Is Trump Weaving Rambling, or Unraveling?

Wee Willie Keeler’s legendary hitting streak of 44 games (1894) was not broken until Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game streak 44 years later. Keeler’s secret for his mastery of hitting? “Keep your eye clear and hit 'em where they ain't.” The first part is sometimes quoted as: “keep your eye on the ball.”

The art of persuasion follows half of Keeler’s advice. Yes, to persuade your audience you must keep your eye clear and on the ball. You must know what the goal of your persuading is, what you want your audience to do. But persuasion flips the second half of Wee Willie’s script. In any kind of communication, however informal, you've got first to hit them where they are. You've got to know your audience, what their assumptions are and what their knowledge of issues is.