Re“Characterizing” the Anecdote: Synecdoche and Ethotic Argument in Presidential Debate Rhetoric

Abstract

For over four decades, presidential campaign rhetoric has focused intensely on the person of the candidate. One rhetorical strategy candidates employ to construct positive presidential image is the anecdote. This essay recharacterizes the status and rhetorical functions of anecdotes told in presidential debates. I argue how this complexly condensed, narrative-based strategy combines synecdoche with ethotic argument to engender representations of presidential identity. A more nuanced understanding of the role anecdote plays in the existing scholarship on narrative and presidential rhetoric is extended. My position is supported anecdotally by a close textual analysis of anecdotes employed by Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush.