Stump speech (politics) Stump speech (politics) A political stump speech is a standard speech used by a politician running for office. Typically a candidate who schedules many appearances prepares a short standardized stump speech that is repeated verbatim to each audience, before opening to questions. The term derives from the early American custom in which candidates campaigned from town to town and stood upon a sawed off tree stump to deliver their speech. In presidential campaigns in the United States, a candidate's speech at his or her party's presidential nominating convention usually forms the basis for the stump speech for the duration of
The Flail from Heaven peasant climbed the tree and, reaching the top, spied angels threshing oats. While he was viewing the angels, the tree began to shake; someone below was cutting down the tree. To save himself from being falling from the tree, the peasant wove a length of rope from the oat chaff that lay in piles. Before descending he stole a hoe and a flail which were lying in the heavenly fields. He descended the rope only to find himself at the bottom of deep pit. Using the hoe, he carved a flight of steps and walked up and out of the