Perhaps this just too easy or simple, but how can one read about the Sophists and their craft of speech writing and not relate it to the 2012 Presidential Campaign season?
It is probably safe to assume that all presidential campaign seasons are focused on the future. As, "the rhetorician concerns himself with the possible because he refuses to keep people in their actual situation" (Poulakos 43). People cannot be persuaded to do something or like someone without addressing how that will affect them in the future. This is not just for the Skinner conditioning facet to the human mind. If I push this button what will happen? It is more so because people like "to perceive themselves in the future," and they are ready "to thrust themselves into unknown regions, the rhetorician tells them what they could be, brings out in them futuristic versions of themselves" (43).
There were a lot of speeches aired for the Republican National Convention this past week. Every single one of them discussed the future and where the American People should be. Mitt Romney placed the United States in the year 2020 when the U.S. will be completely independent from foreign oil.
Perhaps every reading truly relates to the 2012 Mitt Romney. Even the going back and forth on right and wrong and something that is "at one time good and at another time bad for the same person" (Anonymous 48) in the Dissoi Logoi relates to Mitt Romney's vacillating political stances. While a Republican Governor of a liberal state it was important that he held moderate views. Now, running for a conservative vote, it would be bad for him to appear "moderate."
There is no point in going into a lengthy discussion over Romney and his rhetoric in relation to the Sophists at this point, however I couldn't help but notice the extremely evident connection of the emphasis on time, kairos. Even Schippa agreed that in regard to the Sophists, "kairos is a term that can be safely identified as belonging to the early conceptual development of rhetorical theory" (Schippa 203). As now, with the 2012 Presidential Election season, time is of great importance.
And now I shall leave you with the following links.
The Daily Show. Mitt Romney: A Human Who Built That: http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-30-2012/exclusive-preview--romney---a-human-being-who-built-that
Mitt Romney Republican Nomination Acceptance Speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGTi4-ysJS8&feature=youtube_gdata_player
- Madeleine
