Who is the best speaker in the federal election campaign?
FDP boss Lindner decides the evaluation for himself, CSU boss Söder convinces as well as Annalena Baerbock.
Berlin - The summer of 2021 was marked by a number of election campaign events.
Not only the three chancellor candidates Armin Laschet (Union), Olaf Scholz (SPD) and Annalena Baerbock (Greens) toured Germany.
The other parties also competed in the country for the electorate.
They tried to convince people with their campaign speeches.
Rhetorical dexterity is the key here.
The Association of Speechwriters in the German Language (VRdS) has now chosen what it considers to be the best speakers in the Bundestag election campaign.
Bundestag election: Christian Lindner again elected best speaker
Title defended: FDP leader Christian Lindner has once again been voted best speaker by the VRdS. In his speeches, he uses the entire range of rhetorical stylistic devices "and is entertaining without leaving out content," the professional association stated in an analysis that was disseminated on Wednesday. Lindner was already in first place in 2017.
“With humorous punchlines, short anecdotes and a graphic and easily understandable language, he convinces at all the events observed.
He skillfully works out differences to political competitors without defaming.
It remains factual and fair, ”said VRdS President Jacqueline Schäfer, explaining Lindner's assessment - who usually speaks freely and without text.
The categories of structure, argumentation, language, rhetoric, appearance, staging and audience orientation are decisive for the evaluation.
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Christian Lindner on September 22nd at an election campaign event in Stuttgart.
The FDP boss convinces with his rhetoric.
© Arnulf Hettrich / Imago
Bundestag election: Baerbock before Scholz before Laschet - the candidates for chancellor in the speech ranking
The chancellor candidates are meanwhile in the ranking behind Lindner. According to the association, Laschet is actually a good speaker "even if his language and his rhetorical stylistic devices often seem too simple and monotonous". The Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, however, is giving away points with crooked language images, say the speechwriters. Scholz lacks fire, but he found an authentic role in this election campaign. He succeeds in a typical and somewhat slowed-down, but credible-looking commitment that exudes conviction and content-related competence.
Baerbock's speeches are "understandable, impressive, entertaining".
The Green co-party leader Robert Habeck also delivered a convincing rhetorical performance.
"The speeches of the Green Party chairmen consist of thematic" funnels "that are usually opened with an experience or story (storytelling) and conclude with a core message that always ends with an appeal." In the ranking, Baerbock does just a little better than Habeck.
Bundestag election: The ranking of the best speakers in the election campaign
1. Christian Lindner (FDP) |
2. Annalena Baerbock (Greens) |
3. Markus Söder (CSU) |
4. Robert Habeck (Greens) |
5. Olaf Scholz (SPD) |
6. Janine Wissler (left) |
7. Armin Laschet (CDU) |
8. Tino Chrupalla (AfD) |
9. Dietmar Bartsch (left) |
10. Alice Weidel (AfD) |
11. Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) |
Bundestag election: Söder convinces in speeches - "attack, humor including self-irony and thoughtfulness"
The speechwriters also analyzed the speeches by CSU boss Markus Söder, who, like Habeck, was treated as a candidate for chancellor but had to bow to the candidate of the sister party: "In a direct comparison in the 'Duel of Hearts', Markus Söder was able to narrowly beat his competitor Robert Habeck" , write the speechwriters in view of the better poll ratings of the two politicians compared to Laschet and Baerbock.
Interesting: If Söder had been a candidate for chancellor, he would have achieved third place - ahead of Scholz and Laschet.
This is due to Söder's convincing election campaign speeches, say the speakers: “Markus Söder is in top form and gives a speech that is almost always rousing and has all the basic elements of classic rhetoric: He serves logos, ethos and pathos, not least with the art of lecturing of the speaker. ”Söder convinced both textually and physically with“ attack, humor including self-irony and thoughtfulness ”.
With a formulation intended as a joke, Söder recently caused a bit of excitement.
The public prosecutor in Schweinfurt received three reports.
Bundestag election: CSU top candidate Dobrindt "is missing the beer tent" - and is not convincing
Söders party colleague Alexander Dobrindt does less well.
The top candidate of the Christian Socials mainly relied on the narrative of the threatened slide to the left according to the CSU, but according to the speaker - also because of the restrictions caused by the pandemic - could not always convey this message convincingly.
Because: "Without a beer tent Dobrindt lacks the Bavarian nest warmth," writes the association.
In addition, Dobrindt is not always sure of the content.
“Alexander Dobrindt moves several times to or a little beyond the limit of misinformation.
He often argues irrelevantly and likes to assume that the opponent has weaknesses in character, ”criticizes VRdS analyst Christoph Meinersmann.
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Alexander Dobrindt, CSU regional group leader in the CDU / CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.
The former Federal Minister of Transport is the CSU's top candidate.
© Michael Kappeler / dpa
Bundestag election: AfD and left have room for improvement
The AfD is also at the bottom of the ranking, which is also due to the more aggressive rhetoric compared to other parties.
However, the two top candidates differ significantly in terms of their choice of words.
While Alice Weidel attracts attention with vulgar language and insults, Tino Chrupalla convinces with good rhetoric.
“His choice of words is simple, the multiple use of terms such as home, homeland, people and fatherland is striking.
He also emphasizes terms such as hard work, honesty, punctuality and cleanliness as German virtues, ”write the speakers.
There was criticism for the lack of demarcation of the right-wing extremist wing of the party.
"This would have made the emphatically bourgeois rhetoric more credible."
On the left, strong and less fortunate appearances would be balanced. Janine Wissler lacks constancy in her speeches. The association criticizes rhetorically: "She rarely used metaphors and thus wasted the opportunity to give her political messages more expression." Positive: Wissler speaks largely freely and "with a pleasant, warm and powerful voice". She also shows authentic, lively body language. Dietmar Bartsch fails to a large extent with the speech analysts: "In his speeches he works on one topic after the other, without any signals about the structure and structure." He also insults the political opponent. The extent to which the speeches of the top candidates influence the voters will be shown on Sunday. Until then, we'll keep you posted with our
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(as with material from the dpa)
