Comment Elevation of the Day

This from mrv is worth highlighting:

The recent articles focusing on the absence of memorable language from Souter’s opinions to a certain extent missed that there are other measures of good argument besides pithy quotes. A line of reasoning should be persuasive because of its content and not just because of the particular words chosen to express that content. This post presents a fine example of that.

And some pithy quotes are actually counter-productive even as attempts at persuasion, for instance if they hold one’s colleagues up to ridicule as Scalia seems fond of trying to do.

The fact that Souter showed no interest in the art of the quotable but often simplistic or unilluminating catchphrase is one of the old-fashioned virtues for which he merits admirtaion.