1. A Different Kind of War, The Same Kind of Speech: How Presidents Have Similarly Used the State of the Union Address to Discuss Wars and Rally Support for Their Cause.
- Author
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Teten, Ryan
- Subjects
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WAR , *RHETORIC , *POLITICAL communication ,PRESIDENTIAL messages of United States Presidents - Abstract
Whenever a sitting president presides over an international conflict, whether a war or police action, they must provide the people with an accounting of the engagement as well as garner support for ongoing operations. The United States has seen many different foreign entanglements, from the French and Indian War to the War on Terror. Times have changed and technology has advanced. However, something that has not changed is the need for the president to suggest that the military engagement is in the best interest of the country and the people. This paper examines the ways that the executives of the past have used the State of the Union Address to discuss the issue of war and elicit support from the public at-large. What is surprising, however, is not that they use this public forum to address the important issue. The surprise is the incredible similarity between the wartime presidents regarding the type of rhetoric that is used in these communications. Although we might suggest that contemporary presidents would use "modern" language and rhetorical stylings that would be markedly different from those presidents of the 18th and 19th centuries, observation and analysis of State of the Union Addresses suggests that, when faced with military conflict, presidents of varying eons tend to espouse incredibly similar verbiage. This study not only provides important commentary on presidential wartime rhetoric, but also brings questions regarding a "modern" versus a "traditional" rhetorical presidency to light. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2007