Lacey Slizeski

Submitted to Professor Sarah Billington

COMM 1020
Speech 4: Persuasive Speech
04/14/16
Persuasive Speech: Audience Assessment

Specific Goal: My audience will believe that as feminists they aren't obligated to vote for
Hillary Clinton
Type of Claim: This is a claim of fact/value
Primary Ethos:
a) Competence: I have self identified as a feminist since childhood and have
researched this topic extensively through the years, studying Women in government
generally and this candidate specifically
b) Fairness: I will acknowledge the achievements of Hillary Clinton in the past
and her good intentions.
Secondary Ethos: I will cite three expert references

Ethos:

Audience Assessment: Most of my audience members will probably have an attitude toward
my proposition that is undecided or uninformed
Adaptation to Audience Attitude:
Common ground: I will give credence to the good Hillary Clinton has done, and accept that
my audience has a good understandiing of themselves and politics.
Latitude of acceptance: I believe that with new information and a new perspective on Hillary
and representation in general, my audience will be relieved of the onus they may have felt
when explaining their political positions.
Baby Steps: Instead of framing my argument as a vote for my candidate proposition, I have
instead given people who consider themselves feminists, or who are sympathetic to women's
rights an argument they can use to justify voting a different way if they so choose.
Pattern of Organization: I will be using a refutational organization style.

Persuasive Speech: Outline

Its OK to say NO to Hillary

Introduction
I.

Hook: While standing in the 2 hour line for the Democratic Caucus last month, I got into
a familiar argument with an older lady who said. As a strong young feminist woman,
you have an obligation to vote for Hillary This line of reasoning has become
commonplace, and I for one am sick of it!

II. Ethos: I have self identified as a feminist since childhood, studied female
representation in government and this years candidates specifically

III. Proposition: So I feel confident in telling you that if you are a feminist, it's OK to say NO to
Hillary Clinton.

IV. Preview: But you may ask, I'm not sure if I am a feminist. And if I DO support WOMEN
how can I not support THIS woman?
1. First, I believe that most of you in this room will identify with my definition of
feminism, and you will come to see that you don't need to vote Hillary
2. Because representation includes more than just gender
3. Because we can't smash the patriarchy by supporting the establishment
4. And Because true progressives don't vote based on emotions

Transition: Most of you probably consider yourself intelligent progressives, so why don't all of
you think of yourself as feminists?

Body
I. I believe in Liberal feminism.
A. Individualist feminists attempt to change legal systems to eliminate class and
gender privileges and to ensure that ALL individuals have equal rights.
i. This type of feminism encourages people to take full responsibility for their own
lives and their own bodies.

B. Theorist Rosemarie Tong, in her book Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive

Introduction, wrote that "female subordination is rooted in a set of...constraints
that block womens entrance to and success in the so-called public world".
i. The key issue in the feminist agenda putting women and women's issues into
the political realm.

Transition: So, the knowledgeable woman at the caucus might say, we feminists need more
women in high positions in government. And I agree, however.

II. Representation means more than just having a vagina.

A. In UC Berkley Professor Hanna Pitkin's seminal work The Concept of
Representation, she emphasizes the distinction between 'standing for' and
'acting for' someone
i. Standing for women means you look like them, acting for women means you
fight for their interests

B. It is more important to focus on what representatives DO, rather than who they ARE
i. An over emphasis on the composition of political bodies

Transition: But, the righteous caucus woman might say, Hillary both stands for women AND
fights for women's rights! And to a certain extent she would be right, except that,

III. Hillary is as much a part of the partriarchal financial establishment as any male
politician.

A. Hillary Clinton has a long history of being willing to serve the interests of large
corporations.
i. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup have all been
among her top political donors
ii. Most American women will have no access.

B. Hillary has rejected a single payer health insurance system, voted against a $15
minimum wage, and decried the idea of Free State College.

i. Hillary is against policies that give the rest of American women a chance.
ii. Accessible college education, campaign finance reform, and reduced corporate
power are the best ways to get women into politics.

Transition: But, the indignant caucus woman will cry, Hillary can't be the establishment! She
has been condemned in the media and is always the subject of sexist comments.
IV. Hillary is using sexism as a shield, true progressives shouldn't vote based on
emotions and stereotypes.
A. NY TIMES editorialist Amy Chozick says, she is playing up her gender as a
strength
i. You can't over emphasize your gender then cry sexism
B. Crying sexism is an especially insidious way Hillary appeals to the emotions of
voters.
i. However, capitalizing on the victim mind-set, is counter intuitive to feminism.
C. Liberal feminism means that all women deserve a voice in the public sphere
i. True feminism means that no one gets to tell you what is best for you, or which
candidate best represents you.

Conclusion:

Promoting the cause of only a small sliver of women is not a feminist stance. Rather, it is an
example of how a certain woman of privilege can assume her own role in the established
patriarchy. Hillary is manipulating people into supporting her based on being a female alone,
instead of voting for their best interests. But true progressives don't vote based on emotions or
genitalia. So if you are a feminist, just know it's OK to say NO to Hillary Clinton.

Works Cited:

Chozick, Amy. "Hillary Clinton Faces Test of Record as Womens Advocate." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 08 Mar. 2015. Web. 14 Apr. 2016.

Pitkin, Hanna Fenichel. The Concept of Representation. Berkeley: U of California, 1967. Print.

Tong, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: A Comprehensive Introduction. London: Routledge,

1997. Print.