Politicians today and eons ago deliver rallying cries to inspire people to act. They use a wide variety of rhetoric to spread the word...
According to Plato, rhetorike is the faculty of observing a situation with the most immediate and available means of persuasion, different from the idea of polis which weighs out alternative options.... And, Aristotle applied three elements to effective rhetoric, ethos, pathos and logos. Aristotle defined ethos as, “comprised of the listeners’ understanding of the speaker’s good sense.” Therefore, according to these two philosophers, polis relates to the idea of governance which is the set of decisions and processes made to reflect social expectations through leadership of government... Conversely, rhetorike directly correlates to having control or rule of oneself [https://medium.com/@kbreenconsulting/rhetoric-in-politics-93e860aff081].
Which types of political rhetoric are most persuasive? Politicians make arguments that share common rhetorical elements, including metaphor, ad hominem attacks, appeals to expertise, moral appeals, and many others. However, political arguments are also highly multidimensional, making it difficult to assess the relative persuasive power of these elements [https://csdp.princeton.edu/sites/g/files/toruqf2376/files/media/lauderdale_variable_argument_persuasiveness_princeton_csdp.pdf].
This is still the case today. Say what? Politicians make arguments that share common rhetorical elements, including metaphor, ad hominem attacks, appeals to expertise, moral appeals etc.
Why is it then that people (masses that generate a group of one kind or another) think their guy has it right? Somehow they are convinced. How? Rhetorike directly correlates to having control or rule of oneself and this is key. It makes one believe that so and so is right. But, in reality, the other guy/person doesn't have it right. So, what truth is found by anyone? None. Why? Because, their guy or the right guy/person pick they deem decent enough to win doesn't have it right either... not absolutely.
Thus, after the election, the masses are often disappointed and start creating excuses, or blaming and fingering point to things/people that cause their disappointment...though its never their picks fault.
During campaigns especially, one should take notice of the theater, the baiting, the hoopla.. and refrain from jumping on anyone's band wagon no matter how sweet it sounds! Why? Because, its a fallen world, and we live in a fallen/broker social imagination.
Then, why vote at all? That's a good question. The answer is... don't vote for the person. Vote according to the principles that you are willing to die for. At least that is worth the disappointments in so and so that will come and they will.
*Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life ~ John 14:6.
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