Throughout its long and storied history, the discipline of rhetoric has documented the power of the spoken and written word. Of late, however, we are being reminded about the rhetorical significance of visual images--that pictures, videos, and other visual works also are part of what Aristotle called the "available means of persuasion."…

Focusing on rhetorical strategies employed by U. S. presidents in response to states of emergency, investigates differences between discourse (1) initially constituting the government's sole response and (2) accompanying, justifying, and rationalizing specific military moves undertaken. Analyzes five presidential messages, categorizing each as…