What makes a great political speech? Let’s talk about oratory, my fellow citizens

Gough Whitlam with singer Little Pattie wearing T-shirts announcing ‘It's Time’ for his election campaign in July 1972. Photograph: Graeme Fletcher/Getty Images

Of all the millions of words uttered on the hustings during this unedifying federal election campaign, few, if any, will be remembered as having soared to any great oratory heights.

These days election stump speeches tend to be quickly devoured in the voracious churn of the perpetual news cycle, and largely parsed in disconnected chunks for their strategic and market-tested messaging rather than their cadences and artistry.