Departmental Papers (ASC)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
3-1-1999
Publication Source
PS: Political Science & Politic
Volume
32
Issue
1
Start Page
12
Last Page
16
DOI
10.2307/420744
Abstract
As scholars puzzle over the so-called gender gap in the 1996 presidential election, we invite them to consider the ways in which communication by the Clinton campaign explicitly and implicitly told women that Clinton was a president more closely allied with their concerns than Dole. When we examined 111 Democratic and 79 Republican speeches and 56 Democratic and 31 Republicans ads that were delivered or appeared during the presidential campaign between the conventions and election day, we found Clinton blunting the traditional Republican argument that Democrats favor big intrusive government and oppose "family values" by arguing that he had used government to protect women's rights, health, and children from the assaults of Dole-Gingrich and their allies the tobacco and gun lobbies. This theme was reinforced by Democratic ads that situated Clinton within the context of the family and by Democratic rhetoric in which women, children, and families were central elements.
Copyright/Permission Statement
Copyright © American Political Science Association, Political Science & Politics
Recommended Citation
Jamieson, K. H., Falk, E., & Sherr, S. (1999). The Enthymeme Gap in the 1996 Presidential Campaign. PS: Political Science & Politic, 32 (1), 12-16. https://doi.org/10.2307/420744
Date Posted: 26 June 2014
This document has been peer reviewed.