Strategic Maneuvering in the 2008 Presidential Debates

Abstract

Application of the pragma-dialectic perspective, and particularly, strategic maneuvering, to political argumentation remains sparse. To address the issue in the context of the 2008 campaigns, the clash strategies of Barack Obama and John McCain during the debates were coded using the same content analysis codebook as prior analyses of presidential debates, allowing comparison between 2008 and the other nine electoral cycles with general election debates. The 2008 debates included significant shifts in the candidates’ use of ritualistic discourse, direct statements to opponent, self-analysis, opponent analysis, policy statements, comparison, and cooption. Although structural elements continue to serve as a corrective to functional theory, it appeared that the political climate, more than format, explained these changes. The findings suggest that candidates engage in strategic maneuvering consistent with the focal-points perspective and that campaigns engage in competitive learning in an attempt to master format modifications.

A discourse analytic investigation into politicians’ use of rhetorical and persuasive strategies: The case of US election speeches

“…In line with the CDA studies of presidential campaigns, Morris and Johnson (2011) investigated the debates between McCain and Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. The candidates' use of "clash and non-clash argument strategies" as well as their debate strategies were examined.…”

Televised Election Debates in a Deliberative System: The Role of Framing and Emotions

“…In previous research, the focus mostly lies on the content and effects of debate between politicians, with researchers mapping the strategic choices politicians make to persuade an audience and "win" the debate (Benoit 2014;Benoit and Harthcock 1999;Carlin et al 2001;Morris and Johnson 2011). In this article, I do not look at debates as discussions between only politicians among themselves and the effects in the public of looking at such a discussion.…”

“…(Senate Historical Office 2022) Since then, public election debates have become common in many countries in the run-up to national, and in some instances subnational, elections (Anstead 2016;Debates International 2020;NDI 2021). The scholarly and public attention paid to how politicians make their statements in these debates and what effects that might have has not diminishedquite the contrary (Bossetta 2017;Budzyńska-Daca and Botwina 2015;Harris 2020;Heaney 2020;Kellman 2018;Marien et al 2020;Marietta 2009;Morris and Johnson 2011;Simon-Vandenbergen 2008).…”

When Does a Presidential Candidate Seem Presidential and Trustworthy? Campaign Messages Through the Lens of Language Expectancy Theory

“…A chief criterion for a presidential candidate is the attainment of being perceived as "presidential." The perception of presidentiality has a strong persuasive effect on voters (Morris and Johnson 2011). A candidate's rhetoric can shape voters' perceptions of presidentiality (Anderson and Sheeler 2014).…”