“The Great Communicator” and “The Great Talker” on the Radio: Projecting Presidential Personas

Abstract

This article analyzes the impressions thai two recent presidents (“the Great Communicator, ” Ronald Reagan; and “the Great Talker, ” Bill Clinton) conveyed in their Saturday morning radio addresses. Attention centers on two dimensions: activity and positivity. Clinton projected a more active anda more positive image than Reagan. On these dimensions, Reagan's use of language was closer to the American norm than Clinton's, although the differences between them were not truly fundamental. These findings help clarify why Reagan is generally considered the more effective communicator of the two and reinforce earlier indications of the “generic” character of presidential rhetoric.