Problem: Cicero's de Oratore was written after his long, successful career in Roman politics and the court system. It is very different than his earlier, youthful treatise de Inventione - and is not intended as a handbook for rhetoric. Instead, it is more of a philosophical perspective on the use and importance of rhetoric for the individual and Rome.
Identify what you think is the key components/uses of rhetoric as laid out in de Oratore, and think about whether or not this perspective works for contemporary politicians.