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Articles 1 - 4 of 4
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Mitt Romney In Denver: “Obamacare” As Ideological Enthymeme, Justin Ward Kirk
Mitt Romney In Denver: “Obamacare” As Ideological Enthymeme, Justin Ward Kirk
Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications
This paper argues that surface-level analysis of political argument fails to explain the effectiveness of ideological enthymemes, particularly within the context of presidential debates. This paper uses the first presidential debate of the 2012 election as a case study for the use of “Obamacare” as an ideological enthymeme. The choice of a terminological system limits and shapes the argumentative choices afforded the candidate. Presidential debates provide a unique context within which to examine the interaction of ideological constraints and argument due to their relatively committed and ideologically homogenous audiences.
Selective Amnesia And Racial Transcendence In News Coverage Of President Obama’S Inauguration, Kristen Hoerl
Selective Amnesia And Racial Transcendence In News Coverage Of President Obama’S Inauguration, Kristen Hoerl
Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications
The mainstream press frequently characterized the election of President Barack Obama the first African American US President as the realization of Martin Luther King’s dream, thus crafting a postracial narrative of national transcendence. I argue that this routine characterization of Obama’s election functions as a site for the production of selective amnesia, a form of remembrance that routinely negates and silences those who would contest hegemonic narratives of national progress and unity.
Barack Obama: A Semiotic Analysis Of His Philadelphia Speech, Theresa Catalano
Barack Obama: A Semiotic Analysis Of His Philadelphia Speech, Theresa Catalano
Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications
In this paper, Barack Obama's March 18, 2008 Philadelphia speech is examined from the perspectives of Semiotics and Critical Discourse Analysis incorporating a theoretical framework from Social Identity Theory including models of metaphorical analysis from Semina and Masci (1996), Santa Ana (1999), and semiotic analysis of political discourse from Umberto Eco's "linguaggio politico" (1973). Jakobson's functions of signs (context, contact, code, addresser, addressee, and message) provide a basis for the analysis, which examines each function in detail. Emphasis is placed on the message of the speech by analyzing metaphors and metonyms ranging from "unity is nourishment" to "anger is a …
Using The 2008 Presidential Election To Think About “Playing The Race Card”, Ronald Lee, Aysel Morin
Using The 2008 Presidential Election To Think About “Playing The Race Card”, Ronald Lee, Aysel Morin
Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications
Bill Clinton and Geraldine Ferraro were accused of “playing the race card” during the 2008 contest for the Democratic presidential nomination. This essay explores the different forms race cards may assume and the dangers each poses to the public dialogue. Moving away from the traditional focus on persuasive effects, the Clinton and Ferraro utterances are analyzed as argumentative discourses. Then, critical standards are promulgated for evaluating their reasonableness.