According to American Rhetoric a rhetorical question occurs when a "Figure which asks a question, not for the purpose of further discussion, but to assert or deny an answer implicitly; a question whose answer is obvious or implied."
An example of this would be "Some have asked, 'How could you have the United States Senate vote on Judge Thomas' nomination and leave Senators in the dark about Professor [Anita] Hill's charges?' And to this I answer, 'How can you expect us to have forced Professor Hill against her will into the blinding light which you see here today."
-- Joseph R. Biden
Note: Here is a case of dueling rhetorical questions. The first rhetorical question whose answer is implicit is responded to by a second rhetorical question whose answer is equally implicit.
