Epideictic Rhetoric in the Service of War: George W. Bush on Iraq and the 60th Anniversary of the Victory Over Japan

This essay explores the relationship between epideictic discourse and war through the analysis of George W. Bush\u27s August 20, 2005, address at the Naval Air Station near San Diego, ostensibly to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Allied victory over Japan. The case also serves as an exemplar for how Bush routinely interwove epideictic appeals with collective memories of World War II in order to promote the Iraq war and deflect criticism of his policies there. Bush praised the greatest generation and linked it to the current generation; blamed and dehumanized enemies of the past and present; advocated for war based on lessons from the past; and reinforced a shared identity to instill both obligation and confidence. © 2011 National Communication Association

John F. Kennedy at American University: The Rhetoric of the Possible, Epideictic Progression, and the Commencement of Peace

In his American University address, Kennedy employed epideictic progression, a pedagogical process drawing upon dissociation and epideictic norms to convince listeners, gradually, to embrace a new vision—in this case, a world in which a test-ban treaty with the U.S.S.R. was possible. To do so, Kennedy\u27s words: (1) united the audience behind the value of “genuine peace”; (2) humanized the Soviets as worthy partners in genuine peace; (3) established the reality of the Cold War and the credibility of U.S. leadership; and (4) connected lessons on genuine peace to domestic civil rights

Idealism and Pragmatism in American Foreign Policy Rhetoric: The Case of John F. Kennedy and Vietnam

Kennedy\u27s rhetoric on Vietnam serves as an exemplar of how presidents balance idealistic arguments, which apply principles of genus to public problem-solving, and pragmatic arguments, which emphasize the efficacy or practicality of politics. Through idealistic appeals, Kennedy legitimized his Vietnam policy and depicted himself as a principled leader. The President\u27s pragmatic appeals helped him deflect criticism, justify slow progress, and build an image of expertise. The analysis of Kennedy\u27s Vietnam rhetoric also indicates that had the President lived, his public discourse may have led him to face many of the same persuasive difficulties that plagued Lyndon Johnson

History, Collective Memory, and the Appropriation of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Reagan\u27s Rhetorical Legacy

This article argues that President Ronald Reagan appropriated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.\u27s words and memory to suggest equal opportunity in the United States had been largely achieved. Individuals—rather than the government—now had to take responsibility for any additional progress. By arguing that the dismantling of federal civil rights laws and social programs was actually consistent with Dr. King\u27s words, President Reagan advanced his own agenda for civil rights in direct violation of Dr. King\u27s intentions, while narrowing the purview of civil rights to eliminate government intervention in employment, education, and other arenas