Campaign '96 A Functional Analysis of Acclaiming, Attacking, and Defending

Benoit, Blaney, and Pier apply the functional theory of political campaign discourse to the 1996 presidential campaign. They examine the use of strategies of acclaiming or self-praise, attacking the opponent, and defending or responding to attack. They investigate various message forms and all three parts of the campaign, from the primaries to the nominating conventions and the general election campaign.