Nan Rich’s 2014 Gubernatorial Campaign: A Case Study of Rhetorical Sensitivity

By: Micole Kaye Undergraduate Honors Thesis Department of English, April 12, 2015

Thesis Advisor: Dr. Ronald H. Carpenter, Department of English, University of Florida Second Reader: Dr. Judith Page, Department of English, University of Florida

My dear friend and mentor, Senator Nan Rich, is an inspirational politician and person.

Although she was unable to overcome obstacles she faced in the Democratic Primary, Rich and her campaign rhetoric deserve the following recognition and analysis. Senator Rich, for all your friendship, love, support, and blessings, I sincerely thank you. I truly appreciate all you invested in me.

1 In 2010, the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals decided limiting campaign contributions violates Americans’ and corporations’ First Amendment Rights.1 Since then, individuals, corporations, and organizations have increased contributions dramatically. The most recent 2014 Midterm Elections were no exception; they cost more than any prior election in

United States history. 2

Among the 2014 Midterms, the Florida Gubernatorial race stood out. Democrat former-

Governor challenged Republican incumbent Rick Scott during the most expensive election in Florida history and the costliest gubernatorial campaign in history.3

Combined, Crist and Scott spent over $104 million on television advertisements, 4 $13 million of which Scott personally contributed the week before Election Day.5 With 2016 elections approaching, big donors are readying checkbooks to contribute more than ever. Charles and

David Koch have budgeted almost $1 billion to GOP candidates for the 2016 elections alone. 6

Even without the Koch brothers’ billion-dollar contribution, Crist and Scott had enough money to air character-bashing advertisements one after another. Media commentators assessed

1 Speechnow.org v. Federal Election Committee, 599 F.3d 686 (D.C. Cir. 2010) 2 Wilkie, Christina, “The 2014 Elections Will Cost $3.7 Billion. Here Are 9 Better Ways To Spend That Money.” Huffington Post. November 4, 2014. Accessed January 1, 2015. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/2014- election-spending n 6100894.html. 3 Dunkelberger, Lloyd. "Crist-Scott Race Is Nation's Costliest." Herald Tribune. October 3, 2014. Accessed March 17, 2015. http://politics.heraldtribune.com/2014/10/03/crist-scott-race-nations-costliest/. 4 Smith, Adam, Marc Caputo, and Mary Ellen Klas. "Gov. Rick Scott, Charlie Crist Make Final Push as Florida Governor's Race Nears End." Miami Herald. November 2, 2014. Accessed January 1, 2015. http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article3516359.html. 5 Smith, Adam, Caputo, Marc. “How Rick Scott won re-election as Florida governor.” November 5, 2014. Accessed January 1, 2015. http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/how-rick-scott-won-re-election-as-florida governor/2205342. 6 Gold, Matea. "Koch-backed Network Aims to Spend Nearly $1 Billion Ahead of 2016 Elections, May Engage in GOP Primaries." Washington Post. January 26, 2015. Accessed February 2, 2015. http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/koch-backed-network-aims-to-spend-nearly-1-billion-on-2016- elections/2015/01/26/77a44654-a513-11e4-a06b-9df2002b86a0 story.html. 2 an unpredictable race entirely dependent on voter turnout. This state election was so noticeable that one of its three televised debates was broadcasted nationally on CNN. 7

Some analysts thought increased contributions, airtime, and notoriety would increase voter turnout. However, 2014 elections saw the lowest turnout in seventy-two years: “In forty-three states, less than half the eligible population bothered to vote, and no state broke 60 percent” of voter turnout.8 Political experts wonder why people did not vote. Perhaps voters were not satisfied with the candidates. Perhaps voters were not satisfied with the mudslinging advertisements. Perhaps voters were looking for politicians who focused sights not on attacking each other but on improving their communities, their states, their country.

Florida Governors Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham demonstrated they cared about everyday

Floridians by walking a thousand miles and working days in others’ jobs. More recently, Barack

Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign vision of “Hope” inspired the largest voter turnout in more than forty years.9 These Democrats each ran successful campaigns, and proved that candidates with effective messages can overcome opponents with more funds.

Rich watched strong Democratic leaders like Chiles and Graham govern. She knew, like them, she could make a difference in her community and state. She joined organizations like

Kids in Distress, served as President for the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), Home

Instruction Program for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY), Resourcemobile, a program providing child-care resource units with proper developmental tools, and co-founded Miami-

Dade County’s Guardian ad Litem Program.

7 “CNN and Florida's WJXT-TV to Host Florida Gubernatorial Debate." CNN Press Room. October 20, 2014. Accessed January 5, 2015. http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2014/10/20/cnn-and-floridas-wjxt-tv-to-host-florida- gubernatorial-debate/. 8 “The Worst Voter Turnout in 72 Years.” The New York Times. November 11, 2014. Accessed January 7, 2015. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/12/opinion/the-worst-voter-turnout-in-72-years html 9 "2008 Election Turnout Hit 40-Year High." CBSNews. December 15, 2008. Accessed March 3, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/2008-election-turnout-hit-40-year-high/ 3 After years of civic service, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz suggested Rich run for office. In 2000, Rich succeeded Wasserman-Schultz in the Florida House of Representatives, and again in the 2004 State Senate. In office, Rich founded the statewide Guardian ad Litem program, supported legislation for Foster Care, children aging out of Foster Care, Kidcare, Child

Welfare, eliminating the ban on gay adoption, and illuminated issues including education, LGBT rights, and women’s rights and equality. In 2012, Rich termed-out of the State Senate, and realized her mission was not complete. She announced her candidacy for Governor.

In May 2012, I joined Senator Rich’s campaign staff as an Intern and Aide. For the two years I worked for her, Rich personally mentored and befriended me. Thus, a year later when I asked permission to write my honors thesis on her campaign rhetoric, Rich immediately complied and contributed copies of her speeches.

I.

In a hallmark essay, Lloyd Bitzer states the first step in creating effective discourse is determining whether its content is appropriate for a situation.10 According to Bitzer, a rhetorical situation is an instance that requires, or has the potential to require, some type of response.11 To analyze this instance, we must examine what specific discourse is in response to, the significance a situation gives its rhetoric, the necessary condition of that discourse, how a specific rhetorical situation alters the reality of the situation, how a response fits a situation, and how a situation calls forth a response from a person or people “who are capable of being influenced by discourse

10 Lloyd Bitzer, “The Rhetorical Situation," Philosophy & Rhetoric 1, no. 1 (January 1968): 3. 11 Bitzer defines a rhetorical situation as “a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action as to bring about the significant modification of the exigence.” 4 and of being mediators of change.” 12 Rhetorical audiences must exist for a situation to be rhetorical because “they have the power to constrain decision and action needed to modify the exigence.”13 Internal constraints include the speaker, his or her personal beliefs, ideologies, and physical limitations. External constraints are factors encompassing audience’s beliefs, state of mind during discourse, and physical and psychological environment.

Rod Hart and Don Burks discuss techniques that most effectively influence audiences, if rhetoric indeed is appropriate. They deem people who employ these techniques “rhetorically sensitive.”14 Some politicians who communicate expressively “rant” their “strongest feelings” to get them “off their chest,” but those who communicate instrumentally serve to “achieve or move toward a goal.”15 Hart and Burks argue instrumental communication is more effective, because it focuses on the audience, rather than the speaker’s personal feelings. Thus, a rhetorically sensitive person is one who has five obligations to fulfill: accept role-taking as part of the human condition, avoid stylized verbal behavior, be characteristically willing to undergo the strain of adaptation, distinguish between all information and information acceptable for communication, and understand that an idea can be rendered in multi-form ways. 16 When doing so, communicators tend to conform to the identity of a group. Politicians who understand this can gain overall audience support even if its members do not support them individually because they speak freely, genuinely, and do not sound scripted, “superficial, or insincere.”17 Additionally,

12 Bitzer, 8. 13 Bitzer, 8. 14 Roderick Hart and Don Burks. "Rhetorical Sensitivity And Social Interaction." Communication Monographs 39, no. 2 (1972): 75-91. 15 Hart and Burks, 75. 16 Hart and Burks, 76. 17 Hart and Burks, 80. 5 without a formula, politicians more easily can adapt to changing situations, audiences, and even

“distinguish between all information and information acceptable for communication.”18

Through history, indiscretion has cost many politicians their careers or elections, including recent presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, when he said this to a select, small audience:

There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you-name-it. That's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what… These are people who pay no income tax..."[M]y job is not to worry about those people. I'll never 19 convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.

These sentences, thanks to a cell phone, chained out to millions of voters. A rhetorically sensitive person knows what to say, how much to say, and to whom. They also understand “that an idea can be rendered in multi-form ways.”20 Had Romney said, “People who take personal responsibility and care for their lives will vote for me,” maybe Americans would have reacted differently, and perhaps elected him President.

II.

The (FDP) realizes that successful campaigns need effective messages. They suggest politicians follow a formula for a stump speech, which is a speech used on many occasions throughout the life of a campaign. Stump speeches should have three parts:

“the story of me, the story of us, and the story of now.”21 In the story of “me,” politicians tell stories to illustrate who they are, what they stand for, and why they are running. In the story of

18 Hart and Burks, 76. 19 Madison, Lucy. “Fact-checking Romney’s ‘47 percent’ comment.” CBS News, September 25, 2012. Accessed February 12, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fact-checking-romneys-47-percent-comment/. 20 Hart and Burks, 76.

6 “us,” politicians relate their values to those of their audiences and society. In the story of “now,” politicians create a vision for a better future, for which the audience can strive.22

The FDP adopted the stump speech formula from Jeff Blodgett and Bill Lofy’s book Winning

Your Election the Wellstone Way.23 Blodgett and Lofy consult for Democratic elections, and their resultant book argues that creating campaign rhetoric is so challenging because “the word

‘message’…means something different to everyone,” and voters have responded differently to rhetorical techniques, historically.24 Despite these obstacles, however, rhetorically sensitive politicians have created successful messages, according to Blodgett and Lofy, by focusing on the audience, treating discourse as a conversation, establishing credibility, relating to the audience, speaking concisely, presenting a clear choice with contrast to opposition, and repeating important phrases constantly.

Blodgett and Lofy also argue that many Democrats think people would vote progressive if they were politically knowledgeable. Thus, Democrats often teach policy, which sounds condescending, rather than discuss shared “interests and values,” tell stories that “lead to action,” and engage with constituents, which make voters feel respected and valued.25 Cutting policy details out also makes rhetoric concise: “Unless [a] campaign can adjust to the reality of having to make [its] message short and concise, [a politician] will largely be having a conversation with

[themselves],” because most Americans do not have time to “[delve] into policy details.”26

Moreover, Davie Democratic Club President, Randy Fleischer, said, “Most Democratic Clubs

22 I learned about the stump speech when I attended the Florida Democratic Party’s Promise Program, which is a program to teach young leaders to manage political campaigns. The program was held on July 27-28, 2014 at the Westin Diplomat Resort and Hotel in Hollywood, Florida. 23 Blodgett, Jeff, and Bill Lofy. "Creating a Message and Delivering It to Your Audience." In Winning Your Election the Wellstone Way a Comprehensive Guide for Candidates and Campaign Workers, [Minneapolis, Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 2008], 35-60. 24 Blodgett and Lofy, 35. 25 Blodgett and Lofy, 37. 26 Blodgett and Lofy, 39 (brackets are mine). 7 care about all the Democratic issues: education, health insurance, gun control, women’s rights, civil rights, and the rest of the left wing issues that the Republican right wing do not care about.”27 However, political activist and campaign worker, Jennifer Busby, suggests politicians discuss only three “sexy” issues at a time, to ensure rhetoric is relevant and concise. 28

Additionally, politicians should discuss issues to differentiate themselves, their “values, background, and vision for the future” from those of their opponents.29 “Pointing out differences on issues is a critical aspect to a message strategy” because voters respond to clear choices.30

Through stories, shared values, and contrast, politicians can establish credibility and connect with audiences. In the past, politicians sold policy to voters. However, today, people vote for credible, trustworthy leaders, even if those leaders have opposing political views.

When combined, these theories allow politicians to create effective rhetorical visions that audiences can support. In History as Rhetoric: Style, Narrative, and Persuasion, Ronald H.

Carpenter discusses historical applications of rhetorical visions, including Ernest G. Bormann’s concept:

"Because language, man's prime instrument of reason reflects his myth making tendency more than his rationalizing tendency," the more potent elements of discourse are those that contribute to a group’s "rhetorical vision:" that serves to sustain "members' sense of community to impel them strongly to action… and to provide them with a social reality filled with heroes, villains, emotions, and attitudes. "31

27 Randy Fleischer is President of the Davie Democratic Club. He is a political activist, and was a strong supporter of Senator Rich. 28 Jennifer Busby graduated with a Political Science degree from Florida State University. She has become a very well respected political activist, campaign worker, and community leader. Busby began working as Senator Rich’s Legislative Aide. When Rich termed out of the Florida State Senate, Busby started working on Senator Rich’s 2014 Gubernatorial Campaign. In 2013, Busby left Rich’s Campaign to work as Allison Tant’s, the Florida Democratic Party Chair, Assistant. From there, she worked as a field organizer and political liaison in Palm Beach County for Charlie Crist’s Gubernatorial Campaign against Rick Scott. Now, she is managing a local campaign in her hometown, Jacksonville, Florida and is the Jacksonville Young Democrats External Vice President. Busby and I met when she supervised me on Senator Rich’s campaign. She has been a great friend and mentor, and is truly an inspiration. 29 Blodgett and Lofy, 43. 30 Blodgett and Lofy, 43. 31 Ronald H. Carpenter uses this notion to explain the persuasiveness of some historical writing, in History as Rhetoric: Style, Narrative, and Persuasion (Columbia SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1995), 56. Carpenter 8 Michael McGee explains “[audiences], essentially [groups] of individuals” become “a ‘people’ with a ‘social unity and collective identity,’” “[react] with a desire to participate in that dramatic vision, to become ‘the people’ described by the advocate.”32 Frederick Jackson Turner’s celebrated Frontier thesis offered description of personal applications that convinced readers to desire to be frontiersman. 33 McGee also illustrates how politicians create similar audiences through ideologies, like Brant Short’s “America’s rhetorical vision of progress.” Similar to the way Turner’s thesis made people desire to be frontiersman, politicians can use Short’s

“Americans’ rhetorical vision of progress” to influence people to aspire to achieve progress.34

III.

Rich entered the rhetorical situation on April 17, 2012 by announcing her candidacy for

Governor. Her campaign gave her rhetoric significance when she responded to opponents’ policies and discourse. Her campaign was a necessary condition of her rhetoric, which offered a new prospective on the election because Floridians now had a choice between candidates who attacked each other whereas Rich focused on issues.

Rich’s potential audience included Florida’s population, 19.89 million people.35 As of 2015,

11,988,954 Floridians are registered to vote, 4,619,316 are registered Democrats and 4,182,825 took this terminology from Ernest G. Bormann, "Fantasy and Rhetorical Vision: The Rhetorical Criticism of Social; Reality," Quarterly Journal of Speech 58 (December 1972), 398-405. 32 Michael C. McGee, “In Search of ‘The People’: A Rhetorical Alternative,” Quarterly Journal of Speech 61 (October 1975), quoted in Ronald H. Carpenter, History as Rhetoric: Style, Narrative, and Persuasion (Columbia SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1995), 58, 198, 225. 33 Ronald H. Carpenter, The Eloquence of Frederick Jackson Turner (San Marino, : The Huntington Library, 1983). 34 Brant Short, “’Reconstructed but Unregenerate’: I’ll Take My Stand’s Rhetorical Vision of Progress,” Southern Communication Journal 29 (Winter 1994), quoted in Ronald H. Carpenter, History as Rhetoric: Style, Narrative, and Persuasion (Columbia SC: University of South Carolina Press, 1995), 58, 198, 225. 35 U.S Bureau of the Census. Florida QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau, 2015. Accessed March 1, 2015. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12000.html. 9 are registered Republicans.36 Although a Democrat could have won, Republican Scott won the

Governorship. Moreover, new-Democrat Crist beat lifetime-progressive Rich 74.4 percent to

25.6 percent in the Democratic Primary.37 Her failed campaign merits analysis.

On May 20, 2012, Rich spoke to the Broward County Young Democrats (BYDs). This club is one for Democratic state and local leaders, as well as veteran activists under forty years old to learn about ballot initiatives, grassroots campaigns, club events, and issues affecting the community.38 Jennifer Busby, who is highly active in the Florida Young Democrats community

(FYD), suggested politicians discuss LGBT issues, jobs, and education. Instead, Rich’s sixty- nine-sentence speech discussed the war on women, abortion, Prison Privatization, the Parent-

Trigger Bill, the Fair District Amendments, partisan budget cuts, and education. While discussing these issues, Rich attempted to create a positive rhetorical vision but ended with negative name-calling:

[We deserve a government that] makes sure we invest in education. That we protect the vulnerable in our communities – children, the elderly, the disabled, the very sick. That we have sound infrastructure that keeps our economy growing. That we have a fair and efficient justice system that resolves disputes, protects public safety, and yes, even seeks to prevent crime by treating what are often its underlying causes – mental illness and substance abuse. That we have a society that is as free as possible of prejudice of any kind, whether it is based on race, or religion or sexual orientation or identity. That we ensure that every eligible citizen is able to vote, instead 39 of manipulating voting laws and procedures for partisan advantage.

Her vision failed to reach voters, however, because she failed to tell credibility-establishing anecdotes, and because she used negative language like, “extreme and potentially disastrous,”

“beat back,” “stopped a bill,” and “war on women,” which directed audiences to the negative

36 "Division of Elections." NVRA Monthly Report Statistics. Accessed March 17, 2015. http://election.dos.state fl.us/nvra/affiliation.asp. 37 Florida Department of State Division of Elections, August 26, 2014 Primary Election Democratic Primary Official Results. Accessed March 20, 2015. http://election.dos.state fl.us/elections/resultsarchive/Index.asp?ElectionDate=8/26/2014&DATAMODE= 38 "Broward Young Democrats." Broward Young Democrats. January 1, 2013. Accessed March 1, 2015. www.browardyoungdemocrats.org. 39 Rich, Nan. "Senator Nan Rich Remarks." Speech, Broward Young Democrats Luncheon from Broward Young Democratic Club, Fort Lauderdale, May 20, 2012. 10 legislative session rather than to her positive vision. Additionally, Rich overcomplicated phrases when she said, “we are seeing more and more people registering to vote as Democrats” and “we are doing particularly well among,” which further diluted her vision with extraneous words.

Furthermore, Rich discussed caucus and political registration demographics, which may be relevant to legislators and candidates but not her audience:

Unlike our counterparts who choose to wage a war on women, we have a caucus where half our members are women…. Our caucus played an instrumental role in building coalitions to block extreme and potentially disastrous legislation. We were able to keep a bill from coming to the floor that essentially would have shut down Planned Parenthood. We beat back a prison privatization bill that nobody could show would actually save the state money, and that could have compromised public safety. Most importantly, we stopped a bill that would have handed over our public schools in some of our most economically challenged neighborhoods to for-profit management companies more concerned with making money than helping children succeed…. We are seeing more and more people register to vote as Democrats. In April, 5,459 more people registered as Democrats in Florida than as Republicans – a margin of 10 percent. We are doing particularly well among women and Hispanic voters, who are registering Democratic by even 40 larger margins. It’s a trend that’s held for the last three month, and hopefully will continue.

Finally, Rich acted insensitively by failing to ask the audience to act.

On June 2, 2012, Rich spoke to the State Convention of the National Organization for

Women (NOW), a group dedicated to creating gender equality through changing policy, law, and culture. 41 NOW cares about “equal rights for women; championing abortion rights; reproductive freedom and other women’s health issues; opposing racism and fighting bigotry against lesbians and gays; and ending violence against women.” However, in her eighty-three-sentence speech,

Rich instead discussed the “Republican War on Women,” a women’s right to choose, women’s health issues, voter suppression, legislative budget disputes, and the Fair District Amendments.

Once again, Rich demonstrated rhetorical insensitivity by further discussing issues irrelevant to the audience including the Fair District Amendments: “We had hoped that the Fair District

40 Rich, "Senator Nan Rich Remarks." Speech, Broward Young Democrats Luncheon from Broward Young Democratic Club, Fort Lauderdale, May 20, 2012. 41 "Florida NOW Issues." Florida NOW Issues. January 1, 2007. Accessed March 1, 2015. http://www.flnow.org/issues html. 11 Amendments would do more than they have to create a level playing field to get more moderate, pro-women candidates elected.” 42 And, SB 290:

There were at least seven anti-choice bills introduced this session. … The most dangerous bill – SB 290 – would have effectively kept Planned Parenthood from opening any new clinics by 43 requiring all clinics where abortions are provided to be own by physicians.

Additionally, in an attempt to illustrate how Republican leadership harms women, Rich gave too many examples: the presidential candidate who said “women [should] go back to ‘holding an aspirin between their knees,’ in order to prevent pregnancy,” the Catholic bishops who claim

“requiring church-run hospitals and universities” to offer employees contraceptives attacks their religious freedom, the woman who was not allowed to testify about student birth control access to an all-male committee, how Republicans voted on the Blunt Amendment, the partnership between Planned Parenthood and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and Rush Limbaugh’s attack on Sandra Fluke’s testimony. All of the above may have overwhelmed the audience and diluted her overall message.44

Rich’s speech was improved, however, when she later used a more personal approach:

I came of age at a time when women were entering the workforce and beginning their long climb into the boardrooms and other positions of power. I marched and cheered as the right to control our own bodies was affirmed by the highest court in the land and I refuse to surrender that right today because some man thinks his morality is superior to mine. I refuse to go back to the day when the area directly behind the Senate Chamber held a men’s room but no women’s room. And I will actively fight the kind of mentality that prevented Floridians from ratifying the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution until 1969 – almost half a century after its ratification, and 45 ironically on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the state’s League of Women Voters.

42 The components of SB 290 pertain to the audience. However, the legislation itself does not. Rich could have discussed women’s reproductive rights without discussing this individual bill. 43 Rich, "Remarks by Senator Nan Rich." Speech, NOW State Convention from National Organization for Woman, June 2, 2012. 44 Rich, "Remarks by Senator Nan Rich." Speech, NOW State Convention from National Organization for Woman, June 2, 2012. 45 Rich, "Remarks by Senator Nan Rich." Speech, NOW State Convention from National Organization for Woman, June 2, 2012. 12 But if placed at the beginning of her story of “me,” these lines could have established credibility as a woman’s activist and politician, and contributed to her vision of progress.46

IV.

On August 4, 2012, Rich practiced discretion by omitting lines that appeared in the first draft of her speech to the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida:

I wonder what the founder of the Republican Party would say if he knew the words he once delivered on a bloody battlefield vowing to protect the government of the people would by 2012 become government “of the Enrons, by the WorldComs, and for the Wall Street banks.” 47

The lines were irrelevant to her audience, and removing them illustrated Rich’s rhetorical sensitivity. Nevertheless, such discretion did not follow on August 11, 2012 when Rich spoke to the Brevard County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC), which is a precinct-based organization recorded by the Supervisor of Elections. The audience members are constituent- elected committeemen and women whom serve four-year terms to “supplement the state and national organizations of the Democratic Party and to secure efficient, able, and honest national, state, county and local government in accordance with the principles of the Democratic Party.”48

In this speech, Rich treated her audience as students when she said:

You know, just a few months ago, during the 2012 legislative session, a well-known political reporter for one of the state’s largest newspapers wrote us off as “invisible and irrelevant.” Invisible. And Irrelevant. Oh, really? Well, let me tell you all something. The invisible and irrelevant Democrats of the stopped the War on Women and our right to choose by blocking every attempt by the right wing Republicans to pass another anti-choice bill.

46 Rich, "Remarks by Senator Nan Rich." Speech, NOW State Convention from National Organization for Woman, June 2, 2012. 47 Rich, “Remarks to the Democratic Women’s Club of Florida.” Speech, Democratic Women’s Club of Florida, August 4, 2012. 48 "Broward Democratic Executive Committee - The Broward Democratic Party." The Broward Democratic Party. August 12, 2013. Accessed March 5, 2015. http://browarddemocrats.org/community/broward-democratic-executive- committee/. 13 Lines like “you know…. Oh, really…. Well, let me tell you all something,” are condescending.49

Rich’s January 30, 2013 Associated Press speech is very similar to her April 4, 2013 ninety- two-sentence Palm Beach County DEC speech. More sensitive than prior speeches, she discussed why she was running for Governor and her beliefs:

That’s why I’m running for Governor. … I believe that a strong middle class is what has made our nation great and what will revive our state’s economy. I believe that public education is the path to prosperity. An educated and skilled workforce is the most essential element in attracting new business and economic development to Florida. I believe all Floridians are entitled to affordable health care. Congress has passed and the President has signed the law that makes that possible. Our state spent thousands of taxpayers’ dollars trying to oppose that law, but it has been declared constitutional and it is the law of the land! I believe that Florida should set the standard for excellence in how we treat our elderly and those with disabilities. And, I believe our right to vote 50 should be protected and encouraged by our government—not obstructed for partisan gain.

Rich employed an antithesis, a rhetorical technique used to create contrast, when she said, “I believe our right to vote should be protected and encouraged by our government—not obstructed for partisan gain.”51 Although Rich created contrast, antitheses more effectively contribute to rhetorical visions when they end on the positive, not the negative. In John Kennedy’s most quoted sentence, which begins “ask not,” he ends with “ask what you can do for your country.”

When Adlai Stevenson eulogized Eleanor Roosevelt, he could have said, “she lit a candle,” instead he said, “when other people cursed the darkness, she lit a candle.”52

Rich employed another rhetorical technique, anaphora, which creates emphasis, when she repeated, “I believe” and “they” for emphasis:

During the 2010 gubernatorial campaign, ‘Let’s get to work’ sounded like a great slogan.... Over the past two years the governor and legislative leadership did get to work. They worked to slash

49 Rich, "Brevard Democratic Executive Committee Remarks." Lecture, Brevard Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Brevard County Democratic Executive Committee, Brevard County, August 11, 2012. 50 Rich, "Nan Rich for Governor Palm Beach County DEC." Speech, Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee, Lake Worth, April 4, 2013. 51 Rich, "Nan Rich for Governor Palm Beach County DEC." Speech, Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee, Lake Worth, April 4, 2013. 52 “The Rule of Recency” says “antitheses usually are more effective as they end on the upbeat.” Ronald H Carpenter, Choosing Powerful Words: Eloquence That Works, (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 1999), 37-38. 14 support for public education. They worked to restrict women’s reproductive rights. And they 53 worked to block Floridians from the benefits of the Affordable Health Care Act.

Although Rich wanted to emphasize Scott’s “bad government,” each anaphora could be improved if they ended on the positive because she would have directed audiences toward her positive vision. In addition, Rich’s “[beliefs]” would have been more effective as one-liners, because they would have been more memorable and quotable.54

Rich also could have also added to her vision by turning her Affordable Care Act and

Medicaid Expansion funds discussion into a positive anecdote contributing persuasively to her story of “now:”

Will they engage in a ‘race to the bottom’ in health care by refusing to take the federal funding for Medicaid expansion to almost one million low income Floridians, or will they take the high road of compassion and caring for real working people? Unfortunately, so far they have taken the low road and rejected fifty-one billion dollars in federal funding to expand Medicaid over the next ten years. The fact is that Florida’s economy would be seriously harmed if Florida rejects Medicaid expansion. Not only would we lose the federal dollars, but 55,000 new private sector jobs would be lost, while low-income workers and their families would be denied much needed health care coverage. And Federal tax dollars paid by Floridians would be used to subsidize other states. In addition, without Medicaid Expansion, Florida’s teaching and safety-net hospitals could be squeezed to the brink of bankruptcy by the loss of subsidies, the future uncertainty of one billion dollars in LIP funding, and the impact of implementing Diagnosis Related Groups to replace Fee for Service.

Finally, Rich should have ended with a call to action rather than a history lesson:

I know everyone likes to talk about the “political horse race”—the latest polls showing who’s ahead. But I would like you all to recall a little bit of Florida campaign history. When Reubin Askew launched his campaign for Governor, he was a little-known state senator from North Florida. When Bob Graham started his campaign, he was a little-known state senator from South Florida. And when Lawton Chiles began walkin’ the state—he too was a little-known State Senator from Central Florida who wanted to go to WA to be a U.S. Senator. All three of those men faced better-financed and better known “front runners” when they ran. They were the dark horses—the long shots. But they won. And while I too started my campaign as a little-known former state senator, I intend to carry on the tradition of Florida’s greatest leaders—by earning the trust and votes of a majority of Florida’s voters in November 2014. I made history by being elected the first women leader of the Senate Democrats for 2010-2012. Now I am ready to make 55 history by being elected the first women Governor of the State of Florida in 2014.

53 Rich, "Nan Rich for Governor Palm Beach County DEC." Speech, Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee, Lake Worth, April 4, 2013. 54 Rich, "Nan Rich for Governor Palm Beach County DEC." Speech, Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee, Lake Worth, April 4, 2013. 55 Rich, "Nan Rich for Governor Palm Beach County DEC." Speech, Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee Meeting from Palm Beach Democratic Executive Committee, Lake Worth, April 4, 2013. 15 Had Rich concluded with a call to action, she would have not only ended on the positive, but also told the audience how they can help make her vision a reality.

On March 17, 2013, Rich spoke at the Polk County DEC’s Obama-King Dinner in honor of

Women’s History Month. Ignoring Blodgett and Lofy, Rich may have acted insensitively by teaching lessons on Women’s History Month, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, and Florida

Campaign History in 44 sentences of her 121-sentence speech.56

In September 2012, Rich both discussed her personal values and addressed other Democratic

Gubernatorial hopefuls when she spoke to the American Federation of Labor and Congress of

Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO):

I’m a lifelong Democrat. Fairness and equal opportunity, supporting a strong middle class, putting the needs of working people ahead of corporate profits are core values I’ve held throughout my adult life. It’s pretty clear that Rich Scott doesn’t share these values. And I don’t believe there are any other potential candidates who have the track record I do in fighting for them…. Last Friday, Alex Sink announced she will not seek the Democratic nomination again…. But from what I’ve read, our former Republican Governor, Charlie Crist will soon announce that he is running again—this time, as a Democrat.

In prior speeches, Rich bashed Scott, but did not directly share her values. Additionally, by addressing her future primary opponent and discussing her values, Rich more sensitively established credibility as a Democratic politician and candidate for Governor.57

In her September 26, 2013 speech at the Democratic Women’s Clubs of Florida (DWCF)

Convention in Panama City, Rich included unnecessary lines like:

My thanks to the DWC leadership and members for the incredible support I received at all of the nineteen visits I have made to DWCs across the state…. Because most of you probably have heard my typical campaign speech, I decided to focus this evening on women’s economic needs.

These lines do not contribute to her vision and should have been eliminated. She also insensitively discussed irrelevant topics including Health Care Navigators and Roe v. Wade and concluded without a call to action.58

56 Rich, “Celebrating Women’s History Month.” Speech, Obama-King Dinner from Polk County Democratic Executive Committee, Lakeland, March 17, 2013. 57 Rich, “AFL-CIO Remarks,” Speech, AFL-CIO Event. September 2013. 16 In Rich’s September 28, 2013 Palm Beach County Democratic Party speech, rather than creating a positive vision by telling anecdotes and asking audiences for support, Rich slung mud at Scott and said, “I don’t think anyone else could do a better job than Scott has in convincing voters that we need a Democrat to lead Florida again!”59

At the 2013 Florida Democratic Party Convention, an FDP-sponsored event attended by politicians and delegates to discuss upcoming elections, policies, nominees, and other related matters, Rich spoke twice. She opened her first speech with humor:

I wanted to take a moment tonight to share with you what it’s like running for statewide office as a Democrat in Florida. To paraphrase Charles Dickens—‘it was the best of times and the worst of times.’ 60

Although humor is rhetorically sensitive because it can grab an audience’s attention, this topic is not relevant to Rich’s audience. Also perhaps irrelevant and rhetorically insensitive, Rich further discussed campaign details:

My campaign for governor started about a year and a half ago. Since then I’ve made more than 220 visits to groups in all parts of Florida—listening to voters—sharing ideas and a vision for the future—and building a strong, statewide, grassroots organization of dedicated volunteers.61

More sensitively, Rich included an antithesis when she said, “We shouldn’t hide from these principles—we should showcase them,” and anaphora when she repeated, “We stand for….”

Because Rich ended her antithesis on the positive, the technique effectively contributed to her vision by emphasizing her Democratic principles. Finally, Rich could have improved her call to action, “With your support—and your vote—history will be made again when I’m elected the

58 Rich, "DWCF Nan Rich Remarks." Speech, Democratic Women's Clubs of Florida Convention from Democratic Women's Clubs of Florida Region Two, Panama City, September 26, 2013. 59 Rich, "Palm Beach Democratic Party Comments." Speech, Palm Beach Democrats Event from Palm Beach Democrats, Palm Beach County, September 28, 2013. 60 Rich, “Florida Democratic Party Convention Saturday Night Remarks.” Speech, Florida Democratic Party Convention from Florida Democratic Party, Lake Buena Vista, October 26, 2013. 61 Rich, “Florida Democratic Party Convention Saturday Night Remarks.” Speech, Florida Democratic Party Convention from Florida Democratic Party, Lake Buena Vista, October 26, 2013. 17 first woman Governor of Florida.” She could have asked directly for immediate registration, financial support, and votes.62

Her second FDP Convention speech was less sensitive because she discussed sixteen issues, which according to Busby, is too many. Additionally, Rich used negative language including,

“that’s simply outrageous and morally reprehensible” and “there is a palpable sense of frustration,” which may have directed audiences to a negative tone rather than toward her positive vision. Finally, Rich’s repetition of “But—in the end—[Scott] will lose. He will lose because…” and “one bad decision after another—decisions that are….” added length rather than emphasis to her speech.63

V.

When Crist announced candidacy in November 2013, Rich gave the same 112-sentence speech discussing voter suppression, education, women’s reproductive rights, the environment, health care, child, senior, and disability care, jobs, the economy, and civil rights many times.

Rather than telling anecdotes to contrast her policies from Crist’s, Rich may have practiced indiscretion by discussing campaign details irrelevant to the audience:

As I look around this room, I see many familiar faces. That wasn’t so when I started this campaign over a year and a half ago. But now, after more than 220 speeches and events, the seeds of our grassroots campaign have been planted in every part of Florida and those grassroots are 64 growing stronger ever day.

Additionally, Rich misplaced elements in the beginning of her speech by discussing lines that should have been in the story of “now.”

62 Rich, October 26, 2013. 63 Rich, “Florida Democratic Party Convention Sunday Remarks.” Speech, Florida Democratic Party Convention from Florida Democratic Party, Lake Buena Vista, October 27, 2013. 64 Rich, "Nan Rich November, 2013 Remarks." Speech, Nan Rich for Governor, November 1, 2013. 18 Florida is ready for a Democratic Governor! After sixteen years we’re going to take the Governor’s office back—and we’re going to be Scott free! Rick Scott is going to be a one-term 65 Governor—and everyone in this room will get to take credit for that!

She also wrote a call to action: “So I stand before you today not on platitudes or a pile of money—I stand here on principles…. And I ask you to stand with me,” 66 with which she did not end.67 By not concluding with a call to action, Rich lowered her chances of receiving audience support.

Moreover, Rich continued to bash Scott and neglect Crist, even after he announced candidacy. She only mentioned Crist in four sentences, one of which she referred to him not by name, but by “primary opponent.” Rich’s disregard for Crist perhaps contributed to her primary loss, as she prematurely fought general election opponent Scott rather than addressing her then- current opponent. Finally, Rich minimized points in attempts to sling mud at Scott by using words like “virtually trying” instead of an active verb.68

On February 16, 2014, Rich spoke to the Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO, the labor federation that serves to improve local and state working conditions. Rich’s twenty-nine- sentence rhetorically insensitive speech disregarded the stump speech formula, lacked credibility-establishing or audience-connecting anecdotes, and lacked a call to action.

Additionally, Rich included unnecessary phrases like:

It’s a genuine pleasure for me to be here with you this morning. Now, I’m not going to deliver a long speech—please don’t be too disappointed—but I did want to take a moment to speak to you about champions. 69

Moreover, she added extraneous words including “I also think,” “Someone you can count on to be true,” “Mother Teresa was ‘such a champion’—a champion for the impoverished,” and “And

65 Rich, "Nan Rich November, 2013 Remarks." Speech, Nan Rich for Governor, November 1, 2013. 66 Rich, "Nan Rich November, 2013 Remarks." Speech, Nan Rich for Governor, November 1, 2013. 67 Rich, "Nan Rich November, 2013 Remarks." Speech, Nan Rich for Governor, November 1, 2013. 68 Rich, November 1, 2013. 69 Rich, "Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO Remarks." Speech, Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO Meeting from Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO, Riviera Beach, February 16, 2014. 19 so was George Meany. He was champion for the working men and women…. A plumber and pipe-fitter by trade, Meany’s….” Her discourse could have been much stronger if she shortened the above lines: “I think,” “You can count on me,” “Mother Teresa championed for the impoverished,” and “George Meany was a plumber by trade, and a champion for labor workers,” respectively.70

On February 22, 2014, Rich spoke at the Palm Beach County NOW Susan B. Anthony

Awards Luncheon. Her seventy-three-sentence speech was perhaps her least sensitive rhetoric because she discussed too many issues: elderly, child, and disability care, women’s health, reproductive freedom, women’s limited economic opportunities, equal pay, and voter suppression, and quantified each with numerous statistics about Florida’s state ranking in women’s issues, women’s health, and maternal mortality, the number of women uninsured, who lack sufficient access to health care, who hold leadership positions, who are paid less than men, and who abort fetuses due to economic failure. Although Rich tried to show how Republican leaders have hindered women’s success, too many examples too close in proximity perhaps only could confuse the audience.71 Furthermore, Rich failed to both capitalize on her opponents’ mistakes and also create contrast by saying, “the last two Republican Governors,” rather than directly naming her opponents.72 And, she ignored male voters in unnecessary lines:

As I look around this room, I see so many familiar faces—women I have worked with on various issues over the years—children’s issues, women’s issues, education and equal rights. There are also wonderful people I have gotten to know on the campaign trail as I travel the state to build a network of grassroots supporters who will help us take back the Governor’s office. … The power of the women’s vote is dependent on every woman who is eligible casting her vote and having it counted. If women don’t stand up to be counted, the rights we have fought so hard to attain will be the first ones to go. … The 2014 election will center on these issues, and the solutions candidates offer. In order to be successful, candidates must address the challenges women face

70 Rich, "Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO Remarks." Speech, Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO Meeting from Palm Beach-Treasure Coast AFL-CIO, Riviera Beach, February 16, 2014. 71 Rich, "Susan B. Anthony Awards Luncheon Remarks." Speech, Susan B. Anthony Awards Luncheon from Palm Beach County National Organization for Women, Boca Raton, February 22, 2014. 72 Rich, "Susan B. Anthony Awards Luncheon Remarks." Speech, Susan B. Anthony Awards Luncheon from Palm Beach County National Organization for Women, Boca Raton, February 22, 2014. 20 with economic security, with career and educational opportunities, with their responsibilities both in the workplace and at home, and with autonomy over their own reproductive health decisions.73

Finally, Rich failed to conclude with a call to action, which probably hurt her chances of earning votes.

On March 1, 2014, Rich spoke to Polk County Democrats. In her 118-sentence speech, Rich practiced indiscretion by revealing she did not have a strong financial backing: “So I stand before today not on platitudes or a pile of money—I stand here on principle.” Admitting this probably diluted any credibility previously established because strong financial backings are critical in today’s campaigns. Moreover, Rich said, “Floridians are ready for new leadership— leadership not based on personality but rather on long-held principles and a clear set of principles,” which directly contradicts Blodgett and Lofy, who say voters are voting for personality, even over principle.74 In addition to discussing thirteen issues, which Busby suggests are too many, Rich also lacked as strong a call to action as she might have had:

I ask you to stand with me. … I made history when I was elected the first women leader of the Senate Democrats, and with your support—and your vote—history will be made again when I’m elected the first woman Governor of Florida.

Had Rich directly asked for registrations, votes, and funds, perhaps she would have earned a better turnout on Election Day. On the other hand, she improved rhetoric by discussing primary opponent, Crist, in four sentences.75

On March 29, 2014, Rich spoke to the Florida College Democrats (FCD), and discussed middle class economics, minimum wage, social justice issues, environmental protection issues, elderly care, disability care, Medicaid, K-12 education, women’s reproductive rights, and

73 Rich, February 22, 2014. 74 Rich, "Polk County Speech." Speech, Polk County Democrats Meeting from Polk County Democrats, Polk County, March 1, 2014. 75 Rich, "Polk County Speech." Speech, Polk County Democrats Meeting from Polk County Democrats, Polk County, March 1, 2014. 21 marriage equality. A rhetorically sensitive politician speaking to FCDs may have discussed education, student debt, and jobs.76

On August 10, 2014, Rich spoke to the National Women’s Political Caucus about Women’s

Equality Day. Almost all twenty-nine sentences are a history lesson with lines including:

In 1913, the first major national efforts were taken beginning with a massive march in Washington, D.C. on March 3, 1913. On this day arrived in Washington to be inaugurated the next day as the twenty-eighth President of the United States…. On August 26, 1920—a full seven years after this historical march—the Nineteenth Amendment which gave women full rights to vote, finally passed both Houses of Congress and was ratified by the required number of states.77

Rich’s history lesson was not rhetorically sensitive because it did not focus on the audience.

However, she did include a call to action: “please remember to vote on August 26th!”78

VI.

Lawton Chiles and Bob Graham walked and worked physically to represent rhetorical visions that they not only understood the struggles Floridians faced, but that they would help alleviate the struggles Floridians faced. When asked about these physical representations, Rich said

Lawton’s walk and Graham’s work were merely “gimmicks” to attract “press.”79

On March 1, 2014, Rich said, “I am someone who has always been focused on issues—on priorities—and on solutions.” However, perhaps she was so focused on the details required to legislate diligently that she neglected to create a larger rhetorical vision necessary to win the hearts of Democratic voters. Additionally, by discussing policy details in speeches for politically

76 Rich, “Florida College Democrats Remarks.” Speech, Florida College Democrats Convention 2014 from Florida College Democrats, Orlando, March 29, 2014. 77 Rich, "Women Worrier Remarks." Speech, Women's Equality Day from National Women's Political Caucus of Florida, Deerfield Beach, August 10, 2014. 78 Rich, "Women Worrier Remarks." Speech, Women's Equality Day from National Women's Political Caucus of Florida, Deerfield Beach, August 10, 2014. 79 Rich, “Campaign Rhetoric Interview.” Interview by author. August 10, 2014. 22 active audiences, Rich only solidified votes of those already politically knowledgeable. But because most Americans are not politically active, discussing policy details did not inspire many

Democrats to vote. Moreover, although Rich is politically intelligent enough to govern, perhaps she was not rhetorically sensitive enough to win election as Governor.

Politicians can create issue-based rhetorical visions while establishing credibility, connecting with audiences, and consistently delivering the same message on each occasion. As a prime example, President Obama’s 2015 State of the Union Address was so effective because he did just that by effectively telling anecdotes, using negative and positive language, citing statistics, and discussing issues in a way that each builds upon the next to create one societal vision of progress.80

When Obama discussed issues, he built upon each as a necessary element in achieving his vision. Because Rich never foundationally convinced audiences that issues do not stand alone but act as one larger societal matter, she merely appeared to complain about Scott or rant about issues. Furthermore, Rich did not seem to understand that creating a positive "vision of progress" was the most important aspect of her rhetoric, not how awful Scott was.

Moreover, she misused several rhetorical techniques. Rather than serve her, as they did

Obama, Rich’s rhetoric just showcased her immaturity because her repetition merely created length rather than emphasis. Furthermore, her rhetorical questions abounded: “Will [Scott and the Republican Legislators] engage in a ‘race to the bottom’ in health care by refusing to take the federal funding for Medicaid expansion to almost one million low income Floridians, or will they take the high road of compassion and caring for real working people?” “How will [voters]

80 Obama, Barack. "Remarks by the President in State of the Union Address." Speech, State of the Union from United States Government, Washington, D.C., January 20, 2015. 23 measure Rich Scott’s ‘leadership?’” 81 and “When you think of a champion—who comes to mind?”82 These questions did not lead audiences to one predictable direction or moral path as they did when Obama spoke:

Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort? Will we approach the world fearful and reactive, dragged into costly conflicts that strain our military and set back our standing? Or will we lead wisely, using all elements of our power to defeat new threats and protect our planet? Will we allow ourselves to be sorted into factions and turned against one another – or will we recapture the sense of common purpose that has always propelled America forward?83

Obama’s questions persuaded Americans to choose his path, which is in contrast to that of his

Republican opposition. In addition, politicians often write antithesis to create contrast, but should almost always end on the positive. Instead, Rich ended her antithesis on the negative: “I believe our right to vote should be protected and encouraged by our government—not obstructed for partisan gain.”84 Her point should have been about “vote.”

Additionally, Rich’s rhetoric overall was too negative for audiences to see an uplifting vision. People often are unable to see success amidst failure, and Rich’s entire speech focused around Scott’s failures. Conversely, Obama brilliantly "turn[ed] the page" from past “years that dawned on terror” and a “vicious recession” to a “breakthrough year for America.” While

Obama’s transition directed audiences toward his positive vision, Rich’s negative language endings only contributed to her gloomy tone.85

These elements would not alone necessarily have contributed to a rhetorical failure had Rich established credibility. Rich was not a rhetorically credible candidate for many reasons, including the fact that she spoke, as Hart and Burks suggested, expressively rather than

81 Rich, March 1, 2014. 82 Rich, February 16, 2014. 83 , January 20, 2015. 84 Rich, April 4, 2013. 85 Obama, January 20, 2015. 24 instrumentally. Although Rich’s passion for politics is evident in her expressive discourse, that passion was not enough to inspire voters to act. Additionally, Rich did not share person anecdotes to connect with voters. In his address, Obama established credibility, connected with his audience, and linked American faces to policies through the story of Ben and Rebekah Erler:

Seven years ago, Rebekah and Ben Erler of Minneapolis were newlyweds. She waited tables. He worked construction. Their first child, Jack, was on the way. They were young and in love in America, and it doesn't get much better than that. "If only we had known," Rebekah wrote to me last spring, "what was about to happen to the housing and construction market." As the crisis worsened, Ben's business dried up, so he took what jobs he could find, even if they kept him on the road for long stretches of time. Rebekah took out student loans, enrolled in community college, and retrained for a new career. They sacrificed for each other. And slowly, it paid off. They bought their first home. They had a second son, Henry. Rebekah got a better job, and then a raise. Ben is back in construction – and home for dinner every night. "It is amazing," Rebekah wrote, "what you can bounce back from when you have to...we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times." We are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times. America, Rebekah and Ben's story is our story. They represent the millions who have worked hard, and scrimped, and sacrificed, and retooled. You are the reason I ran for this office.86

The Erlers are a family to which many Americans can identify, and Obama even related the story to American society, as suggested by the FDP for an effective stump speech. Obama then concluded with the same story:

I want [future generations] to grow up in a country where a young mom like Rebekah can sit down and write a letter to her President with a story to sum up these past six years: “It is amazing what you can bounce back from when you have to…we are a strong, tight-knit family who has made it through some very, very hard times.” My fellow American’s, we too are a strong, tight-knit family. We, too, have made it through some hard times. Fifteen years into this new century, we have picked ourselves up, dusted ourselves off, and begun again the work of remaking America.87

By reminding Americans that his policies have helped real people, Obama contributed to his vision by emphasizing his policies make a significant impact.

Rich, on the other hand, did not tell anecdotes that establish the same sentiment as Obama’s story. Throughout her career, Rich has helped many families, including one specific gay couple that she helped adopt a child. I was exceptionally motivated to elect Rich when I heard about the child who was removed from the system and placed into a home with two loving fathers.

86 Obama, January 20, 2015. 87 Obama, January 20, 2015. 25 Unfortunately, voters never saw this side of Rich. Furthermore, politicians often cite statistics to establish credibility. Rich, however, placed too many numbers too close together to establish any audience reaction other than perhaps confusion. Additionally, Rich’s statistics contributed to her negative tone because they often illuminated Florida’s low rankings, troubled economy, people hurt by Scott’s policies, or the disastrous bills Rich stopped. She should have used statistics to lift herself up rather than bring opponents down, as Obama did by emphasizing the impact his policies have on Americans:

And over the past five years, our businesses have created more than eleven million new jobs. We believe we could reproduce out dependence on foreign oil and protect our planet. And today, America is number one in oil and gas. America is number one in wind power. Every three weeks, we bring online as much solar power as we did in all of 2008. And thank to lower gas prices and higher fuel standard, the typical family this year should save $750 at the pump.88

Rich’s rhetorical insensitivity contributed to her failed credibility as a candidate.

Finally, Rich did not have any memorable or quotable lines. After Obama's 2015 Address, everyone laughed at and even quoted this passage:

And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise. 89

After two years of my work on Rich’s campaign, I personally could not quote a line from her speeches.

Although Rich mentioned her vision in some discourse, her visions never translated to the audience because she did not detail applications or resolutions to make progress a reality.

Millions of Americans believed Obama could achieve progress when he said:

So what does middle-class economics require in our time? First—middle-class economics means helping working families feel more secure in a world of constant change…. Here's another example. Today, we're the only advanced country on Earth that doesn't guarantee paid sick leave or paid maternity leave to our workers. Forty-three million workers have no paid sick leave. Forty-three million. Think about that. And that forces too many parents to make the gut-wrenching choice between a paycheck and a sick kid at home. So I'll be taking new action to help states adopt paid

88 Obama, January 20, 2015. 89 Obama, January 20, 2015. 26 leave laws of their own…. Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages. That's why this Congress still needs to pass a law that makes sure a woman is paid the same as a man for doing the same work. Really. It's 2015. It's time. We still need to make sure employees get the overtime they've earned. And to everyone in this Congress who still refuses to raise the minimum wage, I say this: If you truly believe you could work full-time and support a family on less than $15,000 a year, go try it. If not, vote to give millions of the hardest-working people in America a raise.90

And Americans clearly liked his vision because his approval rating jumped three percentage points after the speech, “with his job score rising from an average 45% for Jan. 17-19 to 48% for

Jan. 22-24.”91

VII.

Overall, Rich had the political experience to be a great Governor. But she lacked rhetorical sensitivity to inspire voters to elect her. Like Obama, Chiles, and Graham, Senator Rich had a very positive vision of progress. Nevertheless, because her rhetoric focused on small policy details that most Americans do not care about and slinging mud at Scott for his Gubernatorial failures, Rich’s vision never persuaded voters.

To conclude, I still believe Senator Nan Rich is an inspirational person and politician because she believes all Americans deserve life, liberty, and happiness, and she has worked to create equality in Florida. I know she will continue to serve others through her life, and that Rich would have made a great Florida Governor. I wrote out of love, respect, and with hopes to help future leaders like her represent Americans in office.

90 Obama, January 20, 2015. 91 Saad, Lydia. "Obama Job Approval Hits 50% for First Time Since 2013." Gallup. January 26, 2015. Accessed March 19, 2015. http://www.gallup.com/poll/181283/obama-apphttp://www.gallup.com/poll/181283/obama- approval-hits-first-time-2013.aspxroval-hits-first-time-2013.aspx.