenda that stretches back to Jim Crow. open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
The Mississippi Model
Or the rhetorical trouble with "fascism."
open.substack.com
July 29, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Fascism is one way to explain Trump but he’s also embraced the Republican, authoritarian agenda that stretches back to Jim Crow. open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
Some thoughts on the debate about the Texas flood open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
Who's to Blame for the Death Toll in Texas?
The problems and powers of causal arguments
open.substack.com
July 14, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Some thoughts on the debate about the Texas flood open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
Some thoughts on Daaaa new pope’s early public speeches. I’m encouraged: open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
DAAAAA Pope's Rhetorical Style
Preliminary thoughts
open.substack.com
June 3, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Some thoughts on Daaaa new pope’s early public speeches. I’m encouraged: open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
This week, I critique the argument fallacies filling the Tapper and Thompson book attacking Joe Biden. Spoiler alert: Hasty generalization is bad. open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
Joe Biden, Harvard University, and the Hasty Generalization
First of all, my apologies to all of you for the time between posts.
open.substack.com
May 20, 2025 at 2:25 PM
This week, I critique the argument fallacies filling the Tapper and Thompson book attacking Joe Biden. Spoiler alert: Hasty generalization is bad. open.substack.com/pub/oratoric...
I had no idea that Joe's Biden's retirement package include a condo in Trump's head. Livin' large and rent-free forever, it appears.
April 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
I had no idea that Joe's Biden's retirement package include a condo in Trump's head. Livin' large and rent-free forever, it appears.
Surrendering on tariffs is a nice way to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Appomattox. Trump's side lost there, too.
April 9, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Surrendering on tariffs is a nice way to celebrate the 160th anniversary of Appomattox. Trump's side lost there, too.
Cory Booker's a little tired now because he spent 25 hours speaking on the Senate floor and the 25 hours after that sending me emails.
April 3, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Cory Booker's a little tired now because he spent 25 hours speaking on the Senate floor and the 25 hours after that sending me emails.
I wrote a bit about Cory Booker. With some historical 1957 trivia as well. oratoricalanimal.substack.com/p/quick-thou...
Quick Thoughts on Cory Booker's record
It’s seldom that professional rhetorical critics can enjoy extensive media coverage of a speaking record.
oratoricalanimal.substack.com
April 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
I wrote a bit about Cory Booker. With some historical 1957 trivia as well. oratoricalanimal.substack.com/p/quick-thou...
If you want to measure Chuck Schumer's failure, it's in the disappearance of the budget. Rather than banner headlines about Trump/Musk's attacks on beloved programs, the headlines concern Russian progress in Ukraine, Trump's economic rhetoric, and the deportation of alleged terrorists.
March 17, 2025 at 6:21 PM
If you want to measure Chuck Schumer's failure, it's in the disappearance of the budget. Rather than banner headlines about Trump/Musk's attacks on beloved programs, the headlines concern Russian progress in Ukraine, Trump's economic rhetoric, and the deportation of alleged terrorists.
A rhetorical analysis of #Illini AD Josh Whitman’s congressional testimony substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Mr. Whitman Goes To Washington
Illini AD Josh Whitman's Congressional Testimony
substack.com
March 17, 2025 at 12:24 PM
A rhetorical analysis of #Illini AD Josh Whitman’s congressional testimony substack.com/inbox/post/1...
No need for any more cloture. They’ll stuff every possible horrible thing into a reconciliation and that’s it. The Democratic leader cleared the way. This was the only place to stop them.
The thing about this that absolutely kills me is that this will only embolden Republicans to stuff *even worse* stuff in future spending bills, knowing that there are enough Dems who will vote yes on cloture no matter what.
March 14, 2025 at 9:47 PM
No need for any more cloture. They’ll stuff every possible horrible thing into a reconciliation and that’s it. The Democratic leader cleared the way. This was the only place to stop them.
Schumer and his sniveling colleagues have made it possible for Musk and Trump to claim the firings, the unconstitutional destruction of agencies, etc. is bipartisan. That is the rhetoric they will use. And Schumer, Durbin, etc have undercut any response. Idiots.
March 14, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Schumer and his sniveling colleagues have made it possible for Musk and Trump to claim the firings, the unconstitutional destruction of agencies, etc. is bipartisan. That is the rhetoric they will use. And Schumer, Durbin, etc have undercut any response. Idiots.
Time for @amyklobuchar.com to challenge Schumer for Minority Leader
March 14, 2025 at 12:33 AM
Time for @amyklobuchar.com to challenge Schumer for Minority Leader
That's a Paul Wellstone line. And, yes, I miss Paul Wellstone all of the time. It was a terrible thing to lose him.
I'm starting to feel echoes of 2003, when Howard Dean was the only candidate who understood how apoplectic grassroots Dems were with their party for rolling over for Bush, especially on invading Iraq. "I'm here to represent the Democratic wing of the Democratic party," he'd say.
Where is our Howard?
Where is our Howard?
March 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
That's a Paul Wellstone line. And, yes, I miss Paul Wellstone all of the time. It was a terrible thing to lose him.
Some thoughts on Trump, the state of the union, presidential genres, and democracy. They are not happy thoughts. #teamrhetoric substack.com/home/post/p-...
Donald Trump's Personalized Presidential Persuasion
I’m still working through my thoughts on President Trump’s State of the Union, so please bear with me.
substack.com
March 6, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Some thoughts on Trump, the state of the union, presidential genres, and democracy. They are not happy thoughts. #teamrhetoric substack.com/home/post/p-...
Reposted by John Murphy
Tracking the performance of the S&P 500 through 100 days of an administration because I don't want to grade.
March 3, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Tracking the performance of the S&P 500 through 100 days of an administration because I don't want to grade.
Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) gave a great State of the State address that received wide applause and boosted his presidential prospects. Here, I try to explain why, beyond his provocative denunciation of home-grown Nazis. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Governor JB Pritzker's State of the Union, er, State
Spoiler alert: We're good in Illinois but you people in DC....
substack.com
February 25, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Governor JB Pritzker (D-IL) gave a great State of the State address that received wide applause and boosted his presidential prospects. Here, I try to explain why, beyond his provocative denunciation of home-grown Nazis. substack.com/home/post/p-...
So, Musk, who's srsly not in charge of anything, so don't ask him for financial records, has demanded federal employees report to him. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. I hope some CIA operative responds with the classic movie line, "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
February 23, 2025 at 4:09 PM
So, Musk, who's srsly not in charge of anything, so don't ask him for financial records, has demanded federal employees report to him. Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation. I hope some CIA operative responds with the classic movie line, "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you."
In which I try to show just how JD Vance’s speech in Europe gaslights the world. substack.com/inbox/post/1...
Inbox | Substack
substack.com
February 18, 2025 at 3:06 PM
In which I try to show just how JD Vance’s speech in Europe gaslights the world. substack.com/inbox/post/1...
The @nytimes.com seems finally to have figured out that this Donald Trump fellow just might be bad for the country. How COULD we have known? It’s a mystery.
a man in a bathtub with the words welcome to the party pal on the bottom
ALT: a man in a bathtub with the words welcome to the party pal on the bottom
media.tenor.com
February 13, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The @nytimes.com seems finally to have figured out that this Donald Trump fellow just might be bad for the country. How COULD we have known? It’s a mystery.
Trump and Putin should hold their “peace conference “ at Munich. Be more honest about what they’re doing to Ukraine.
February 12, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Trump and Putin should hold their “peace conference “ at Munich. Be more honest about what they’re doing to Ukraine.