If you give a little more than you take And if you try to fix more than you break If you’re the kind who takes the time To help a stranger in the rain There’s a place for people like you
If you stand up for those down on their knees And lend a voice to those who cannot speak If you shine a little light and give sight To the ones who’ve lost their way There’s a place for people like you
I’ve heard up there the streets are made of gold And when you get there, there’s a hand to hold I believe when your days down here are through There’s a place up there for people like you
If you walk around with your heart on your sleeve And if you try to be the change you want to see If you laid down your life for love So someone could be saved There’s a place for people like you
— Gramps ,” People Like You” song
Today’s article is a sequel to last week’s one where we wrote about winning tips for aspirants. Today’s article focuses on the art of public persuasion in politics.
Aristotle lived in this world in the years between 384–322 Before Christ. He was a Greek philosopher during the Classical period in Ancient Greece.
He was taught by Plato. His writings cover a very wide variety of subjects, including metaphysics, logic, ethics, aesthetics, rhetoric, economics, politics, meteorology, geology, and government.
He has exerted a huge influence on almost every form of modern knowledge and continues to be a subject of contemporary philosophical discussion.
His writings about political persuasion remain relevant to Kenyan contemporary political practice.
Three forms
Aristotle identified that the art of persuasion consisted of three forms.
They are logos, which means appealing to logic. There is pathos — appealing to emotions. Finally, he identified ethos, which means appealing to ethics, morals and character.
For logos, an aspirant uses facts and statistics. For example, during the recently concluded presidential campaigns, then-Deputy President William Ruto used this style very effectively.
In his speeches, he often cited data and statistics. “We have five million Kenyans who are not working,” he said during the presidential debate.
“We have 15 million Kenyans today who have been blacklisted in the Credit Reference Bureau,” he often quipped.
Pathos involves delivering the argument in a way that appeals to the audience’s emotions.
Dr Ruto would often state “hawa watu wote wamenichorea” (all these powerful people have ganged up against me).
Ostensibly that portrayed him as the underdog against some unfair and powerful forces. The public will always emotionally connect with the weak, hence that would draw the people more towards Dr Ruto.
Logos pushes cold facts. But facts alone cannot persuade many. Pathos provides the emotional vehicle that packages the logos to the public.
Ethos has to do with the moral standing of the aspirant. Their identity will have a great impact on how the audience takes the message.
This point is very important. It means an aspirant must do a self-evaluation before seeking an electoral post.
What good have you done to the public that boosts your believability? What personal credentials do you hold that show you are an expert in the said field?
An aspirant must strive to enhance his own image so that he can improve believability.
That explains why the public has a tendency to elect high achievers in various fields.
For example, all factors remaining constant, better-educated persons have a higher chance of getting elected in Kenya.
Caution is needed here – it is not wise to trumpet your own achievements. That comes across as boasting. It is better when your achievements are either so obvious to the public, or they are being said by a third party. One can also use subtle oratory styles to drive the point home.
Leverage support
Dr Ruto used comic relief to remind his audiences of his help towards Raila Odinga in 2007 and Uhuru Kenyatta in the 2013 and 2017 elections.
By doing that, he boosted his credibility as a speaker.
Kenyatta helped Mt Kenya communities in the 2007 post-election violence and got the needed moral leverage for a presidential run in 2013.
If Kalonzo Musyoka intends to inherit Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s vote basket, he needs to leverage the support that he rendered to Mr Odinga in 2013, 2017 and 2022.
Similarly, if Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has designs for the presidency in 2032, he needs to remain loyal to President Ruto in 2027 and use this as moral leverage for his presidential bid.
The point is, one must do good that is manifest to the public to gain moral credibility among the people before seeking their votes.
Therefore, if you wish to win an electoral contest, do good and the good will follow you. Fight for a good cause with lots of passion and boost your personal credibility. As the above cited song says , If you stand up for those down on their knees, and lend a voice to those who cannot speak, there’s a (political ) place for people like you.
Dr Kang’ata is the governor of Murang’a County BY DAILY NATION
