Media Sales Kit

I note the resurgence of a sales tool that's been around forever. Sometimes labeled epideictic rhetoric, sometimes disconnected logic, it's a favorite of political pitchmen of all stripes. I'll use the debate about teaching methods as an example.

The first premise is that all individuals learn differently. This is almost self evident. I have no trouble with manipulating strings of numbers, but spelling words correctly , no. ( thank-you spellchecker, thank-you dictionaries) The second premise is that ( insert group here) has to be taught in such and such a way due to shared characteristics. The disconnect is the movement of the specific to the general without logical cause. Moving from handwaving to more specific examples:

Since Retired Catholic Archbishop Rembert G Weakland has been accused of a cover-up, all the ecclesial hierarchy are engaged in a cover-up.

Since Rush Limbaugh is a goombah, anyone calling themselves a conservative must be a *%$#**.

.....and so on. Moving from a single example to a disconnected general conclusion is the kind of lead-'em-by-the-nose thinking that PR. people love. Muttering about a counter example just proofing the rule ain't worth jolly-Jack. Lazy thinking is lazy thinking, and just because it's easy or common doesn't give it any added value.