Stump speech facts for kids

A stump speech is a special kind of speech used by politicians when they are running for an election. Imagine a politician visiting many towns to talk to people. Instead of making a new speech every time, they often have one main speech they use over and over again. This is their stump speech!

It's usually a short speech that shares their main ideas and promises. After giving the speech, the politician might answer questions from the audience.

What's in a Stump Speech?

A stump speech is like a politician's main message in a nutshell. It helps them:

• Tell people what they believe in.
• Explain why they want to be elected.
• Share their plans for the future.
• Connect with many different groups of people.

Because they give the same speech many times, people who follow the campaign closely, like reporters, get to know it very well.

Where Did the Name Come From?

The name "stump speech" comes from a long time ago in America. Back then, politicians would travel from one town to another. When they arrived, they often didn't have a stage or a fancy platform. So, they would stand on something simple, like a sawed-off tree stump, to give their speech! This made it easy for everyone to see and hear them.

Stump Speeches in U.S. Elections

In the United States, especially during big elections like for president, a candidate's stump speech is very important.

• It often starts with ideas from a bigger speech they gave earlier, like at their party's special meeting called a nominating convention.
• This main speech then becomes the core message they use throughout their entire campaign across the country.

Stump speeches are mostly for the people who come to see the politician in person. News reporters who travel with candidates often hear the same speech many times. Sometimes, they even have special nicknames for parts of the speech that are repeated a lot. For example, a long time ago, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller often ended his speeches with a phrase about "the brotherhood of man, under the fatherhood of God." Reporters started calling this part "BOMFOG" because they heard it so often!

Images for kids

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  Stump Speaking (1853–54), by George Caleb Bingham. This painting shows a politician giving a speech from a tree stump.