James L. Golden

Media rhetoric, criticism and the public perception of the 1980 presidential debates

Media specialists promoted the televised debates and then sought to influence public perception through commentary and criticism. They viewed substance as less important than delivery, appearance, and manner; downplayed the significance of incumbency; and concluded that current program formats favored perceived candidate advantage rather than the public interest.

Electronic storytelling in electoral politics: An anecdotal analysis of television advertising in the helms‐hunt senate race

This essay examines the television advertising from the 1984 North Carolina senate race between Jesse Helms and James Hunt through Burkes representative anecdote. Following the metaphoric approach to anecdotal analysis, the authors review two groups of discourse in pursuit of their fundamental qualities. The evidence indicates that Helms’ use of the “Soap Opera” anecdote proved superior to Hunts random, one‐shot, style of storytelling. This conclusion leads the authors to argue that thematic continuity is a fundamental ingredient of effective electronic storytelling.

The rhetorical theory of Adam Smith

Adam Smith, the celebrated political economist and essayist on moral sentiments, displayed a lifelong interest in rhetoric and belles‐lettres. Yet except for the student notes recently published by...

The Clinton Factor in the Presidential Contest of 2000

This article uses Chaim Perelmans philosophy of associative and dissociative techniques to examine the Clinton Factor in the presidential contest of 2000. Three claims, all of which are based on the coverage of the campaign by The New York Times and The Washington Post (from March through December 2000), are advanced in the study. The first two arguments focused on ways George W. Bush, Richard Cheney, and the other Republicans, on one hand, and Al Gore, Joseph Lieberman, and the Democrats, on the other, sought to dissociate themselves from Clintons character while at the same time expressing their support for his attitude toward the size of the federal government. The third claim argues that Clinton, much to his displeasure, failed to have a well-defined role in 2000, guided by a policy of association, which would enable him to contribute directly to Gores election, and thereby strengthen the Clinton legacy.

The Issue of Character in the Presidential Contest of 1996

This study begins by pointing out the role of character in discourse as seen by theorists in the Classical, British/Continental, and Contemporary periods. It then develops two primary arguments. The first suggests that the negative image that has been generated pertaining to President Clintons private and public ethics over the past 4 years has prompted Republican leaders in general and Senator Dole in particular to introduce forcefully into the campaign a series of claims describing what they believe to be fatal flaws in the presidents character. Since this strategy has not worked, the second argument advanced in this article asserts that American citizens are responding to another interpretation of character—that expressed by a group of political scientists and historians. Character, as pointed out by these scholars, is reflected in a presidents choices, sense of history, caring attitude, communication ability, and sense of optimism concerning the present and future.

Thomas Jefferson's Perspectives on the Press as an Instrument of Political Communication

This article seeks to show that Jeffersons faith in the peoples ability to govern themselves and his belief in the two-party system led him to conclude that a free press is needed to provide vital information required for an intelligent decision in an election campaign. Thus he encouraged the development of newspapers representing all points of view, and expressed the hope that these journals would be examined critically by the editor and by the public. Even though the high standards he upheld for a responsible press were violated in the 1800 presidential campaign, he maintained his strong belief that freedom of the press and expression should always prevail.

An application of Michel Meyer's Theory of problematology to David Hume's Diaologues concerning natural religion

This study advances the claim that Humes Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, which drew its inspiration and guidelines from Ciceros De Natura Deorum, fulfills four basic elements of Michel Meyers theory of problematology. In doing so, it is argued, the Dialogues contribute importantly to our understanding of the question-answer pair, and to the notion of rhetoric as a way of knowing.

Contemporary Trends and Historical Roots in Communication: A Personal View.

This essay considers the evolution and present status of the field of communication as a perspective from which to evaluate future directions. Special concern is expressed that technology may cut off the roots out of which theories of argument, language, interpersonal communication, and ethics and values have grown.

New book in review

THE IDEOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. By Bernard Bailyn. Cambridge, Mass.: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1967; pp. xiii+335.

John F. Kennedy and the “ghosts”

5.95. THE MENNONITE CHURCH IN AMERICA, SOMETIMES CALLED OLD MENNONITES. By John C. Wenger. Introduction by Harold S. Bender. (Mennonite History, Vol. II.) Scottdale, Pa.: Herald, 1966; pp. 384.