Senator Al Gore Jr. was elected Vice-President of the United States
on November 3, 1992. During many of his public speeches, Gore utilized
a speaking style that differed radically from the style he used in other
political campaigns of his life. This style, which will be called the "rhetoric
of self-disclosure," can be characterized as consisting of a particular
language style that is associated with the self-help movement that became
popular in the United States during the 1980's. This language consists of
phrases and terms such as "co-dependency," "dysfunction," "dysfunctional
families," "denial," and others.
In an attempt to understand the uses and effects of this rhetorical
device, the theories of Edwin Black are used as a critical model. A
combination of two theories, specifically the theories of secrecy and
disclosure and the second persona, produced a unique critical methodology
that generated insight into Gore as a speaker, and the applications of this
unique rhetorical style.
A literature survey provides information not only about Gore's
political and personal history, but also about the growth and success of the
self-help movement in the United States. Included in this review were a
number of public addresses given by Gore in the 1992 campaign, his book
Earth in the Balance: Ecology and the Human Spirit, and discussions of the
self-help movement and therapy groups.
The critical evaluation of Gore's public address provides a number of
conclusions. The rhetoric of self-disclosure is rhetorical strategy that has
never been used in American Presidential politics and is a radical departure
from other, more accepted forms of presidential rhetoric. Also, the use of
this strategy gives insight into the character of Gore as a person, a speaker,
and a national political leader. / Graduation date: 1994
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/36124 |
| Date | 02 June 1993 |
| Creators | Palmer, Scott Aaron |
| Contributors | Moore, Mark |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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