Candidates' catch phrases are what voters remember

Rhetoric is as much a part of politics as basketball is a part of Indiana. The two are inextricable -- not always pretty -- but so ingrained in culture that they're here to stay.\nAnd, while it's easy enough to analyze basketball players' statistics in determining their promise for the rest of the season, analyzing the performance and potential of candidates based on their speeches and debates is often a different story. What does all their jargon mean? How well can voters determine a candidate's character and ability by listening to him or her speak?\nDr. Mary Stuckey, an associate professor of communication and political science at Georgia State University, who has studied political rhetoric, said it serves as a useful shorthand. Key words and phrases, Stuckey said, can help summarize a candidate's position or convey the emotional meaning behind a message.\n"Any professor will tell you that learning is aided by repetition," she said. "Candidates do much the same thing, using repetition to enhance the learning about themselves, their opponents and their positions that they are hoping to instill in voters."\nStuckey mentioned President Bill Clinton's, "It's the economy, stupid," message as an effective example of driving home the point of a campaign. Clinton's promise of maintaining the country's growing economy resonated well with voters, Stuckey said.\nShe added the success of campaign rhetoric relates to the overall success of a campaign's communication efforts. A focused campaign with clearly stated positions on various issues is more likely to produce influential key phrases, said Stuckey.\nFollowing, then, is a brief dictionary of some of Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush's often-heard rhetoric:\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC: lock-box\nWHAT DOES IT MEAN? The "lock-box" refers to Gore's plan to help stabilize Medicare. Medicare is a federal program that helps pay health care costs for seniors who could not otherwise afford prevention and treatment services. Gore says he wants to put Medicare funds in a lock-box, meaning\nthey would be off-budget and thus not available for use on other spending projects or as part of a tax cut, according to his Web site. The set-aside Medicare surpluses would only be used to pay down debt and extend the life of the program until at least 2030, he said. Gore's plan also includes a prescription drug benefit for all seniors, as does Gov. Bush's. Bush has argued Gore's plan is burdened down by bureaucracy and doesn't offer individual seniors enough of a choice in their health care plan, he said in his Web site.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush\nRHETORIC: compassionate conservatism\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Compassionate conservatism refers to the kind of leadership Bush says he will provide as president, he said in his Web site. Many Democrats over the years have portrayed Republicans as willing to sacrifice the interests of families and individuals in favor of developing big business. The doctrine of compassionate conservatism rejects this claim and asserts the Republican leadership will protect individuals' and families' best interests by providing them with the power to make their own decisions, especially regarding allocation of their resources. Also, by reducing the size of the federal government, Bush said, vital issues such as education will be left to state and local control. These measures are examples of Bush's plan for compassionate conservatism. The Gore campaign has argued Bush's claim of compassionate conservatism is misleading because Bush would not take meaningful action in promoting the welfare of the lower classes, among other issues.\nCANDIDATE: Al Gore\nRHETORIC: smart growth\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Smart growth refers to Al Gore's statements that he is committed to promoting America's economic health and development, but not without regard to their social and environmental consequences. The vice president's Gore-Lieberman 2000 Web site targets urban sprawl as a\ngrowing problem that has led to poor air quality, unreasonable traffic congestion and overcrowded, unlivable communities. To combat this problem, Gore said he will support additional federal grants to help build mass transit systems and to develop cleaner-running, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Gore has said he will also promote high domestic and international environmental standards to ensure the protection of natural resources and to reduce harmful man-made pollution. Bush has criticized the "smart growth" initiative as restrictive on communities and businesses across America in devising their own solutions to problems. Again, the Bush campaign has said, Gore wants to expand the federal government's control at the expense of individuals and businesses.\nCANDIDATE: George W. Bush \nRHETORIC: "I'm a uniter, not a divider"\nWHAT'S IT MEAN? Bush has made this statement often in his campaign to emphasize that he will work for the interests of all Americans, regardless of economic status, race, religion, occupation or gender. According to his Web site, Bush will support across the board tax cuts and return roughly 25 percent of the country's surplus to taxpayers. Additionally, Bush says, he will cut down on bureaucracy to empower families and their communities to make the decisions that will better themselves. A key message the Bush campaign has tried to make is that a Bush administration would welcome those of varying opinions on issues to work together on creating a stronger America. Gore's campaign has asserted that Bush is just the opposite of what he claims; that he is in fact a divider. A Bush administration, Gore said, would favor the richest and most powerful individuals and corporations in America and would not go far enough to help lower-class workers. \nDespite the art of rhetoric, experts say Americans will learn how effective both candidates' rhetoric has been in winning or losing votes.