Rhetorical synthesis and the discourse of Jack Kemp

Abstract

One of the more intriguing politicians today is Jack Kemp whose rhetoric synthesizes images and arguments that appear to be contradictory. In his public discourse, Kemp proudly proclaims his staunch conservative supply‐side economics, while at the same time aggressively chastising his own Republican colleagues for failing to be the true progressive party of Lincoln. Kemp's rhetoric cannot be examined in isolation but should be seen as a part of a larger conversation focusing on the inability of traditional conservatism and traditional liberalism to meaningfully respond to the growing political fragmentation, deepening cynicism, and diminished sense of community in America today. Kemp's rhetorical synthesis provides one possible bridging mechanism that directly addresses these current problems.