---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Convention speeches are powerful tools to…"
description: "\"Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's sp..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png"
---

#  Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve…

![“Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's speech was also quite powerful.” quote by Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png)

> “Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's speech was also quite powerful.”

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Political speeches can shape public opinion dramatically, influencing attitudes and policy support.

**In simple terms:** Speeches can shift public views.

Key Takeaway

Use speeches to guide opinion responsibly.

Themes

politics communication influence

Mood

inspirational strategic

Type

political persuasive

When to use this quote

- campaign rallies
- policy debates
- media interviews
- grassroots mobilization

Key Concepts

public opinion media framing rhetoric

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assess a speech's impact?
- What ethical limits exist for persuasion?

A Different Perspective

Effectiveness depends on audience trust and message authenticity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Convention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convention/) [Opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opinion/) [Public opinion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-opinion/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) [Speech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speech/) [Speeches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/speeches/) [Tools](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tools/)

## Related quotes

> [“You are the steer of your God given dreams. By the authority from the Holy Spirit of God, you will able to bend a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-are-the-steer-of-your-god-given-dreams-by-the-authority-from-the/)

[Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/)

> [I think 'Sightseers' was a bit of an epiphany, a massive learning curve, and it gave me loads of confidence to go out there,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-lowe/i-think-sightseers-was-a-bit-of-an-epiphany-a-massive-learning-curve/)

[Alice Lowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-lowe/)

> [The initial attraction of a political convention was that often the outcome was not preordained. There was at least some element of surprise. But,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/the-initial-attraction-of-a-political-convention-was-that-often-the/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [There are three opportunities that you have during a general election campaign where you can substantially move the needle of public opinion. One, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/there-are-three-opportunities-that-you-have-during-a-general-election/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [“A smile is a curve that sets everything right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-diller/a-smile-is-a-curve-that-sets-everything-right/)

Phillis Diller

> [“There is no subtle way to mention you miss the curve of someone’s ass. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-comeau/there-is-no-subtle-way-to-mention-you-miss-the-curve-of-someone-s-ass/)

[Joey Comeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-comeau/)

> [Learning ballroom dancing is great for your brain. But it only works for three to six months. After that, you've got all the benefit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nolan-bushnell/learning-ballroom-dancing-is-great-for-your-brain-but-it-only-works/)

[Nolan Bushnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nolan-bushnell/)

> [A smile is a curve that sets things straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azgraybebly-josland/a-smile-is-a-curve-that-sets-things-straight/)

Azgraybebly Josland

> [I studied one term of law and then came to realize I had a little better fastball and curve than I did a vocabulary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-lyons/i-studied-one-term-of-law-and-then-came-to-realize-i-had-a-little/)

Ted Lyons

> [Everywhere you go, mother nature's throwing some curve-ball at you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-teti/everywhere-you-go-mother-nature-s-throwing-some-curve-ball-at-you/)

[Joe Teti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-teti/)

> [You're gonna get thrown curve balls left and right, and that's just the way it goes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-mcmahon/you-re-gonna-get-thrown-curve-balls-left-and-right-and-that-s-just/)

[Andrew McMahon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-mcmahon/)

> [I consciously memorized the speed at which every pitcher in the league threw his fastball, curve, and slider. Then, I'd pick up the speed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stan-musial/i-consciously-memorized-the-speed-at-which-every-pitcher-in-the/)

[Stan Musial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stan-musial/)

> [“A smile is a curve that sets things right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-diller/a-smile-is-a-curve-that-sets-things-right/)

[Phyllis Diller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-diller/)

> [When we are young, we spend much time and pains in filling our note-books with all definitions of Religion, Love, Poetry, Politics, Art, in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/when-we-are-young-we-spend-much-time-and-pains-in-filling-our-note/)

[Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/)

> [One of my business partners would remind me that no fashion line lasts forever, that we would hit the down curve eventually, and that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daymond-john/one-of-my-business-partners-would-remind-me-that-no-fashion-line/)

[Daymond John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daymond-john/)

## More by Mark McKinnon

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [It's just madness. First email. Then instant message. Then MySpace. Then Facebook. Then LinkedIn. Then Twitter. It's not enough anymore to 'Just do it.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/it-s-just-madness-first-email-then-instant-message-then-myspace-then/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [One thing is clear: Ron Paul defies labels.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/one-thing-is-clear-ron-paul-defies-labels/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Mitt Romney is a nice guy. But, we know where nice guys finish in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/mitt-romney-is-a-nice-guy-but-we-know-where-nice-guys-finish-in/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Sarah Palin is brilliant. She is a media magnet and a media magnate. She creates headlines and draws crowds wherever she goes, whether it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sarah-palin-is-brilliant-she-is-a-media-magnet-and-a-media-magnate/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [I'm no economist. I don't even play one on TV. I'm just a husband, a father, a taxpayer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/i-m-no-economist-i-don-t-even-play-one-on-tv-i-m-just-a-husband-a/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Republicans constantly claim to be the party that defends the Constitution. We have no legitimate right to that claim until we get right on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/republicans-constantly-claim-to-be-the-party-that-defends-the/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [If we cannot come together to pause, to respect our dead and the heroic lives of meaning they led, then ours is truly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/if-we-cannot-come-together-to-pause-to-respect-our-dead-and-the/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [People who know Paul Ryan say, 'He will be president one day.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/people-who-know-paul-ryan-say-he-will-be-president-one-day/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Every president becomes a caricature. The press, partisans, late-night shows, and other arbiters of our culture these days boil down complicated and multi-faceted personalities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/every-president-becomes-a-caricature-the-press-partisans-late-night/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Now personally, I think the president should golf every day and never have a press conference. I want the leader of the free world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/now-personally-i-think-the-president-should-golf-every-day-and-never/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [In politics, not all lies are all lies. And not all truths are complete.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/in-politics-not-all-lies-are-all-lies-and-not-all-truths-are-complete/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [There's no question that many factors contribute to voters' perceptions about debates and who wins and who loses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/there-s-no-question-that-many-factors-contribute-to-voters/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Presidential primary debates are an important part of our political process. But the media has wrested complete control from the parties and candidates over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/presidential-primary-debates-are-an-important-part-of-our-political/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [Sometime in the not too distant future, denying gays the right to marry will be viewed as historically corrupt - as corrupt as denying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/sometime-in-the-not-too-distant-future-denying-gays-the-right-to/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

[Explore all 138 Mark McKinnon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

## More Also quotes

> [I'm a workaholic, but I also like to vacation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karrueche-tran/i-m-a-workaholic-but-i-also-like-to-vacation/)

[Karrueche Tran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karrueche-tran/)

> [I've also directed, shot, and edited several music videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-king/i-ve-also-directed-shot-and-edited-several-music-videos/)

[Richard King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-king/)

> [Movies have power. Power to impact society and the choices we make. I want to entertain, but I also want to say something to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-prince-bythewood/movies-have-power-power-to-impact-society-and-the-choices-we-make-i/)

[Gina Prince-Bythewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-prince-bythewood/)

> [I'm not against gay people. I have a relative who is also gay. We can't help it if they were born that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manny-pacquiao/i-m-not-against-gay-people-i-have-a-relative-who-is-also-gay-we-can-t/)

[Manny Pacquiao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manny-pacquiao/)

> [I want to make myself and the crowd happy by way of something different, and that makes things difficult. I'm never playing something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tiesto/i-want-to-make-myself-and-the-crowd-happy-by-way-of-something/)

[Tiesto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tiesto/)

> [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/)

[Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/)

> [With all the technology we're inventing and what they're coming up with scientifically, people are having longer lifetimes. It's scary, but in the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brittany-murphy/with-all-the-technology-we-re-inventing-and-what-they-re-coming-up/)

[Brittany Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brittany-murphy/)

> [I like 'The Usual Suspects'. Great film. I also like 'Scarface', films like that. Lots of gangster films. I really like watching all kinds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barkhad-abdi/i-like-the-usual-suspects-great-film-i-also-like-scarface-films-like/)

[Barkhad Abdi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barkhad-abdi/)

> [I'm in 'Madagascar 2.' I'm Testy the Lion. The franchise moves to Africa, and Bernie Mac is also in the film. I loved working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-lister-jr/i-m-in-madagascar-2-i-m-testy-the-lion-the-franchise-moves-to-africa/)

[Tom Lister, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-lister-jr/)

> [I was born with a silver microphone in my mouth, and that was an advantage. My father wrote books and was also a great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-dimbleby/i-was-born-with-a-silver-microphone-in-my-mouth-and-that-was-an/)

[Jonathan Dimbleby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-dimbleby/)

> [I always like to look for adventure when I go away. I have gone on several horse adventures with my wife - from Guangxi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antony-gormley/i-always-like-to-look-for-adventure-when-i-go-away-i-have-gone-on/)

[Antony Gormley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antony-gormley/)

> [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/)

[Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/)

> [It is true that from a behavioral economics perspective we are fallible, easily confused, not that smart, and often irrational. We are more like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-ariely/it-is-true-that-from-a-behavioral-economics-perspective-we-are/)

[Dan Ariely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-ariely/)

> [Especially for those of us who lived in single cells, you had the time to sit down and think, and we discovered that sitting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelson-mandela/especially-for-those-of-us-who-lived-in-single-cells-you-had-the-time/)

[Nelson Mandela](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nelson-mandela/)

> [I like men who are very cool but who are also so brilliant that they are almost insane. Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Bob Dylan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolene-blalock/i-like-men-who-are-very-cool-but-who-are-also-so-brilliant-that-they/)

[Jolene Blalock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jolene-blalock/)

Browse all 3,822 Also quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988 convention speech is a great example. His son's speech was also quite powerful.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mark McKinnon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-to-bend-the-curve-of-public/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Also"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-to-bend-the-curve-of-public/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e7/mark-mckinnon-3139_also_convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-t_1502930.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Convention speeches are powerful tools to bend the curve of public opinion. George H. W. Bush's 1988…” — Mark McKinnon",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Mark McKinnon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Convention speeches are powerful tools to...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-to-bend-the-curve-of-public/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/convention-speeches-are-powerful-tools-to-bend-the-curve-of-public/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
