Explores the argumentation of critical rhetoric as a millennial appeal, a rhetorical device aimed at establishing a new world with subsequent need for a new critical orientation. Argues that the advocates of critical rhetoric characteristically use dissociation as their primary rhetorical strategy. Concludes that M. Bakhtin's concept of…

Explores the ways in which rhetorical scholars have embraced Mikhail Bakhtin as a rhetorical theorist in spite of the fact that he disdained rhetoric. Argues that the reception of Bakhtin suggests a pattern in rhetorical studies. Notes that it is dangerous to disregard the danger of rhetoric in pursuit of a higher status for rhetoric. (SG)

Uses vice president Albert Gore Jr.'s book "Earth in the Balance" as a case study to examine the relationship between analogy and "presence." Argues that presence is a flexible critical construct allowing for examination of the relationship between the style, substance, and structure of arguments. Explores relationships between…

Discusses how speeches delivered at a 1960 dinner by then presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon changed the face of political campaign rhetoric. Argues that both men used comic strategies to create a more inclusive American covenant, and emphasizes the importance of examining pragmatic and cultural implications of presidential…

Traces development of the campaign history genre by exploring two key exemplars: T. White's "The Making of the President 1960" and R.B. Cramer's "What It Takes: The Way to the White House." Reveals that the books make sense of the election, develop a reciprocal relationship between private man and public figure, and create an authoritarian reading…

Claims that Adlai Stevenson adapted the tenets of contemporary civic republicanism as a pragmatic to the response to the obstacles that confronted him in his 1952 presidential campaign. Analyzes his campaign rhetoric to reveal the strengths and limitations of republicanism as a political argument. Explores the complex relationship between…

Examines President Clinton's address to 5,000 African Americans at the site of Martin Luther King's last speech in Memphis. Develops a critical orientation revolving around the concepts of tradition, invention, and authority to explore Clinton's performance. Shows how he interanimated the black church and liberal traditions in American politics.…

Examines the rhetorical function of the modern American jeremiad as a means to restore social harmony in a time of crisis. Analyzes Robert F. Kennedy's response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. Reveals the strengths and limitations of the jeremiad as a response to social crisis. (SR)