Ron Paul's style of speaking!

[jr4693]

Ron Paul is an extremely intelligent man and so much so that he often talks in terms that alot of the older demographic don't understand! I recently had to have a discussion with a close friend about Ron Paul's debate performance in Mesa, AZ. The comment made to me while harsh, it is the way a lot of the older demographic feel. "I felt so sorry for Ron Paul, he couldn't even answer the questions", was this 73 year old woman's reply when I ask her opinions on the debate! I began to explain that Ron Paul is a congressman and often talks in terms of those used in congress when answering questions. I was finally able to get a look that I could tell raised a question in this persons mind and I just hope and pray that I did! This is not the first time I have encountered this type of attitude from an older person when discussing Ron Paul.
I would like to suggest that the Paul campaign develop some type of flyer/mailer dedicated to reaching the 55+ demographic explaining some of the terms often used in congress. Everyone loves to learn and when you speak to an older person in terms that they don't understand they often turn off instead of opening up and listening. I honestly feel that this would cost very little money and be of great value to the Ron Paul campaign as many of these older voters really aren't dedicated to any candidate as all of them continue to just confuse them!

[Publicani]

Would you give me an example of a question and RP answer that was too complicated and used congress' terms?

[Publicani]

Just to start a conversation: "Why did you call him a fake? Because he is a fake." What's so complicated here?

[remraf]

I just think he needs to be more like a BOSS!

And explain that we are on the verge of the greatest sconomic collapse in the history of the universe. 99% of people I run into everyday are absolutely clueless about the catastrophe that awaits the world.

[Publicani]

Easy to make comments like this - not helpful. If I am RP reading this, what does it mean, like a BOSS? or better yet, how he wasn't like a BOSS in that debate?
As to explaining, it's hard to do in these formats. He does it in rallies.

[evilfunnystuff]

I just think he needs to be more like a BOSS!

And explain that we are on the verge of the greatest sconomic collapse in the history of the universe. 99% of people I run into everyday are absolutely clueless about the catastrophe that awaits the world.

go to 20 minutes 20 seconds


I thought this was an amazing debate

[jr4693]

Didn't post to start a debate or argument guys, we should all be one here..only posted to try and tap into a demographic that the other candidates seem to be reaching! My reference to his speaking in a way the older demo doesn't understand might use his answers in this tape. Won't let me post the link but there is a utube video labeled;
CNN Arizona Video Debate Ron Paul Highlights
..sometimes it's hard to follow and the earmarks they discussed not on here were confusing to my stepmom and stepdad and my older friends. Please understand, my choice for the GOP nomination has been "CONSISTENT" for RON PAUL..I want him to win and am just trying to help by sharing what some of the older demo say in a discussion!'

[splanky]

Tell the 73 year old women, God bless their hearts, that he talks like Jimmy Stewart. That'll snag 'em, trust me.

[JJ2]

I didn't have a clue what "jobs go begging" meant until I Googled it just now.

[jemuf]

Easy to make comments like this - not helpful. If I am RP reading this, what does it mean, like a BOSS? or better yet, how he wasn't like a BOSS in that debate?
As to explaining, it's hard to do in these formats. He does it in rallies.

I think remraf was alluding to the Twitter hashtag #likeaboss. The #RonPaul hashtag and #likeaboss can often be seen together on Twitter. "#RonPaul spanked #Santorum the other night #likeaboss"

As far as the OP is concerned, a flyer aimed at seniors is a great idea.

Older Americans didn't have the benefit of the internet for most of their lives. They have decades of Establishment conditioning to overcome.

Anything I don't know or understand I research online, and I always seek multiple sources...#likeaboss.

[HindsightIsRonPaul]

From my perspective the problem is that many listeners are not used to a person who speaks so honestly without a teleprompter, and allows his understanding of principle to dictate his answers. Other politicians do NOT speak the same way as Ron Paul does. (Meaning tone, vocal inflections, coming from a place that shocks most people on the positions that he takes, (because they are not used to honesty) etc etc... I think that it gives some listeners the WRONG impression that he is un-prepared, rather than un-corruptable and TRUTHFUL. This is an important distinction that you should point out to your friends and relatives who may not realize this.

[jr4693]

Very true and thanks so very much for the suggestion!

[scottwww]

One thing that I would like to have seen in the debates was for Ron Paul be a little more aggressive in jumping into the conversation. He nearly always waited politely to be called upon by the questioner, and rarely would speak longer than his allotted time. And then there would usually be two candidates successfully keeping the focus on them by arguing back and forth about their minor differences.

[presence]

I don't think it is just an age issue; I find myself often explaining RP speeches to my wife and we're both about 30 and college educated. Some of the concepts and topics that Ron discusses are not really covered by the MSM and beget terminology, which, seem foreign to the uninitiated.

Examples:

RP: "If they had named the "Patriot Act" instead the "Abolish the 4th Amendment Act", then nobody would have supported it."

Great... Strong logical arguement. I know exactly what Ron means; I've studied both the Patriot Act and our Constitution; But there are a lot of people out there that have no idea what the 4th Amendment is.

Poll Finds Only 33% Can Identify Bill of Rights

Sarbanes Oxley, NDAA, Dodd-Frank, Roe V Wade, SOPA/PIPA, blowback, etc. etc.; ...the list goes on and on. Could you expect understanding of these complex issues from folks that can't rattle off a few of their God given and constitutionally protected rights? Of course not.

Ultimately, the technicalities of political issues are the reasons why we have a "constitutional republic", elected by "delagates", and chosen by both "primaries and caucuses"; rather than direct democracy, which would quickly degrade into degenerate mob rule. The masses are the untruth. Hence, the enumerated institutions act as buffers to restrain the uninitiated. It is politically incorrect to mention, but I suspect these same reasons were why women and blacks were not allowed to vote in our early republic; the founding fathers may have wisely inferred the nature of their existance (at that time) left them too ignorant, as a whole, to contribute in a positive manner to complex political issues. In this regard, times have changed. However, by in large, there still exists a large subset of our populous with little access, means, or desire to comprehend the issues of our day. The non-internet using elderly make a fine example of those who often vote upon ill founded emotion, spurred by the loaded messages of special interest political propaganda, rather than deeply understood issues in light of finely honed principles. The simple acts of "point/click" and "drag/drop" offer a much more sublime perspective of our world. Should these subsets be allowed to vote? That remains to debate... the fact is they can vote and for this reason... its important for Ron to wear a nice suit, orate with sincerity, posture resolutely, and smile when on camera; and when he has their attention, proceed to tug on their heart strings.

"Good orators should be able to change the emotions of their listeners, not just inform them"

A good example of pathos rhetoric put out by the Paul campaign would be the "Imagine Chinese Troops in Texas" speech. It is this type of emotional imagery, which I suspect, works best with the ill informed. The kinetic typography provided by grassroots via youtube would be the allegorical equivelent of RP "smiling when on camera", which he failed to do himself, when he released the speech on "Texas Straight Talk". Still, how many non-internet-elderly's have seen that clip?

pathos, ethos, logos,

presence

[jr4693]

Well said and thank you for the information!

[presence]

I'd like to make another point, one which may require a seperate thread to fully address: No RP fan wants to talk about the

elephant-in-the-room,

but when Ron speaks publically, he has a modest... a modest problem with word-repetition-stutter, and um, but um, uhh and, he talks a bit fast; is prone to disfluencies, run-ons, and prolongations; he places inton..ation in odd places, he often interrupts rather than plan for his reverberant applause, and his musical........metrehiccups. Attempts at transcription of Ron's speeches invariably invite transcription-editing. Even offered constructively and I do mean it so... ouch. In personally viewing just about all he has spoken publically for the past decade or so, I can only note the stutter becoming more pronounced. Now, this comes with a lot of things, being an enthusiastic septuagenarian included, and many of us, myself included would be at odds to do much better before an audience of 1000+, for over an hour, without notes. That said, one cannot ignore that this form of speech does well with certain energetic demographics, while alienating others; notably many of his fellow septuagenarians. Especially so, in a society accustomed to politics-via-teleprompter.

It makes me wish I had a ear piece in his ear where I could coach him mid-stump: "slow down", "breathe deep", "take your time", "gather yoursef", "consider your wider audience", "stablize your musical metre", etc. In this regard, I do think Ron would benefit from an intro to public speaking course and/or stuttering behavioral therapy lessons. Perhaps just a speech coach signing gestures from the audience; or simply a note on his podium reminding him to slow down. Gathering some oration skills of this sort would certainly help with his ethos arguements. Besides, a late-in-life quest for self-improvement may actually play out as postive media fodder. Doing so certainly couldn't hurt. Also, on the "could not hurt" side of the equation: Occassionally giving an empassioned stump by teleprompter, with a good audio/video guy working for the home team would undoubtably bode well in the long run.



presence

[remraf]

evilfunnystuff- thanks for that clip, thats exactly what I meant!

[truetube]

jenuf wrote:
"Older Americans didn't have the benefit of the internet for most of their lives. They have decades of Establishment conditioning to overcome."

Now that's the true hurdle when it comes to educating the masses.

[Noel Fritsch]

Unfortunately, "like a boss" means "in soundbite form so the rest of America can understand."

[Noel Fritsch]

I agree, he could be a bit more assertive.

[Noel Fritsch]

That comment was the most "like a boss" comment (to borrow another poster's term) I heard in any of the debates. Perhaps with the exception of the Gary Johnson poop joke he lifted from some talk radio guy.