Liberals and Conservatives, more of Part 2.

(the previous post was Public Speaking for Liberals. It illustrated a far-fetched interpretation of actual reality, which I wrote recently after my friends pissed me off by sending me a conservative political e-mail.

As you may be able to tell, this is the rhetorical style I am more intrigued by.

Public Speaking for Conservatives.

If you want to give a presentation for a public audience, more important than any ideas you wish to present is your personal credibility with that audience. If they don't feel confident in you, they sure won't buy what you are selling and may even resist. The key to this is to establish that you are an upright, rational and respectful person, the kind they trust to make their decisions for them. The following guidelines illustrate how to present your ideas in a rational, respectful and effective manner.

1. Set the Tone. Greet your audience respectfully.

Example: Friends, I'm so happy we're all here today. It's wonderful of all of you to take time out of your busy schedules to join your friends and neighbors, and I'm really humbled by this opportunity to speak with you today.

2. Interject a Theme. Connect your audience with your topic in an innocuous and reasonable way.

Example: I want to share with you a story about what one of my kids did (tell cute story).

3. Contrast warmth of the moment with the possibility of danger

Example: Don't we all just love our children and want them to grow up in a world where they can be safe? I know I do. But there are some in this world who see things differently.

4. Play to fear

Example: Why just the other day I heard the most tragic story about a group of kids -- could have been any of our kids -- tragically attacked by wild animals in one of our national forests.

5. Make moral distinctions, demonizing villain(s).

Example: Now you'd think those government employees who're paid all those taxpayer dollars to look out for trees and animals, the least they could do is try to keep our children who visit those forests out of harm's way. And where was their teacher, I'd like to know? You'd think a highly paid public school teacher could manage a class of 60 kids, like they used to in the old days.

6. Ask leading questions. Do not tell people what to think; let them draw the conclusion.

Example: Some say it's time to take a new look at the so-called "endangered species" act. Others think these national forests should be off limits to school children--that they'd be better off opened up to more logging, and oil and mineral exploration. I can't speak to those issues. The scientists and experts are better qualified to answer such questions. But I just think --and this is just my personal opinion--I think it's terrible that innocent children would be hurt with the U.S. Forest Service looking on. And how must the parents and the other school kids be feeling after a tragedy like this?

7. Take a strong stand on the specific moral instance. Leave the general questions to your audience.

Example: These forest rangers and their forests must be held accountable. What kind of a world is it when we allow school children to be threatened by these forests? I think there needs to be an investigation into this matter, and we need to get to the bottom of why those teachers failed to prevent this tragedy, as well as what the Forest Service was doing with our tax dollars when they should have been protecting children. Otherwise, what could happen next?

8. Acknowledge your audience respectfully, expressing confidence in their understanding.

Example: Thank you all for coming here to listen to me today. And may God Bless you and your families.