Bias Rhetorical Devices

Bias, Rhetorical Devices, and Argumentation In this speech by Charles Foster Kane, there are several examples of being bias. To start with the whole speech is bias because it is only coming from one person’s point of view. Charles Kane does not offer to bring in his opponent to defend himself. He is constantly attacking Jim Getty as being the bad guy, while never offering any solutions to fix the problems. Another example of bias comes from the campaigner at the beginning of the audio clip. The campaigner is bias by say, “There is only one man who can rid the politics of this State of the evil domination of Boss Jim Gettys. I am speaking of Charles Foster Kane, the fighting liberal, the friend of the working man…” This would be considered political bias because the campaigner is saying that there is only one possible person, Kane, to fix the State.
Some examples of a fallacy are apparent in the speech also. One example is when Kane states he is in this campaign “with one purpose only: to point out and make public the dishonesty, the downright villainy of Boss Jim W. Gettys’ political machine.” This could be considered scapegoating as he is saying that Jim Gettys is the problem. Another example of a fallacy in this speech is where Kane implies that no one will take care of
the “working man, and slum child” if he isn’t elected. This would be a slippery slope fallacy.
There are a few examples of rhetorical devices in the speech.
The first example of a rhetorical device is when Kane says, “The decent, ordinary citizens know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect the underprivileged, the underpaid, and the underfed.” To me this is an example of rhetorical alliteration. He seems to be saying that he is the only one that will look out for the little guy when no one else will. Another part in the speech where Kane says, “Well, I’d make my promises now if I weren’t too busy arranging to keep them.” This could be considered rhetorical hyperbole because he is exaggerating that he too busy to state any promise that he will keep whenever he is
elected. The speaker in this speech only addresses the argument as being Boss Jim W. Gettys. In the speech he does not offer any other problems or any solution other than to elect, and trust him. To me there were no counter arguments because this all came from one person’s point of view. In my opinion, the speeches argument was bias but effective. I say that it was effective because it got the voters to want him in office by suggesting that the current governor, Boss Jim W. Gettys, is evil and controlling the whole State government. Charles Kane uses a well-designed speech to cast himself as the only possible hope for the “ordinary citizens.” He is successful in getting the voters and listeners attention to cast himself as the solution to any and all problems that stem from Mr. Gettys being in office.