Document Type

Article

Language

eng

Format of Original

29 p.

Publication Date

11-2001

Publisher

Sage Publications

Source Publication

Cultural Studies - Critical Methodologies

Source ISSN

1532-7086

Original Item ID

doi: 10.1177/153270860100100405

Abstract

This article examines Clinton’s rhetorical strategy for creating a legacy in light of the imminent end of his second and final term as president. By examining Clinton’s public discourse from 1997 to 1999, with special attention to the period from September 1998 to June 1999, this article argues that Clinton used the frame of his race initiative to centripetally incorporate varied events and policies to redefine and bolster his legacy in the aftermath of scandal and political polarity. Specifically, President Clinton, with an eye on the legacy of the president and the identity of the Democratic Party, gathered the war in Kosovo and the shootings in Littleton, Colorado, along with their attendant disparate policies into one rhetorical frame, thereby supplying a conception of what Clinton’s 6 years as president had been about, a vision and mission for America, and an identity for the Democratic party distinct from the Republicans.

Comments

Accepted version. Cultural Studies - Critical Methodologies, Vol. 1, No. 4 (November 2001): 459-487. DOI. © 2001 SAGE Publications. Used with permission.

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