In Through the Out Door: Examining the Use of Outsider Appeals in Presidential Debates

Abstract

A great deal of anecdotal analysis has been devoted to the use of anti‐Washington language in presidential campaigns, but no effort has been made to systematically explain what type of candidate uses this language or what factors influence the adoption of outsider rhetoric. This work utilizes debate transcripts from 1976 to 2016. Using a keywords approach that captures “outsider” appeals, the data show that this rhetoric is not limited to pure outsiders but is employed by a myriad of candidates. Furthermore, the data suggest that the adoption of outsider appeals does not seem to be driven by presidential approval, divided government, or polarization. This work provides a rigorous methodological approach that goes beyond anecdotal explanations of how and why candidates attempt to go outside to get in.