In the fine art of political speechmaking, one catchphrase stands out among the rest. "Let me be clear" is the go-to catchphrase for politicians who wish to emphasize a point, deflect blame, or buy time. Elected officials wield this versatile phrase to make their point (or skillfully avoid making one). It's the rhetorical equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. This handy tool can pry open any argument, no matter how vague or contentious.
Former President Barack Obama was, let's be clear, a prolific user of this linguistic device. Whether defending the Affordable Care Act or addressing the Charleston shooting, Obama's "Let me be clear" signaled to his audience that what followed was of utmost importance—or, at the very least, a nudge to remind them that they better pay attention. One could even argue that his penchant for the phrase helped him clinch the 2008 election.
Not to be outdone, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also dabbled in the "Let me be clear" game. Back in 2019, when he was caught up in the SNC-Lavalin affair, Trudeau used the phrase to emphasize that he had not interfered in the matter. "I want to be absolutely clear here, the decision around SNC-Lavalin was Ms. Wilson-Raybould's and hers alone," he insisted. And thus, with a single utterance, Trudeau shifted the spotlight from himself to his former Attorney General. Bravo!
In times of crisis, politicians often turn to similar phrases to reassure their constituents. For example, former President George W. Bush's response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In an address to the nation, he stated, "Make no mistake: The United States will hunt down and punish those responsible for these cowardly acts." Bush's use of the phrase underscored the gravity of the situation and conveyed a sense of determination and resolve.
If you wish to make a statement that will stick in the minds of your audience, you need to preface it with another remark. For instance, FDR's iconic "fear itself" line was preceded by "So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that…" – a fitting introduction for that era.
Ronald Reagan employed it as a warning, stating, "Let me be clear—if Congress passes legislation that endangers our arms reductions or undermines our national defense, I will have no choice—I will veto it." Detractors from both ends of the political spectrum have pointed out that the phrase might signal disingenuousness, reminiscent of President Nixon's preferred variation, "Let me make one thing perfectly clear."
"Let me be clear" is a political catchphrase for the ages. It can emphasize a point, deflect blame, or fill space while a politician figures out what to say next. "Let me be clear" is far more than a simple catchphrase; it is a powerful rhetorical device that, when wielded with skill and precision, can inspire confidence, deflect criticism, and navigate the murky waters of political discourse. However, as with any tool, its efficacy depends on the user.
So, let me be clear: Whether you're a politician or an aspiring public speaker, remember that the power of "Let me be clear" lies not in its repetition but in its judicious application. As you observe the ever-evolving landscape of political discourse, pay close attention to the subtle art of rhetoric employed by those who seek to influence hearts and minds.
After all, understanding the language of politics might give you a clearer perspective on the motivations and machinations of those who hold the reins of power.
Clayton is the founder and publisher of the social and political commentary newsletter Think Things Through and the host of the Think Things Through Podcast.
The funniest thing about this observation is the way it places the old punch line of 'their lips are moving' into a real-world context.
Kind of the way no one really knows how that elusive 'star power' works nor how to predict whether a thing will 'go viral', I doubt if anyone across all the behavioral sciences can really explain how it is that even when we know full well, per occasion, that anything emerging out of an official's mouth is going to be the most rank and obvious untruths even before their lips start moving, somehow still there is this sense that no one, not even on public payroll, could possibly be THAT dishonest, that somehow there must be some minuscule grain of truth, however well-disguised by catch-phrases and euphemisms and illusionists' diversionary tricks, if only we can listen closely enough and somehow decode what they really must have meant even when what they have said amounts to a great big bag of hot air.
Maybe it's the old inbuilt catchall neo-biblical western impulse, that to judge another is to risk being the subject of judgment oneself, which enables your average public employee to indulge in such conspicuous and brazen dishonesty on a routine basis: they must already know that the one thing none of us is really prepared to accept about another human being is that they are basically a lying sack of shit and couldn't care less what anyone thinks of such inexcusable behavior. Somehow the dishonesty presented not only as the best policy but actually the only one to be expected becomes self-exonerating.
Maybe nobody is really prepared to accept the conditions of a world where people exist in it who can only be relied on to never, ever tell the truth. This is certainly a hard thing to live with on its own terms, so we let them get away with it only to protect our own wishful delusions about what reality itself must actually consist of.
But if you really, ahem, think things through on the topic of public employment in general, the most crucial key to bear in mind is that the very term 'public service' is itself a bald-faced lie. There is no ethos of service to anything or anyone there, other than to one's own career and the contacts and relationships which must be maintained in order to serve that and only that. In a fly-on-the-wall sense, even trying to imagine a private conversation between public-sector creatures which might include a discussion of any need for honest dealings with the public comes out resembling a scene from Seinfeld, complete with laugh track. The joke is on anyone naive enough to believe that the rest of us are regarded as anything but the enemy within those closed circles. They aren't there to serve us in any sense of the word, they are there to serve themselves, and we are nothing but obstacles and complications to this quest. Lying to us with every breath is simply the accepted business model.