http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2016/08/03/antimetabole-season
“We lead not by the example of our power, but by the power of our example.” That was Joe Biden (quoting Bill Clinton) at the Democratic National Convention, using perhaps a politician’s favorite rhetorical device: antimetabole. Great word, huh? It’s from the Greek, like so many literary terms of art, in this case a Greek word meaning “turning about.” This reversal of word order has been responsible for some of the most oft-quoted bits of political discourse in history, including:
“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” (John F. Kennedy, inaugural address, 1961)“It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.” (Winston Churchill, 1942)“Just because you’re born in the slum does not mean the slum is born in you.” (Jesse Jackson, Democratic National Convention, 1984)“East and West do not mistrust each other because we are armed; we are armed because we mistrust each other.” (Ronald Reagan at the Brandenburg Gate, 1987)“You stood up for America; now America must stand up for you.” (Barack Obama, 2011)
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