If there were no Jafar in Aladdin, would it even be a movie? Stories need villains in order to flow, and in a similar way, politicians need antagonists. It's hard to make yourself a public hero without someone as a foil.

But in speeches, you sometimes don't name your enemies. At some points in the 2009 inaugural address, Obama avoids getting too specific about the forces opposing America. Instead, he relies on the straw man technique.

A so-called straw man is basically an imagined opponent. A straw man argument is a counterargument that the speaker makes up and then disproves, in order to make the original point stronger. Oof. That's a mouthful and a mind-ful, so here's an example:

There are some who question the scale of our ambitions, who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. (13.1-2)

Who exactly are these "some" people? It doesn't really matter. When Obama attacks an imprecise adversary, it's a noncontroversial way to get folks on his side. Not everyone can agree on which politicians to like and dislike. But we can all dislike this "some" person that keeps doubting our ambitions and plans. The nerve.