Rhetoric is a very broad term. All language has some persuasive element to it. If you possess the ability to emote, then anything you ever say to anyone should be persuasive. If you want to tell your girlfriend something nice, you say it in a way that expresses your desire to please her. You will not persuade her that you truly mean what you say if you say it like a robot. If you are talking to yourself, silently, in your head, you are always trying to persuade yourself to do, think, write or feel something.

I'm writing this blog late because I just got home from watching the new Clint Eastwood movie, Gran Torino. This film will win all the big awards this year. It was moving. Eastwood is a master rhetorician. He uses images, story, music and most importantly language to leave an impression on the viewer. He persuades you to think about the human condition; in this case, racism and its gray areas.

Politicians engage in a more direct form of rhetoric. They are actively and intentionaly trying to persuade you to think (and eventually vote) a certain way. Artists take a more creative route in evoking our emotions and usually the payoff is better. That's whats so great about Barack Obama; he's got that ability to move people. I'm just waiting for him to pull out a guitar and and sing us a song of change and freedom.

While politicians are often thinking about how to persuade others, most people do not. It's natural for us to speak with conviction and desire in order to get our thoughts across to others. This goes back to the story of Joseph. He was unable to think abstractly and therefore, unable to fully express himself to those around him. But even with spoken language, it is the ability to use the inflection of your voice as well as gesture and physical expression to fully communicate with others. We are emotional beings with the need to be persuaded by others.