The “Beer Summit” and What's Brewing: Narratives, Networks, and Metaphors as Rhetorical Confinement in the Age of Obama

Patterson, Robert

doi:10.1080/10510974.2011.588079

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 17 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It further illustrates the fallacy behind the idea of a “postracial” society, particularly within the parameters of a presidential political campaign. As Patterson (2011) concluded in his analysis of the “beer summit,” President Obama is rhetorically constrained by the “hegemonic symbols epitomized through the lens of ‘Average Joe’ and ‘the Cowboy’” (p. 452). These symbols are the same as those articulated by Clint Eastwood in his use of the empty chair as a rhetorical device.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rhetoric of the Hanging Chair

Cos

Kelly

2013

American Behavioral Scientist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The empty chair used by actor-director Clint Eastwood during his headline-grabbing speech at the Republican National Convention is a particularly compelling example of a widely circulated image that resonated for the balance of the 2012 presidential campaign. Eastwood had criticized and mocked the empty chair as if the Democratic president were sitting in it. Following the convention, at least two incidents were reported where an empty chair was hung from a tree by a rope, interpreted by many as racially offensive displays meant to symbolize the lynching of President Barack Obama. Analyzing publicly recognizable images is an important endeavor for rhetorical scholars because images have the capability of embodying public identity and contributing to the formation of public culture. This study investigates how the circulation of particular images, such as the empty chair, during a political campaign may develop verbally unspoken arguments and provide additional insight about American identity as it relates to issues of race.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Rhetoric of the Hanging Chair

Cos

Kelly

2013

American Behavioral Scientist

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Rhetorical confinement, contrasting metaphors, and cultural polarities

Ritchie

Feliciano

Sparks

2018

MSW

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study we contrast metaphors and metaphorical stories in President Trump’s 2017 inaugural address with those of former President Barack Obama’s first inaugural address. We draw on the concept of ‘rhetorical confinement’ (Patterson, 2011) to show how the contrasting life trajectories of the two leaders are reflected in the contrasting themes and tone established by their metaphorical language. We argue that Obama’s rhetorical tone, including his use of metaphors, was at least in part a response to the compound constraints of race and class. In contrast, Trump’s rhetorical tone and use of metaphors reflects and reinforces his image as a political outsider, as a challenge to the constraints of ordinary political discourse. The contrast between the rhetorically confined politeness of Obama’s discourse (lampooned as ‘political correctness’ by many of his opponents) and the unconstrained crudeness of Trump’s discourse (lauded as ‘telling it like it is’) apparently legitimates the open expression of previously suppressed resentments and encourages an extreme rhetoric that is symptomatic of, and may contribute to, the growing polarization in American political discourse.

show abstract

Statement of Removal

Mowatt

2023

Leisure Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The “Beer Summit” and What's Brewing: Narratives, Networks, and Metaphors as Rhetorical Confinement in the Age of Obama

Cited by 6 publications

References 17 publications

The Rhetoric of the Hanging Chair

The Rhetoric of the Hanging Chair

Rhetorical confinement, contrasting metaphors, and cultural polarities

Statement of Removal

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About