Bill Clinton: Rhetorical Settings, Strategies, and Paradoxical Popularity

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Bill Clinton: Rhetorical Settings, Strategies, and Paradoxical Popularity

Everyone knows what he did with Monica Lewinsky. They watched him shake his finger and lie to their face on national television. They heard his promise to be forthcoming with the truth, and head about how he patiently hair-split his way through four hours of grand jury testimony. Why is he still here?

The answer lies in a combination of Clinton’s rhetorical strategy and extrinsic circumstances.

Bill Clinton’s rhetoric is two-fold. His problem is unique in that he must communicate in two different forums–in a public context to the American people and in a legal context to the House and Senate. This presents some unique problems. Although the two arenas are different, they are mixed–what the President says publicly can be held against him legally, and what he says in court is presented to the public through the media. Clinton’s challenge is to develop rhetoric that is optimum for the arena it is delivered in, but compatible with the other arena’s rhetoric as well.

In both situations, Clinton is always in control of what he is saying; neither reporters nor jurors can put him on the run, or catch him in a misunderstanding he cannot adequately explain, refute, or deny. Although the tone of his public and legal rhetoric sometimes conflict, they are effective nonetheless. We will begin by examining his public rhetoric.

The purpose of Clinton’s public rhetoric is to win the support of the American people, relative to the Republicans and the Independent Counsel. The support of the people will ensure the eventual cooperation of the House and Senate–who are directly responsible to the public for their jobs. Because Clinton is speaking to a broad and...

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...tp://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/resources/1998/clinton.jones/

C-SPAN Website

http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/articles.htm

C-SPAN: President Clinton’s Testimony: Text

http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/video_text/

C-SPAN: Presidential Testimony

http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/0998.asp#gj1

C-SPAN: 81 Questions to the President

http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/clinton112798.htm

C-SPAN: White House Trial Memorandum to the Senate

http://www.c-span.org/guide/executive/investigation/whtrialmemorandum.htm

Gallup Poll Website

http://www.gallup.com/poll/indicators/indmedia.asp

http://www.gallup.com/poll/trends/ptopinion.asp

http://www.gallup.com/poll/trends/ptrateecon.asp

House of Representatives Directory

http://clerkweb.house.gov/mbrcmtee/mbrcmtee.htm

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