more epideictic rhetoric

Mocking the press's obsession with scandal, "The Poor Man" uses the language of tabloid journalism to return readers' attention to what he sees as the more important (and obvious) issues relative to George W. Bush and his presidency. (Found via Crooked Timber.)

You should note this: Part of what makes epideictic rhetoric effective (besides an awareness of your audience's values and knowledge) is the use of specific details that reveal qualities of your subject. What you want to do, usually, is highlight positive or negative abstract qualities of your subject ("Bush is an idiot," "Kerry is a flip-flopper"). The best way to do this is through concrete examples that illustrate the abstract qualities you have in mind. For example:

• "Bush said, 'Too many OB-GYNs aren't able to practice their love with women all across this country.'"
• "First, Kerry voted for the Patriot Act, but then he turned around and said he was opposed to it".

These are examples of the rhetoric of blame, but citing specific details also works with the rhetoric of praise.