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Statement grade
The average of Signal, Relevance, Reasoning and Clarity is 67. The grade is held to 30, 30 above Relevance. Reasoning rests on 2 conclusions, too few to hold the grade down. 30 / 100, held down by Relevance
Signal
82 / 100
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Relevance
0 / 100
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Reasoning
93 / 100
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Respect
–
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Clarity
94 / 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.
Claims 64% Reasoning 13% Procedure 5% Anecdote 11% The ask 6%
Structure · 13 steps
Claims · 4
This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. President, Claims · 22 words certainly I agree on many of the points my colleague made, and certainly I am in favor of expanding association healthcare plans. Reasoning · 16 words The goal of that is more competition, and that is all we are trying to create. Claims · 27 words My colleague says this won’t work, but transparency works in every other industry. I think it is well documented that our bill would save $1,000 per month.1 Unearned certainty Procedure · 8 words Here is the big fallacy in his argument. Procedure Claims · 37 words He is right that the insurance companies have negotiated these rates. So within one community, this insurance company has negotiated one rate with a surgery center, one rate with the hospital, one rate with an imaging center. Reasoning · 21 words So all I say is the patient deserves to see what that negotiated rate is, and then they can compare it. Claims · 24 words So it is like we agree, but he disagrees with the final step here: We want patients to know what that negotiated price is. Procedure · 3 words A real example: Procedure Claims · 75 words Getting a hip replaced at a surgical hospital might cost $15,000 or $20,000, 2 but at the hospital down the street, it might be $150,000.3 The same way with an x ray. Going to the hospital, you know, the x ray--the MRI might be $3,000 there but $300 down at the imaging center.4 So I agree that those prices have been negotiated, but I want to make sure it is in the hands of the consumers. Anecdote · 32 words Could you imagine driving down the street and gas stations--you didn’t know how much the gas was going to be? Of course you wouldn’t be able to make a good consumer choice. Anecdote The ask · 18 words So that is all we are asking, is full transparency in healthcare just like in every other industry. Off point Procedure · 4 words I yield the floor. Procedure
At a glance
Lost points for Off point ×25 Procedure ×3 Anecdote ×2 Unearned certainty Off topic None of this speech addressed the bill under debate and what it would change.
Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.
What the tags mean →
Signal · 82
5 of 31 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 → “Here is the big fallacy in his argument.” 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 → “A real example:” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “Could you imagine driving down the street and gas stations--you didn’t know how much the gas was going to be?” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not claim, reason or ask.
Anecdote A story that illustrates instead of making a point. What the tags mean → “Of course you wouldn’t be able to make a good consumer choice.” An anecdote: it illustrates, it does not 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 yield the floor.” Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.
Relevance · 0
25 of 31 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 → “certainly I agree on many of the points my colleague made,” Agreement with a colleague’s earlier points, not tied to the college sports 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 → “and certainly I am in favor of expanding association healthcare plans.” About expanding association health plans, a healthcare subject the college sports bill does not touch.
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 → “The goal of that is more competition,” About competition through healthcare plans, not 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 → “and that is all we are trying to create.” States a goal of creating competition in healthcare, not the college sports bill’s purposes.
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 → “My colleague says this won’t work,” Recounts a colleague’s objection about the healthcare proposal, not 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 → “but transparency works in every other industry.” About transparency’s record in other industries, not the college sports 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 → “I think it is well documented that our bill would save $1,000 per month.” A savings figure for the healthcare proposal, not for 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 → “Here is the big fallacy in his argument.” Introduces a dispute about the colleague’s healthcare argument, not the college sports 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 → “He is right that the insurance companies have negotiated these rates.” About insurance companies’ negotiated rates, a subject the college sports bill does not touch.
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 → “So within one community, this insurance company has negotiated one rate with a surgery center, one rate with the hospital, one rate with an imaging center.” Describes negotiated rates among healthcare providers, not 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 → “So all I say is the patient deserves to see what that negotiated rate is,” About patients seeing negotiated healthcare rates, not the college sports 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 → “and then they can compare it.” About patients comparing healthcare prices, not 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 → “So it is like we agree,” About agreement with the colleague on the healthcare dispute, not 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 → “but he disagrees with the final step here:” About the colleague’s disagreement on the healthcare proposal, not the college sports 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 → “We want patients to know what that negotiated price is.” About patients knowing healthcare prices, a subject the college sports bill does not touch.
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 → “A real example:” Introduces a healthcare pricing example, not 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 → “Getting a hip replaced at a surgical hospital might cost $15,000 or $20,000,” A hip replacement cost example, not related to the college sports 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 → “but at the hospital down the street, it might be $150,000.” A hospital cost comparison in healthcare, not 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 → “The same way with an x ray.” Turns to x-ray pricing, a healthcare subject the college sports bill does not touch.
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 → “Going to the hospital, you know, the x ray--the MRI might be $3,000 there but $300 down at the imaging center.” An MRI price comparison, not related to 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 → “So I agree that those prices have been negotiated,” About agreement that healthcare prices are negotiated, not the college sports 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 → “but I want to make sure it is in the hands of the consumers.” About putting healthcare pricing in consumers’ hands, not 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 → “Could you imagine driving down the street and gas stations--you didn’t know how much the gas was going to be?” A gasoline-price analogy for healthcare transparency, not the college sports 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 → “Of course you wouldn’t be able to make a good consumer choice.” Continues the consumer-choice analogy for healthcare, not 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 → “So that is all we are asking, is full transparency in healthcare just like in every other industry.” A closing statement on healthcare price transparency, not what the college sports bill addresses.
Reasoning · 93
0 of 31 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.
Nothing lost points.
Conclusions found · 2
Conclusion “So all I say is the patient deserves to see what that negotiated rate is,”
Because “He is right that the insurance companies have negotiated these rates.”
“So within one community, this insurance company has negotiated one rate with a surgery center, one rate with the hospital, one rate with an imaging center.”
“and then they can compare it.”
Conclusion “So that is all we are asking, is full transparency in healthcare just like in every other industry.”
Because “but transparency works in every other industry.”
“Getting a hip replaced at a surgical hospital might cost $15,000 or $20,000,”
“but at the hospital down the street, it might be $150,000.”
“Going to the hospital, you know, the x ray--the MRI might be $3,000 there but $300 down at the imaging center.”
“Could you imagine driving down the street and gas stations--you didn’t know how much the gas was going to be?”
“Of course you wouldn’t be able to make a good consumer choice.”
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 · 94
1 of 31 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 → “it is well documented” The claim of $1,000 per month savings is backed by an assertion that documentation exists, with no document, study, or source named.
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 “our bill would save $1,000 per month” The bill under debate (the healthcare transparency bill the speaker supports) would save consumers $1,000 per month. search 2 “Getting a hip replaced at a surgical hospital might cost $15,000 or $20,000” A hip replacement at a surgical hospital might cost $15,000 or $20,000. search 3 “at the hospital down the street, it might be $150,000” The same hip replacement might cost $150,000 at a nearby full hospital. search 4 “the MRI might be $3,000 there but $300 down at the imaging center” An MRI might cost $3,000 at a hospital but $300 at a standalone imaging center. search
