Can anybody tell me what it is with this speaking style that you hear from Military Guys, and Rumsfeld? I've even heard Cheney and Bush do it frequently.
I know that you know what I'm talking about. It's that annoying little way that when they're speaking in public, they pose their own little rhetorical questions, pause, and then rapidly answer themselves with a witty quip or dramatic upturn or reversal. What is that?! Is there a name for it?! Is it a technique that you learn in public speaking?
Example: Helmly said, "I stand by the memorandum. Is there frustration? Absolutely. Is the frustration beyond control? No."
It's always done in a kind of rapid fire way that attempts to keep you off balance, and suggests that the speaker is fully attuned to you and is anticipating your questions! Before you have a chance to process the answer that they've given to "your" question, they've jumped right ahead and posed another one for you!
(Feel free to don your tinfoil hats here) I think that this is some kind of a mind control technique! Follow me here, with the example quote. Two questions...rapidfire...with interspersed answers: "Is there frustration? Absolutely. Is the frustration beyond control? No." In an effort to keep up, your brain throws out, or fails to process completely, the answer to the first question, and the similar sounding second question. You're left with the residual synthesis of "Is there frustration? Humina, humina, humina... No." Totally opposite impression of the actual truth! (Apollogies to Jackie Gleason for the Humina bit)
Is anyone else annoyed with this but me? Absolutely! Does anybody really give a crap but me? Gotcha!
Another example:
Rumsfeld: "Am I a total moron for sending our troops into the fray without armor? Absolutely! Would I ever consider risking an American life like this again? No way Jose!
SEEEEE!
Surely this technique has a name, and a way to combat it. Any thoughts? Bring it on!
