John Murphy, rhetorical critic, author of John F. Kennedy and the Liberal Persuasion (MSU, 2019). Professor, Un of Illinois Views mine he/him/his
Joined September 2012
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59 Photos and videos
Apr 18
This is where all of the bullpen injuries make me nervous. How do they get 9 outs? Hope they keep scoring. #cubs
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Mar 3
Some thoughts on Trump's rhetorical failure to justify this war and the continuing relevance of presidential rhetoric
oratoricalanimal.substack.co…
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Jan 26
I wrote about Mark Carney's excellent speech last week. It's a great example of a speaker trying to create a new language for a new world and I talk about how he does so. oratoricalanimal.substack.co…
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28 Nov 2025
Every year, we’re told this team can really shoot the 3. Every year, they can’t. #illini
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2 Nov 2025
My best birthday present ever happened on a Wednesday in Cleveland. m.youtube.com/watch?v=HOp8w2…
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24 Sep 2025
More rhetoric! I'm looking at Trump's UN speech and his rhetoric toward India in particular
substack.com/profile/1267020…
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27 Aug 2025
Appeasement feels like it's in the air tonight, as it were, so I thought a brief rhetorical history of appeasement, bullies, Hitler, Trump and more might be useful.
substack.com/inbox/post/1720…
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19 Aug 2025
Owen Caissie. Maybe the Cubs should play him a bit more. Maybe he’s even one of their “top” outfielders.
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12 Aug 2025
In which I write about Trump, Nixon, and his little dog Checkers or How did we get to resentment politics? substack.com/inbox/post/1704…
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29 Jul 2025
Fascism is one good way to explain Trump but he’s also embraced the Republican, authoritarian agenda that stretches back to Jim Crow.
open.substack.com/pub/orator…
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John Murphy retweeted
15 Jul 2025
If you understand this, we are friends.
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John Murphy retweeted
13 Jul 2025
8:00am: “time for a huge writing day; absolutely no distractions”
8:03am:
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11 Jul 2025
I wish someone would do this to Boog. #Cubs
11 Jul 2025
Andre Agassi with a brilliant put down of Andrew Castle
Agassi trying to discuss Fritz's tactics for 3rd set..interrupted by Castle blathering on about Nick Clegg being in the crowd
Agassi..."nobody cares. .they want to hear about tennis" 😃🎾
#Wimbledon
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3 Jun 2025
Some thoughts on the early public speeches of daaaa new pope. Spoiler alert: I’m encouraged. open.substack.com/pub/orator…
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20 May 2025
This week, I detail the argument fallacies in the Tapper and Thompson book attacking Joe Biden. Spoiler alert: Hasty generalization is bad.
open.substack.com/pub/orator…
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John Murphy retweeted
3 Apr 2025
I will pay a journalist $100 if they manage to get an answer from Trump on whether there's a danger in his levying further tariffs on Wakanda if they don't begin fairly trading vibranium with the US.
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