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| Joe Biden speaking in Detroit |
In his speech in Detroit yesterday, November 17, 2021, President Joe Biden said all the right things to sell his legislative agenda. Unfortunately, Biden did not organize his speech for the greatest persuasive effect. Instead, he debated on his opponents’ ground. Biden’s point was that his agenda would help people. His opponents’ point was inflation. Yet, Biden began by refuting the accusation that his legislative program would cause inflation. That was defensive. He put the issue on his opponents’ ground, not his own:
“Before I begin, I just want to mention three pieces of good news today. First, two of the leading rating agencies on Wall Street confirmed today — not a liberal think tank, two Wall Street outfits — that the economic proposals we put forward for the nation — the infrastructure law we just signed and the Build Back Better plan are being considered this week in Congress — will not add to inflationary pressures in the economy. (Applause.)
“And at one — and here’s what one of the agencies said, and I quote, ‘The bills do not add to inflation pressures.’ Let me repeat that: ‘do not add…inflation pressures.’“The reason? Because the policies I proposed, quote, ‘help…lift long-term economic growth via stronger productivity… labor force growth,’ as well as taking ‘the edge off of inflation.’”
As a speech technique, that’s both really good and absolutely awful. It is important to preempt your opponent’s arguments. It is more important to put your own best points first. An old debate textbook by the late Robert Huber, a mentor from my younger days, suggested a better way to organize refutation. Begin by stating your own positive point. Always. Then, and only then, state your opponent’s point. Don’t explain your opponent’s point. Then state and prove why your opponent is wrong. That keeps the debate on your own ground. Always emphasize your own positive points. You don’t win debates – ever – just by proving that your opponent is wrong. You win a debate by proving that your point is right.
What Was Good?
Biden preempted his critics’ main argument. Republican members of Congress, media pundits, and even some of the Democratic caucus, complain that government spending for infrastructure and other needed projects will cause inflation. Biden needed to attack that.
Now, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell has been insisting that inflation (a 5.6% annual rate in the most recent monthly report) will be transitory. He thinks prices are spiked by the pandemic and supply chain bottlenecks. All the same, people who want to sound serious are hysterical over a one-month inflation spike. In any case, Biden wanted to confront the issue right off.
Furthermore, Biden tackled the inflation issue exactly. He cited two Wall Street investment studies that the recent infrastructure law and the proposed Build Back Better legislation “will not add to inflationary pressures in the economy. “ He noted that neither of these reports came from “a liberal think tank.” That was important, for so many people try to politicize simple economic information. Indeed, Biden may have worried that people would reject factual news as liberal propaganda. So, that was a good way to make his point.
To drive the point home, to eliminate any possible misunderstanding, Biden directly quoted one of the Wall Street reports: “here’s what one of the agencies said, and I quote, ‘The bills do not add to inflation pressures.’ Let me repeat that: ‘do not add…inflation pressures.’” He didn’t just quote the point. He repeated it.
That was all good. If you know that something is on your listener’s mind, you need to confront it. Congress surely knows that the Build Back Better and the infrastructure bills enjoy overwhelming public support in the polls. Biden’s opponents’ only hope for stopping the much-needed legislation is to complain about inflation. Recognizing what people were thinking, and noticing his opponents’ persuasive strategy, Biden refuted their argument. That’s good. But what wasn’t good?
What Was Absolutely Awful?
The problem is that Biden let his critics set the agenda. He started his speech with the inflation issue—his opponents’ issue. As I have said many times, the side that sets the agenda wins the debate. The public loves projects like safe bridges and highways, broadband access in rural areas, safe drinking water, and childcare. When I was a child, legislation like that passed automatically. “Highway bills pass” used to be a District of Columbia proverb. However, the group that economist Paul Krugman calls “very serious people" (VSP) never cease to panic about inflation. Prices can plummet, and the VSP’s will still panic about inflation. Wishing to appear serious, I guess, Jason Furman just warned that the Federal Reserve is “behind the curve on inflation.”
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Similarly, writing for the mainstream CBS News, Aimee Picchi asked, “Could Biden’s Spending Plans Push Inflation Even Higher?” She quoted Lawrence Summers’ warning about long-term inflation. If we turn to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, we read Joshua Green’s warning that inflation is eating into people’s paychecks. And, of course, a Fox News pundit frantically shrieked that, “Inflation is running hot; rising prices are everywhere and are here to stay.” In contrast, as we’ve seen, many responsible economists still agree with the Federal Reserve that inflation is transitory.
Similarly, writing for the mainstream CBS News, Aimee Picchi asked, “Could Biden’s Spending Plans Push Inflation Even Higher?” She quoted Lawrence Summers’ warning about long-term inflation. If we turn to Bloomberg BusinessWeek, we read Joshua Green’s warning that inflation is eating into people’s paychecks. And, of course, a Fox News pundit frantically shrieked that, “Inflation is running hot; rising prices are everywhere and are here to stay.” In contrast, as we’ve seen, many responsible economists still agree with the Federal Reserve that inflation is transitory.
Still, Biden let the Very Serious People set the agenda. That is why, when Biden began his speech by talking about inflation, he was debating on his opponents’ ground – not his own. The strong point about Biden’s legislative program is not that it is inflation-free. The strong point is that it provides what many people believe are badly needed improvements to the American economic structure.
And, indeed, Biden talked about those improvements – later in his speech. About 1/3 of the way into the speech, for example, Biden zoomed in on the United States’ desperate need for infrastructure:
And, indeed, Biden talked about those improvements – later in his speech. About 1/3 of the way into the speech, for example, Biden zoomed in on the United States’ desperate need for infrastructure:
“The kind of conversations that take place around your kitchen tables — conversations, as profound as they are, are ordinary: ‘How am I going to get to work on time if I-75 is flooded again?’ ‘How can I be sure that my job at the auto plant is still going to be here a few years down the line?’ ‘How can I afford to get my child degree — a degree beyond high school if they don’t start with the same opportunity?’ And more broadly, ‘How do we emerge from this pandemic not just with a little breathing room but with real fighting chance to get ahead?’”
Exactly! How can the economy function if the roads are flooded? Guess what, it can’t! How can people improve their lives if education is unaffordable? They can’t! How do we recover from the pandemic and get the economy rolling again?
That was a wonderful passage. Biden focused on the lives of ordinary people and how they will be better off with his legislative agenda. It’s hard to argue with any of it. That, and not inflation, needed to be Biden’s agenda. Put your own agenda first! Put the refutation later in the speech! Every champion debater knows this.
Sell the Project!
All along, Republicans have done a terrific job of branding their ideas. Most of their ideas are, in my opinion, utterly silly. They are, nonetheless, clear and precise. They scare people about socialism and inflation. They put up pictures of poverty-stricken migrants trying to come to the USA to work. Everybody knows what the Republicans stand for. What do the Democrats stand for?
Yet, what Biden stood for is that he was not making inflation worse. That’s because he began his speech with a piece of good news – but it was good news relevant to the Republican’s agenda. Biden began by telling people that the Republicans and their allies were wrong. He said that his plan would not cause inflation. He was probably right. So what? Nobody is going to vote for a plan if its selling point is that it doesn’t cause inflation. People will support a plan if they see its positive benefits. Unfortunately, Biden waited several minutes before he told people about the benefits.
My friend, college classmate, future big-time business professor, and one-time college debate partner Kathy Micken once told me how important it was to emphasize my key points. One of the best ways to emphasize a point is to put it first in the speech. Mr. Hines was ever so right about that. People pay attention at the beginning. No one pays attention to the middle of the speech. Dear reader, you know this.
Conclusion
Biden actually said all the right things in this speech. He gave positive points for his ideas. He proved those points. He put his points in simple, human terms. He related to people. He showed why inflation fears were wrong. In fact, he proved that inflation fears were wrong.
The only problem is, he said things in the wrong order. Organization is one of the five classical parts of public speaking theory – dating back to ancient times. We often forget how important it is. Biden said all the right things, and he said them wonderfully. But he didn’t put his own point first.
That was a wonderful passage. Biden focused on the lives of ordinary people and how they will be better off with his legislative agenda. It’s hard to argue with any of it. That, and not inflation, needed to be Biden’s agenda. Put your own agenda first! Put the refutation later in the speech! Every champion debater knows this.
Sell the Project!
All along, Republicans have done a terrific job of branding their ideas. Most of their ideas are, in my opinion, utterly silly. They are, nonetheless, clear and precise. They scare people about socialism and inflation. They put up pictures of poverty-stricken migrants trying to come to the USA to work. Everybody knows what the Republicans stand for. What do the Democrats stand for?
Yet, what Biden stood for is that he was not making inflation worse. That’s because he began his speech with a piece of good news – but it was good news relevant to the Republican’s agenda. Biden began by telling people that the Republicans and their allies were wrong. He said that his plan would not cause inflation. He was probably right. So what? Nobody is going to vote for a plan if its selling point is that it doesn’t cause inflation. People will support a plan if they see its positive benefits. Unfortunately, Biden waited several minutes before he told people about the benefits.
My friend, college classmate, future big-time business professor, and one-time college debate partner Kathy Micken once told me how important it was to emphasize my key points. One of the best ways to emphasize a point is to put it first in the speech. Mr. Hines was ever so right about that. People pay attention at the beginning. No one pays attention to the middle of the speech. Dear reader, you know this.
Conclusion
Biden actually said all the right things in this speech. He gave positive points for his ideas. He proved those points. He put his points in simple, human terms. He related to people. He showed why inflation fears were wrong. In fact, he proved that inflation fears were wrong.
The only problem is, he said things in the wrong order. Organization is one of the five classical parts of public speaking theory – dating back to ancient times. We often forget how important it is. Biden said all the right things, and he said them wonderfully. But he didn’t put his own point first.
This was, otherwise, a fine speech. Nevertheless, Biden’s opponents are using up too much media oxygen. Biden’s opponents use up the oxygen by saying ridiculous things. I’d love to see Biden take consistent command of the public agenda on his own ground.
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Research Note: my colleagues who study rhetoric and communication often stress deep-seated ideas. They like to talk about historical and cultural contexts and intellectual history. That’s excellent and I’m glad they do it. I’ve done that kind of research myself. Sometimes, however, we overlook the basics. Audiences respond according to what speakers emphasize. The simplest way to emphasize something is to put it first.
Ancient Greek and Roman writers divided the study of public speaking in the five parts (canons), which all had fancy Latin names. In contemporary English, those five parts would be (1) ideas and proof, (2) organization, (3) language, (4) delivery, and (5) memorization. We don’t worry much about #5 today. The other four are as important as ever. Yes, the content is what we should care about – but speakers need people to understand and believe the content. That’s where, among other things, organization becomes vital. For more information, click on the button above to see my brief essay about the canons.
Research Note: my colleagues who study rhetoric and communication often stress deep-seated ideas. They like to talk about historical and cultural contexts and intellectual history. That’s excellent and I’m glad they do it. I’ve done that kind of research myself. Sometimes, however, we overlook the basics. Audiences respond according to what speakers emphasize. The simplest way to emphasize something is to put it first.
Ancient Greek and Roman writers divided the study of public speaking in the five parts (canons), which all had fancy Latin names. In contemporary English, those five parts would be (1) ideas and proof, (2) organization, (3) language, (4) delivery, and (5) memorization. We don’t worry much about #5 today. The other four are as important as ever. Yes, the content is what we should care about – but speakers need people to understand and believe the content. That’s where, among other things, organization becomes vital. For more information, click on the button above to see my brief essay about the canons.
Copyright Ó 2021, William D. Harpine
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