Now I am a bit confused myself, what is actually rhetoric??? Like some say when Obama's speaks it is rhetoric. They mean it in a negative way but the definition says that he is actually communicating well...


The word and concept of rhetoric is ancient dating from Greek times and was popularized by the Romans.


Now rhetoric is seen as a negative word these days. People now think it was when a politician is just speaking nonsense. It actually means speaking or writing effectively as a means of communication or persuasion.

So, my question what is rhetoric and why do we see it as a negative thing these days especially in the world of politics?

When used in a negative sense, it means that the speaker uses speech style to conceal the lack of content. To put it in other words, it is style over substance.

Pretty much spot on^. Easy as that. It's def. not always pejorative. Berkeley's got a major in Rhetoric, for example - and with Judith Butler in charge, you can bet its not an issue of style over substance. That's require style....

Krem is right about the modern interpretation of the word.

The irony is that these criticisms of Obama are themselves devoid of substance.