It’s the end of October, but not the end of October surprises. This past weekend the Clinton campaign received a blow when the F.B.I. announced they were re-opening their investigation of Clinton’s emails after new emails were discovered on Anthony Weiner’s computer. This has caused media and news outlets to seek comments from Clinton’s surrogates, including Joe Biden, who responded with paromologia and exouthenismos rhetoric in an interview.
Paromologia
Michael Smerconish interviewed the current Vice President Joe Biden, and they discussed a wide range of issues. Unsurprisingly, the most recent October surprise came up in their conversation. Biden echoed Clinton’s call for the F.B.I. to publicly release the emails they discovered. However, he also added his own two cents. Smerconish commented that if Clinton had released her emails in the beginning, these current email revelations would not pose a problem. Biden replied, “Well that’s true, but I don’t know where these emails came from.” The Vice President employed paromologia in his response. In rhetoric, paromologia happens when one admits to a lesser point in order to make a more important point. Biden conceded the smaller argument about Clinton releasing her emails in an effort to continue the Clinton campaign narrative that no one knows details about the emails and they are inconsequential, which he attempted to do when he said he did not know where the emails came from.
Exouthenismos
Biden changed his rhetorical response when Smerconish told him the emails came from Anthony Weiner. He then used exouthenismos, which is an expression of contempt in rhetoric. Biden responded with, “Well, oh God, Anthony Weiner. I should not comment on Anthony Weiner. I’m not a big fan. I wasn’t before he got in trouble. So I shouldn’t comment on Anthony Weiner.” This was a good rhetorical move because it condemned Weiner. More importantly, it shifted the focus from Clinton to Weiner and his character instead. Though Smerconish went on the attack in the interview, Biden held his own through his rhetorical application of paromologia and exouthenismos.