Venezuelan defense minister helps me discover the key to the Iraq war

[yesdachi]

That’s it everyone, I have figured it out.
In a recent meeting with Venezuelan defense minister Gen. Raul Isaias Baduel, about the military buildup in Venezuela (weapons, helicopters, jets, etc.) Rumsfeld apparently asked about the buildup and Baduel said…

"I have spoken to Mr. Rumsfeld to convince him that he should try smoking Venezuela's good tobacco," Baduel told the Associated Press. "He said he doesn't smoke, that his wife wouldn't let him."

So, aside from the complete sidestep of the issue Baduel has unknowingly discovered the key to motivate Rummy, his wife. All we need to do is convince his wife to tell him not to loose in Iraq and he, in turn will have to win because his wife wouldn’t let him loose.

Feel free to comment on Rummy’s wife wearing the pants or the military buildup in Venezuela. Do they need to buildup?

link to AP story.

[Lemur]

My favorite verbal tic with Rummy is his pattern of asking himself rhetorical questions, and then answering them. He can go on like that for a long time, without anyone else getting a word in edgewise. So I think it would sound something like this:

"Does my wife have a preference of tobacco? Of course she does. Have we discussed it in a rational manner? Yes we have. Did I get this black eye from falling down the stairs? Yes I did, and it was an interesting journey. Do I want any more questions about my home life? No I do not. Does she love me no matter how often she hits me? Yes she does."

[Martok]

My favorite verbal tic with Rummy is his pattern of asking himself rhetorical questions, and then answering them. He can go on like that for a long time, without anyone else getting a word in edgewise. So I think it would sound something like this:

"Does my wife have a preference of tobacco? Of course she does. Have we discussed it in a rational manner? Yes we have. Did I get this black eye from falling down the stairs? Yes I did, and it was an interesting journey. Do I want any more questions about my home life? No I do not. Does she love me no matter how often she hits me? Yes she does."

Dang it Lemur, that's the second time you've made me laugh out loud this evening.

What's funny (and kind of disturbing) is that he really does talk like that.

[Duke Malcolm]

My favorite verbal tic with Rummy is his pattern of asking himself rhetorical questions, and then answering them.

If he goes on to answer them it isn't a rhetorical question...

[Lemur]

Duke, you're quite right, a rhetorical question is largely its own answer. The lemur is guilty of malapropism.

I'm stuck. Google and Wikipedia are not helping me. There must be a term for the rhetorical device that Rummy uses, but I can't find it. Very irritating. Given the history of rhetoric and oratory in western civilization, there must be a category for "asking yourself repeated questions for which you also provide the answer." Grrr.

[drone]

Thinking out loud?

[yesdachi]

I call them the ramblings of a madman!
But I’m sure there is a term.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Dianoea.

Ronald Dumsfeld probably uses this poor rhetorical figure because he's nowhere near clever enough to keep his audience interested by employing interesting question-and-answer techniques like anthypophora or anacoenosis.

[Duke Malcolm]

One might argue that dianoea and anthypophora are more or less the same and that he did thus employ anthypophora...

[Lemur]

I may never use that term again, but I feel a rush of relief to know that anthypophora is more or less the correct term for Rummy's let-me-answer-my-own-question rhetoric.

[Vladimir]

I love the example.

[Avicenna]

Verbal diarrhea