Failure of apology in American politics: Nixon on Watergate

Flag on the Play

“…The transgression that triggered the original kategoria and the enhanced or additional kategoria—which extends “beyond the simple restatement of the original kategoria”—is studied (Benoit & Dorries, 1996; Ryan, 1982; Stein, 2010, p. 2). The apologia is also examined and categorized into “rhetorical postures” (Harrell, Ware, & Linkugel, 1975) for clearer dissection and assessment of why these particular self-defense efforts were so harshly challenged. The examination of kategoria and apologia includes the use of both Stein’s typologies of antapologia (Husselbee & Stein, 2012; Stein, 2008; Stein et al, 2008; Turman et al, 2008) and Carpenter, Boehmer, and Fico’s (2016) operationalization of adversarial reporting.…”

“…Apologia is instead a distinct form of public address made up of four rhetorical self-defense strategies: bolstering, denial, differentiation, and transcendence. Harrell, Ware, and Linkugel (1975) later paired these concepts into four “rhetorical postures” which include absolution, which is made up of the combination of differentiation and denial; vindication, transcendence and denial; explanation, bolstering and differentiation; and justification, bolstering and transcendence. These categorizations can be both useful and limiting, depending on application, and have since been expanded.…”

Televangelism as Institutional Apologia: The Religious Talk Show as Strategized Text

“…Although Ware and Linkugel's (1973) purposely ambiguous typology and similar approaches have their critics (e.g., see Benoit, 1995a;Campbell & Jamieson, 1978;Miller, 1984), they have been profitably applied to a variety of contexts including, for example, analyses of political speeches (Bennett, 1981;Blair, 1984;Harrell, Ware, & Linkugel, 1975;Kahl, 1984;King, 1985;Rowland, 1988;Short, 1987). Other analyses have been conducted on topics ranging from team sports (Kruse, 1981a) to fictitious characters (McCleary, 1983) and from religious broadcasters (Arnold & Hadely, 1989;Brown, 1991) to corporate America (Benoit, 1995b;Benoit & Lindsey, 1987;Bruce, 1993;Dionisopoulos & Vibbert, 1988;Hearit, 1995;Huxman & Bruce, 1995;P.…”

“I Alone” vs. “Stronger Together”: Contrasting Visions in the 2016 Nomination Acceptance Addresses

“…But if her audience is rightly “frustrated—even furious” then it behooves Clinton to contest Trump’s account that blamed her for so much. She could have bolstered Democrats’ successes, denied culpability for shortcomings, differentiated Trump’s imaginings from verifiable empirical reality, or transcended setbacks with a larger vision (Harrell, Ware, & Linkugel, 1975). She could have blamed the Republican establishment.…”