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Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity is 52. The grade is held to 41, 30 above Relevance. Reasoning rests on 2 conclusions, too few to hold the grade down. 41 / 100, held down by Relevance
Signal
53 / 100
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Relevance
11 / 100
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Reasoning
60 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
83 / 100
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A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.
Procedure 12% Positioning 34% Claims 51% Promise 3%
Structure · 14 steps
Claims · 4
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 9 words I yield myself such time as I may consume. Procedure Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 12 words I will add to the remarks of the distinguished gentlewoman, this point: Procedure Positioning · 14 words It is interesting that our colleagues suddenly want to dabble in constitutional amendment politics. Positioning Claims · 26 words Nobody is crying out for this, Off point as my colleagues have argued, but you know what people want by 85 percent?1 People want the equal rights amendment. Positioning · 7 words Where is the Republican Party on that? Positioning Claims · 35 words They used to support it. Three-quarters of Americans, more than 75 percent, want to overturn Citizens United by a constitutional amendment, 2 Logical leap which transformed every corporate treasury in America into a dark money political slush fund. Promise · 7 words We want to get rid of that. Positioning · 32 words How come they are not here today on that? How about a constitutional amendment on the right to vote or abolishing the electoral college and giving us a national vote for President? Positioning Claims · 64 words We have commanding popular majorities that want all those things. Unearned certainty Yet, they come forward with a constitutional amendment no one is talking about where you need two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate, 3 Off point and three-quarters of the States.4 You can measure the sincerity of this whole proposal by virtue of the fact that there is no national movement for it in any way. Logical leap Unearned certainty Positioning · 30 words This is, again, another little bone that is chucked over toward the White House to show them that they want to freeze into place the vanishing power of Donald Trump. Positioning Off point Mr. Speaker, Procedure · 7 words I reserve the balance of my time. Procedure
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×14 Positioning ×5 Procedure ×3 Logical leap ×2 Unearned certainty ×2
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 53
8 of 26 deductions are Signal
Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I yield myself such time as I may consume.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I will add to the remarks of the distinguished gentlewoman, this point:” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “It is interesting that our colleagues suddenly want to dabble in constitutional amendment politics.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “Where is the Republican Party on that?” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “How come they are not here today on that?” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “How about a constitutional amendment on the right to vote or abolishing the electoral college and giving us a national vote for President?” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Positioning Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it. What the tags mean → “This is, again, another little bone that is chucked over toward the White House to show them that they want to freeze into place the vanishing power of Donald Trump.” Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Procedure Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business. What the tags mean → “I reserve the balance of my time.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 11
14 of 26 deductions are Relevance
Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue. Measured against the bill under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Nobody is crying out for this,” Asserts no one wants the amendment rather than addressing the proposal itself.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “but you know what people want by 85 percent?” Pivots to a poll framing unrelated amendments instead of the nine-justice bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “People want the equal rights amendment.” Raises the equal rights amendment, a different measure under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Where is the Republican Party on that?” Asks about the Republican Party’s position on the ERA, not the bill.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “They used to support it.” Comments on Republicans’ past ERA support, unrelated to this amendment.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Three-quarters of Americans, more than 75 percent, want to overturn Citizens United by a constitutional amendment,” Raises a constitutional amendment on Citizens United, a different proposal.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “which transformed every corporate treasury in America into a dark money political slush fund.” Describes the Citizens United case, not the nine-justice amendment.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “We want to get rid of that.” States a desire to overturn Citizens United, off the bill under debate.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “How come they are not here today on that?” Asks why Republicans are not advancing the Citizens United amendment instead.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “How about a constitutional amendment on the right to vote or abolishing the electoral college and giving us a national vote for President?” Raises other constitutional amendment ideas on voting rights and the electoral college.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “We have commanding popular majorities that want all those things.” Cites popular majorities for those other amendments, not this one.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “Yet, they come forward with a constitutional amendment no one is talking about where you need two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate,” Attacks the amendment as unpopular rather than engaging its substance.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “You can measure the sincerity of this whole proposal by virtue of the fact that there is no national movement for it in any way.” Questions the proposal’s sincerity rather than addressing its content.
Off point Talking about something other than the matter at hand: the question asked, or the bill, motion or speech under debate. What the tags mean → “This is, again, another little bone that is chucked over toward the White House to show them that they want to freeze into place the vanishing power of Donald Trump.” Accuses colleagues of doing a favor for the White House, a political point in place of addressing the bill.
Reasoning · 60
2 of 26 deductions are Reasoning
Reasoning checks for sound logic and solid support for any conclusion. A low score means the speaker made unsupported leaps or used weak arguments.
Logical leap A conclusion that does not follow from the reasons given for it. What the tags mean → “Three-quarters of Americans, more than 75 percent, want to overturn Citizens United by a constitutional amendment,” Popular support for overturning a ruling is treated as a reason it should be overturned, but popularity does not establish that outcome.
Logical leap A conclusion that does not follow from the reasons given for it. What the tags mean → “You can measure the sincerity of this whole proposal by virtue of the fact that there is no national movement for it in any way.” The absence of a visible national movement is taken to prove the sponsors’ insincerity, a leap from silence about motives.
Conclusions found · 2
Conclusion “We want to get rid of that.”
Because “Three-quarters of Americans, more than 75 percent, want to overturn Citizens United by a constitutional amendment,”
“We have commanding popular majorities that want all those things.”
Reason flawed Popular support for overturning a ruling is treated as a reason it should be overturned, but popularity does not establish that outcome.
Conclusion “You can measure the sincerity of this whole proposal by virtue of the fact that there is no national movement for it in any way.”
Because “Yet, they come forward with a constitutional amendment no one is talking about where you need two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate,”
“and three-quarters of the States.”
Reason flawed The absence of a visible national movement is taken to prove the sponsors’ insincerity, a leap from silence about motives.
Respect · no score
Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.
Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.
Clarity · 83
2 of 26 deductions are Clarity
Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.
Unearned certainty Something stated as certain with nothing to back it. What the tags mean → “We have commanding popular majorities” Claims majority public support with no source or figure, unlike the percentages offered elsewhere in the speech.
Unearned certainty Something stated as certain with nothing to back it. What the tags mean → “You can measure the sincerity of this whole proposal” Asserts a test of opponents’ sincerity as settled fact rather than offering evidence a reader could check.
Claims · 4
This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.
1 “people want by 85 percent” search 2 “more than 75 percent” search 3 “two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate” search 4 “three-quarters of the States” search
