Examples Of Fallacies In Kane's Speech

Michelle Cluck
Com 220
Week 1 Assignment
April 19, 2010

* * * In the speech with Charles Foster Kane campaigning for Governor, there were many examples of bias, fallacies, and rhetorical devices. An example of political bias in his speech was when Kane said that “every straw vote, every independent poll shows that I’ll be elected”. This shows political bias because it is an opinion of Charles Foster Kane and there is not any supporting evidence to prove that what Kane says is the truth. Examples of fallacies present in this speech would be in the beginning of his speech where Kane states “with one purpose only: to point out and make public the dishonesty, the downright villainy, of Boss Jim W. Gettys’ political machine”. This is
an example of an Ad Hominem fallacy because Charles Foster Kane is attacking Jim W.
Getty rather than attacking an actual argument. Another fallacy present in Kane’s speech was “well, I’d make my promises now if I weren’t too busy arranging to keep them. This is an example of begging the question because a claim is being made with the assumption of a conclusion. The conclusion being that he will win the race for governor. Rhetorical devices were also present in this speech with the paragraph when Kane states “The working man—the working man and the slum child know they can expect my best efforts in their interests. The decent, ordinary citizens know that I’ll do everything in my power to protect the underprivileged, the underpaid, and the underfed!” This is an example of a metaphor because Charles Foster Kane is comparing the slum child and working man with the decent ordinary citizens and did not use the words like or as. The speaker addressed arguments by making claims with what the first thing he would do as governor. The claims the speaker makes were a premise but not an effective argument. In this speech there was no evidence to support his claims to make it an argument, therefore not having any counter arguments. Due to the lack of arguments found in this speech I thought it was ineffective because if you were a non biased person listening to the speech I feel you would not be
able to see the clear reasons to vote Charles Foster Kane as Governor. The reasons citizens might vote for him as governor would be because they know Kane personally or have some sort of bias toward him. A way to make this speech more effective might have been to explain who Jim W. Getty is and his affiliations. By explaining what Jim W. Getty’s views are and what his own are, are ways to support and argument and be persuasive to have the citizens vote. Providing sound arguments in speeches is a way to become a better public speaker and to get your view heard and make your opinion the one that counts. When you make a speech you want to fulfill your goal in most cases, which in this case would be for Charles Foster Kane to become governor. * * * * * *