Question

How well do politicians make their argument?

Answer 1

Maybe check this site: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/facts-arguments-and-politics/?_r=0 ?

Answer 2

The purpose of argument is usually to sway belief. Political argument can occur in the context of political theory.

Political argument though is not generally a purely intellectual activity, since it may also serve the strategic goal of promoting a political agenda. One usually thinks of political argument as exclusive to democracies, but in fact some kinds of political argument may occur in undemocratic regimes as well, for example, to encourage greater sacrifice from the population, although it is more likely in such cases that propaganda will take the place of argument.