Abstract
Returning to Iowa--certainly not oblivion—I carried back distinct impressions of the rhetoric of the Republican convention, some of which I hope to crystallize into a statement that may be of help to students of political rhetoric generally, and to those in particular who seek to understand the rhetorical power of Ronald Reagan. I do not expect to plow any new theoretical ground in this brief article; however, I propose to employ Ernest G. Bormann's "fantasy theme analysis" as a useful paradigm for interpreting Reagan's acceptance speech. My thesis is that this address can be profitably understood as a manifestation of a controlling vision of America and its place in the world, and that Reagan sought to construct for his listeners a rhetorical reality consistent with this vision.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Speech Communication
Volume
13
Issue
2
First Page
27
Last Page
31
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Dearin, Ray D.
(1981)
"Ronald Reagan's Rhetorical Reality,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 13:
No.
2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol13/iss2/7
Copyright
©1981 Iowa Communication Association
