7/28/2019 DT essay2

1/18

2013

Student: Kinga Gyorfi

Student no.: 202RE

Discipline: Discourse

TheoryUBB, FSE, RISE 3

ENG

15th May 2013

[Analysis of Michelle Obamas Discourse in the light of

E. laclau and Ch. Mouffe]Abstract: The essay provides a concise theoretical basis about Discourse Theory inorder to understand and to emphasize the framework and the used methodology.

The second part it is subject to the empirical research and it represent the critical

analysis of a sample discourse of Michelle Obama, namely the one delivered at the

Democratic National Convention in 2012 applied by the instrumentality of the

above mentioned theory. The purpose of the paper is to provide an analysis that is

based on a particular theory, and thus to enhance the presence of the 5 arguments

of E. Laclau and Ch. Mouffe in the speech of the political discourse-provider,

namely Michelle Obama.

7/28/2019 DT essay2

2/18

P a g e | 1

1.

Introduction

The contemporary modern politics pursued in the context of

democracy is increasingly focused more on the political actor, on the

personality or the image it generates; putting into obscurity ideas, ideology

or political institutions. Modern politics is enhanced by the image of that,

which holds the power.

Another times, politics meant ideas. Today, politics is people.

Or rather characters. Every leader seems to choose a function and to

assume a role, just like in a show .1

The current trends of political reconfiguration are involving a process ofpersonalization, within which are emphasized the personal sources of

power, namely attributes and personality traits of the politicians, aspects

that give shape to the activity of the political leader2. The emotional

investment of the political actor in a certain issue is affecting all the aspects

that perpetrate the achievement of a situational diagnosis and the outlining

of a remedy.

Another trend of modern politics might be considered the rise of the

women-politician, as the configuration of world politics is increasingly

encompassing more female characters. The global arena of politics had an

abundant debut in terms of positioning women at the forefront of politics,starting with iconic figures like Margaret Thatcher, Eva Pern, Benazir

Bhutto and Dilma Rousseff as Brazil's first female president; Cristina

Fernndez de Kirchner - Argentina's president - being the first woman

succeeding her husband at the presidency; Jhanna Sigurardttir being

Iceland's first female prime minister and the first premier that married a

person of the same sex; Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf - President of Liberia -

debuting as the first black female president in the world and the first

woman in Africa as head of state; Angela Merkel - the first woman

chancellor in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, qualified four

times in a row by Forbes as the most powerful woman in the world3

.Recently, the United States recorded significant progress towards women's

1Roger-Grard Schwartzenberg, Claudiu Coman. Sferapublici imagineapolitic, Bucureti:

Editura C.H. Beck, 2010. p. 312Andrei Gheorghi,Lideri politici i construcia deciziei de vot, Iai: Institutul European,

2010, p. 293Andreea Paul (Vass),Forapolitic a femeilor, Iai: Polirom, 2011, pp. 368378

7/28/2019 DT essay2

3/18

P a g e | 2

rights and representation, New Hampshire being the first state in Congressthat sent a delegation of representatives composed exclusively of women.4

Another form of involvement of women in public life that conveys a

significant impact on society is the position of the First Lady. In the

American culture it has a substantial role both in her husband's career and

serving as a role model in the life of the nation. Clearly, the role of the First

Lady as the hostess of the White House includes classic aspects such as

appearances at certain ceremonies or chairing official dinners, but she must

also illustrate a model of activism, fighting to overcome social issues. 5

Whether they decide to run for a public office, as Hillary Clinton, or not,

the history of First Ladies of America is marked by some remarkablepersonalities, having a trendsetter role, such as Eleanor Roosevelt,

Jacqueline Kennedy, Rosalynn Carter and Michelle Obama, the latter being

the first African American women in this position.

But what makes Michelle Obama remarkable is how she transcended the

low expectations set for women and blacks to become an Ivy League-

educated lawyer and hospital executive, while clinging to the values of her

working-class upbringing: candor about lifes hard truths and the

overarching importance of family. 6

Discourse Theory serves as basis, as a tool for the understanding of the

intensions of the discourse producer.

Discourse is not limited only to the text itself, but has different poses, just

like a historical monument, "Lieu de memoire", a certain policy, a political

strategy, narrow or wide narratives, texts, speeches, conversations on a

particular topic and language.

The political discourse can take a wide range of forms, among which the

discourse of legitimacy; ideological discourse; doctrinal discourse; official

or contesting discourses; discourses with defensive or attacking

4 Bassett, Laura (2012), New Hampshire Elects First All-Women Delegation

[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-

women_n_2086133.html], 9 May 20135 Caroli, Betty Boyd., First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. New York:

Oxford University Press, 20106 David Olive,An American story: the speeches of Barack Obama, Toronto: ECW Press, 2008, p.

65

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.html

7/28/2019 DT essay2

4/18

P a g e | 3

characteristics, nationalist, populist, elitist, technocratic, pragmatic ornormative discourses , oriented towards the masses or sent to a specialized

public, direct or indirect, or articulated within a campaign [4].

The above mentioned facts represent the reasons why this paper

came into existence, and namely to interpret how Discourse Theory, and

even more precisely how Laclau and Mouffes key arguments can be

identified in political figures discourses.

In the first part of the essay a concise theoretical basis will be

provided in order to understand and to emphasize the framework and the

used methodology. The second part it is subject to the empirical research

and it represent the critical analysis of a sample discourse of MichelleObama, namely the one delivered at the Democratic National Convention

in 2012 applied by the instrumentality of the abovementioned theory. The

final part will assemble the result of the analysis and assert the conclusion

of the paper on a deductive basis.

7/28/2019 DT essay2

5/18

P a g e | 4

2. Discourse analysis in the eyes of E. Laclau and Ch. Mouffe

Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffes work was ispired by the Gramscian

critique of structural Marxism and aimed to develop a theory for a plural

and more radical democracy that will avoid the pitfalls of the Marxist

theory and its assumed closeness and essentialism impregnated with the

danger of totalitarianism. 7

The Gramscian ideas provided Laclau and Mouffe with inspiration and

analytic categories in their attempt to fight what they thought of as the

essentialist tenets of Marxism, like economism (epiphenomenalism andclass reductionism) and class consciousness, and develop their alternative

political project based on the concept of hegemony. 8

Having demonstrated the essentialist character of Marxist theory and that

hegemony for Marxists was a politically authoritarian response to the

problem of contingency, Laclau and Mouffe (1985) went on to develop their

own democratic theory of hegemony. To do so they drew on

poststructuralist philosophy, Lacanian psychoanalysis and the linguistic

philosophy of the later Wittgenstein, developing, in this way, a discursive

approach that led them to the conclusion that the external world is

discursively constructed and nothing has a meaning outside discourse.9

Laclau and Mouffe developed five key arguments of the discipline

Discourse Theory that can be found in every discourse of the political

figures: discourse background, hegemonic struggles, social antagonism,

dislocation of discourse and the final argument, split subject that is

emerged due to the dislocation of discourse.10

7 Jules Townshend, 1999 ; 2002a8 Jules Townshend, 1999 ; 2002a9 Mihalis Mentinis, Zapatistas, London: Pluto Press, 2006, p. 3810

Jacob Torfing, Discourse Theory: Achievments, Arguments and Challanges in: David Howarth

and Jacobs Torfing (eds.), Discourse Theory in European Politics, Identity, Policy and Governance,

Palgrave Macmillian, pp. 14-16.

7/28/2019 DT essay2

6/18

P a g e | 5

3. Analysis of Michelle Obamas discourse

3.1The discursive BackgroundThe first argument of Laclau and Mouffe states that all forms of social

practices take place in a background of historically specific discourses, and

therefore it should be taken into account in the analysis also the context,namely the discursive background. The affirmations we make are

constantly influenced by different interactions, such as thoughts, speeches

and actions. The discursive background is constructed either in terms of

equivalence or in terms of difference, due to the fact that individuals

construct the representation of the world throughout a binary system:

preference and avoidance, good and bad, what exists and what not, etc.

The discourse that is subject to our analysis is called "How hard you work"

and was sustained by the First Lady of America on the occasion of the

Democratic National Convention, held during 4-6 September, 2012 inCharlotte, the largest city in North Carolina . The Democratic National

Convention, being an event with tradition, is held every four years, and its

an opportunity to harmonize the party and also represents the nomination

and legitimizing of the duo-candidates in the national elections of the

United States of America. Basically, the event is an alloy of forces, a series

of speeches in support of candidates submitted by the top leaders of the

party, but also of other image vectors, from TV stars to fervent supporters.

The climax point of the convention starts with the acceptance speech of the

nominated candidate, the last two conventions starring Barack Obama as

the protagonist.The rhetoric performance of the First Lady lasted 25 minutes and it was

considered the culmination of the first day of the convention, being

presented with enthusiasm by the penultimate speaker, Elaine Brye, a

teacher from Ohio, mother of four youngsters, who serve their country in

the U.S. armed forces. In light of the above mentioned facts, Michelle

Obamas discourse is perhaps the second most powerful moment of the

7/28/2019 DT essay2

7/18

P a g e | 6

convention, after Obama's acceptance speech, the first lady being the mostprominent image vector of the candidate:

Overwhelmingly, Michelle Obama has been an asset to her husbands

campaign: a symbol of grit and grace under the everyday pressures of

caring for an extended family "11

The essence of the discourse is the legitimacy of Barack Obama as President

of the United States; the whole speech was a plea for the most powerful

leader of the world, focusing on the contribution that has brought to the

United States progress through work and motivation and imperative for a

new mandate to translate into reality the vision of what America couldbecome. The central theme of the discourse is the work and the ongoing

effort to meet the social problems faced by the American citizens. In this

context, the fundamental message of the discourse is that:

[] how hard you work matters more than how much you make.

3.2 The hegemonic struggle

Our discourses are constructed through hegemonic struggles that wish to

install a political and intellectual leadership. This leadership is established

through a certain articulation of meaning and identities. In other words, theobjective is to be hegemonic, and in order to do it there are struggles;

struggles among different representations of reality. These representations

of reality are themselves the result of a certain articulation of what we are

(identity) and what we believe in (meaning).

The argument that Michelle Obama offers to the public to justify the

necessary measures taken for the economic recovery, is that in critical

situations, none of the response is optimal, and what generates decisions

are not statistics, figures and expert advisors, but a different pragmatism

provided by the internal resources - values that guide your existence,vision and experience:

The issues that come across a Presidents desk are always the hard ones.

You know, the problems where no amount of data or numbers will get you

to the right answer. The judgment calls where the stakes are so high and

11David Olive. An American story: the speeches of Barack Obama, Toronto: ECW Press, 2008, p.

84

7/28/2019 DT essay2

8/18

P a g e | 7

there is no margin for error. And as President, you are going to get allkinds of advice from all kinds of people, but at the end of the day when it

comes time to make that decision as President, all you have to guide you

are your values and your vision and the life experiences that make you

who you are.

Among the new trends of modern liberalism is the public and universal

access to health care, the president's wife emphasizing his strength of

character; that he was not afraid to tackle such a delicate subject:

When it comes to the health of our families, Barack refused to listen to all

those folks who told him to leave health reform for another day, anotherpresident. He didnt care whether it was the easy thing to do politically.

No, that is not how he was raised. He cared that it was the right thing to

do. [] And no one in this country should ever go broke because of an

accident or an illness.

Another mark of modern liberalism is the Golden Rule promoted by the

U.S. President, which states that the United States can evolve exploiting the

principle of mutual respect:

We learned about honesty and integrity. That the truth matters. That you

dont take shortcuts or play by your own set of rules. And success doesntcount unless you earn it fair and square. We learned about gratitude and

humility. That so many people had a hand in our success, from the teachers

who inspired us to the janitors who kept our school clean. And we were

taught to value everyones contribution and treat everyone with respect.

By projecting thoughtfully their identity and the values they believe in,

Michelle creates the impression that they are the ideal candidate for the

dominant position within the hegemonic struggle.

3.3 antagonism the liberal discourse

Processes of articulation, of meaning and identity, are linked to the

construction of social antagonism. Social antagonism is rather simple and

binary, as it is based on the exclusion of the threatening other. In discursive

terms: the threatening other is a different discourse that could be practically

embodied by a rival group. In order to stabilize a particular representation

7/28/2019 DT essay2

9/18

P a g e | 8

of society it is necessary to produce an alternative to it. Such an alternativeis the threatening outside, which generally has negative characteristics, and

the entire social effort should be directed towards the exclusion of the

threatening other.

Michelle Obama is the most powerful vector image of the President, being

also the multiplier of his messages. Her speeches are pleading for Barack

Obama's political ideas and for the qualities that recommended him for the

presidency.

Barack Obama is currently the most representative figure of the DemocraticParty from the United States. The discourse that is resulting from this

posture is oriented towards the interests of the U.S. citizen, it is centered on

freedom-related issues, and it's presenting the main strategies for action in

various fields: political, institutional, social, economic, cultural, etc.

The democratic discourse opens the pathway for the debate between power

and opposition, reflecting a clear and firm political orientation, with

opportunistic tendencies such as "the winner takes all".

The ideology of the Democratic Party encompasses modern liberalism, the

latest trends in liberal discourse, including certain aspects such as women's

reproductive rights (pro-choice), sexual minority rights, an universal healthsystem as a competitive advantage of the Americans, multiculturalism as

an affirmative action for reducing discrimination; emphasizing Obama's

Golden Rule, namely mutual respect.

As for the delimitation of the liberal discourse from the conservative one,

the latter supports the principle of divine creation, while liberals affirm that

at the formation of the state lays a set of principles of humanity, contained

in the founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the

Constitution, the Bill of Rights. 12

However, liberal discourse is not excluding religion, especially when

talking about Obama's discourse, the hope and faith are leitmotifs:

[] and I think its time that we join a serious debate about how to

reconcile faith with our modern, pluralistic democracy13

12 Juraj Horvath. Critical Discourse Analysis of Obamas Political Discourse, p. 4813 David Olive.An American story: the speeches of Barack Obama, Toronto: ECW Press, 2008, p.

169

7/28/2019 DT essay2

10/18

P a g e | 9

Also, the concept of freedom appears in the liberal discourse in terms of

social and political rights of the individual; in other words the lack of

interference of the state, church or other individuals in the lives and

decisions of the individual.

Moreover, the notion of justice is also highlighted within the liberal

discourse, possessing the meaning of equality and affirmative action on the

social level.

Another discursive vector of liberal nature is capitalism; seen as a

phenomenon that generates wealth and is in favor of the public well-being.14

To configure the fundamental difference between the two ideologies is

relevant Hunter's view, which holds that while cultural conservatives

tend to define freedom from an economic perspective, as the economic

initiative of the individual, and justice from a social perspective (as fair

living); progressives tend to define freedom from a social perspective, as

individual rights, and justice from an economic perspective".15

On the other hand, an idea that reflects the simplicity and values that were

inoculated, may be interpreted as having a negative connotation, meaning

that, although Obama dont speaks directly his campaign opponents name,Michelle suggests a contrast between their modest lifestyle that they have

in comparison with wealthy life of Mitt Romney:

You see, Barack and I were both raised by families that did not have much

in the way of money or material possessions, but who had given us

something far more valuable: their unconditional love, their unflinching

sacrifice and the chance to go places they had never imagined for

themselves.

From this we can deduce the idea that the president can be reported, and

can resonate more than his opponent with the average American citizen.Thus, although seemingly is an apolitical discourse, presents an implicit

contrast between the values and experiences of Obama's life and those of

Mitt Romney.

14 Idem15 Juraj Horvath. Critical Discourse Analysis of Obamas Political Discourse, p. 48

7/28/2019 DT essay2

11/18

P a g e | 10

Moreover, the key idea of the speech is potentiating Obama's presidency:

Well today, after so many struggles and triumphs and moments that have

tested my husband in ways I never could have imagined, I have seen first-

hand that being president does not change who you are. No, it reveals who

you are.

3.4 Dislocation of dominant discourses

A dominant discourse becomes dislocated when it is confronted withevents that it cannot explain. All discourses are limited and ultimately

confronted with events that could destabilize them. All these discourses try

to become elastic and to stretch in such a way that developments within

society are integrated.

The second candidacy of Barack Obama comes on the basis of the public

approval rates (Job Approval) as the lowest among American presidents

after the Second World War. According to official surveys implemented by

Gallup 16, the average approval rate for the first term record 49.1%, placing

Obama on the third place from the bottom of the ranking. Degradation ofthe capital of image is a classic phenomenon, which can be attributed to the

decadence during his governance. If the case of President Barack Obama

the drop in popularity is due to the fragile economic context that has

generated difficult measures to the American society. One of the causes of

the depreciation of image capital of the American president is the

unemployment rate, which exceeded 10% in the first term (October 2009 -

10.1% 17). Only in the month when this discourse of Michelle Obama was

sustained was recorded a significant progress related to the

unemployment rate, which dropped for the first time during Obama's

mandate under 8%, returning to the same level of his first term as

16Jones, M. Jeffrey (2013), Obama Averages 49% Approval in First Term

[http://www.gallup.com/poll/159965/obama-averages-approval-first-

term.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndication], 7 May 201317

Rogers, John; Burn-Murdoch,John (2013), US jobless data: how has unemployment changed

under Obama?

[http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-data], 7

May 2013

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-datahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-data

7/28/2019 DT essay2

12/18

P a g e | 11

president, namely 7.8%18

. However, Gallup presents a series of indicatorsthat have undergone a positive development; indicators reflecting the

optimism of Americans: economic confidence index, satisfaction towards

the status quo, improvement of living standards etc.19

Overall, the figures show positivity towards the approval rate determined

by the managing skills of the current president during situations of crisis.

Thus, Obama's popularity among American citizens achieves a higher rate20

in response to his proper management of the disaster caused by Hurricane

Sandy, but he reaches the peak of popularity after the quota of approval

from October 2009 ; coinciding with his reaction to the massacre inNewtown , Connecticut.21The U.S. President attended and sustained a

speech at the memorial service of the victims and then implemented a plan

to combat violence caused by guns. Also, Barack Obama is recording an

increase in support from both citizens and other political parties22, due to

the elimination of the al-Qaida leader, Osama bin Laden, being considered

a notable achievement in managing terrorism.

If we take into consideration the fact that even if Barack Obama

didnt managed to fulfill the promises that he made in his first term, and

yet the Americans are optimistic and are continuing to visualize him as a

hero. Even though the Americans became more skeptical, and even thoughthey felt disappointed, they still wanted to believe in him. I might dare to

say that he was re-elected due to his popularity, and because Americans

have confidence in him. Michelle Obama became a part of the discourse;

more precisely she constructed her discourse in such manner that she

masked the fact that her husband didnt achieved the set objectives of the

first term and she gave the exact reason that the Americans were waiting to

18Idem

19 Newport, Frank (2012),Many Key Indicators Better Than When Obama Took Office

[http://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspx], 7 May201320Leighton, Kyle (2012) Obamas Approval Rises In Superstorm SandysWake

[http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.php], 8

May 201321 Newport, Frank (2012), Obama Approval at 56%, Highest Since October 2009

[http://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspx], 8 May

201322 Jones, M. Jeffrey (2011), Obama Approval Rally Largely Over

[http://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspx], 8 May 2013

http://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspxhttp://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.phphttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.phphttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspx

7/28/2019 DT essay2

13/18

P a g e | 12

hear in order to believe in him, by illustrating that he is still a hero, but hejust needs more time. The discourse of Barack Obamas first term was no

longer viable in the second term, due to the fact that the circumstances have

changed. The presidents first discourse, that was based more on aspects

related to economic improvement, was not applicable anymore, due to the

fact that he couldnt fulfill his promises, therefore there occurred a

dislocation of discourse, that forced the presidential couple to change the

discourse.

As I mentioned earlier the discourse of Michelle is constructed in order to

legitimize Barack Obama's candidacy and is a vehicle for the enhancement

of his message. The discourse is legitimizing the measures and the politicalideas of president Obama and supports the necessity for a new mandate in

order to carry out his vision, his plan to lead America towards harmony

and social justice, prosperity and security, through hard work and

collective effort. Moreover, the president's wife does not miss the

opportunity to emphasize the power, grandeur of U. S within the world

and the uniqueness of the American spirit.

3.5 Split subject

According to discourse theory the subject of discourse, the individual, will

always emerge as a split subject. Discourse Teory is in this respect on the

same line as Slavoj Zizek23, theorizing the political sphere as a sphere of less

accomplished identity, or in other words; one of the key questions of social

sciences was to search for an answer in order to find out the relation

between the subject and the structure. This fifth argument emphasizes that

all the subjects are split subjects, that there is no such thing as full identity

integrated in a group or society, and that the promise of such an identity

works as a mobiliser, pushing the individuals towards an increasingly

radical political option. It is a matter of public control over the politicalforces inside to avoid a scenario where individuals are guided towards

excluding and repressing specific minorities.

All personal examples presented by the president's wife go to the core of

the discourse linking biographical and political elements in an ingenious

way:

23Sergiu Miscoiu, Discourse Theory course, UBB FSE, Cluj-Napoca

7/28/2019 DT essay2

14/18

P a g e | 13

We learned about dignity and decency. That how hard you work mattersmore than how much you make. That helping others means more than just

getting ahead yourself.24

Another ideological aspect present in the discourse of the First Lady is the

rebuilding of the economy. Based on the power of example, it starts from

the example of ordinary people, that are part of the working-class and shes

emphasizing the example of her father and of the grandmother of Barack in

order to justify economic measures taken by the president during his first

term, on the basis of the economic crisis:

Hes thinking about the pride that comes from a hard days work [] Thatis why he cut taxes for working families and small businesses and fought to

get the auto industry back on its feet. Thats how he brought our economy

from the brink of collapse to creating jobs again. Jobs you can raise a family

on, good jobs.25

The liberal discourse had assigned a different valence to the concept of the

American Dream, reflecting equal opportunities for all individuals.

Michelle Obama supports the idea, but also promotes the idea of social

mobility, the evolution of the citizen in the social hierarchy as a result of

sustained effort, presenting the president as a role model even within the

analyzed discourse:Barack knows the American dream, because he lived it" 26

All these carefully combined elements are meant to offer simple people the

chance to believe again that they can live the American dream, that they

can overcome the issues caused by economic factors. Michelle built her

discourse on strong signifiers such as dignity, social responsibility, and on

the other hand on the promise of a good life, as a result of hard work,

therefore projecting an image of fulfillment, an image of a complete

identity.

24Obama, Michelle (2012), Transcript: Michelle Obama's Convention Speech

[http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-

speech], 5 May 201325

Idem 2426

Idem 24

7/28/2019 DT essay2

15/18

P a g e | 14

4. ConclusionsThe First Lady's speech at the Democratic National Convention is deeply

personal, which relies on the power of example. Through the personal

examples that she presents to the audience, Michelle Obama tries to justify

the president's economic measures, to enhance the development of the

United States during Obama's first term and to legitimize a new mandate inthe service of America. The First Lady also portrays Obama as a politician

devoted to his country, and as a political actor with vision and with

principles, who did not hesitate to approach delicate subjects for the fear of

losing capital image, and last but not least as a perfect husband and father.

The First Lady leverages the symbol of "nation" and invites the public to

exercise their democratic rights, to vote and to contribute to the evolution

of the American society:

Barack knows the American dream because hes lived it. And he wants

everyone in this country, everyone to have the same opportunity no matter

who we are or where we are from or what we look like or who we love.And he believes that when youve worked hard and done well and walk

through that doorway of opportunity, you do not slam it shut behind you.

No, you reach back and you give other folks the same chances that helped

you succeed [] So today, when the challenges we face start to seem

overwhelming or even impossible, let us never forget that doing the

impossible is the history of this nation. It is who we are as Americans. It is

how this country was built.27

Finally, Michelle Obama pleads for her husband's vision and invokes the

American nation for accountability, namely throughout the re-election ofBarack Obama, to achieve progress and social justice. She is finalizing her

discourse in very strategic manner, by relying on relevant signifiers with

the campaign slogan: Forward

27Obama, Michelle (2012), Transcript: Michelle Obama's Convention Speech

[http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-

speech], 5 May 2013

7/28/2019 DT essay2

16/18

P a g e | 15

[] then we must work like never before, and we must once again cometogether, and stand together for the man we can trust to keep moving this

great country forward.28

28Obama, Michelle (2012), Transcript: Michelle Obama's Convention Speech

[http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-convention-

speech], 5 May 2013

7/28/2019 DT essay2

17/18

P a g e | 16

Bibliography

Books:

1. Andreea Paul (Vass), Forapolitica femeilor, Iai: Polirom, 20112. Andrei Gheorghi, Lideri politici i construcia deciziei de vot, Iai: Institutul

European, 2010

3. Caroli, Betty Boyd., First Ladies: From Martha Washington to Michelle Obama.New York: Oxford University Press, 2010

4. David Olive,An American story: the speeches of Barack Obama, Toronto: ECWPress, 2008

5. Jacob Torfing, Discourse Theory: Achievments, Arguments and Challanges in:David Howarth and Jacobs Torfing (eds.), Discourse Theory in European Politics,

Identity, Policy and Governance, Palgrave Macmillian,

6. Jules Townshend, 1999 ; 2002a7. Juraj Horvath. Critical Discourse Analysis of Obamas Political Discourse8. Mihalis Mentinis, Zapatistas, London: Pluto Press, 20069. Roger-Grard Schwartzenberg, Claudiu Coman. Sferapublici imaginea

politic, Bucureti: Editura C.H. Beck, 2010

10. Sergiu Miscoiu, Discourse Theory course, UBB FSE, Cluj-Napoca

Electronic sources:

11. Bassett, Laura (2012), New Hampshire Elects First All-Women Delegation[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-

women_n_2086133.html], 9 May 2013

12.Jones, M. Jeffrey (2011), Obama Approval Rally Largely Over[http://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-

Largely.aspx], 8 May 2013

13.Jones, M. Jeffrey (2013), Obama Averages 49% Approval in First Term[http://www.gallup.com/poll/159965/obama-averages-approval-first-term.aspx?utm_source=tagrss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=syndica

tion], 7 May 2013

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/148046/Obama-Approval-Rally-Largely.aspxhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.htmlhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/07/new-hampshire-elects-all-women_n_2086133.html

7/28/2019 DT essay2

18/18

P a g e | 17

14. Leighton, Kyle (2012) Obamas Approval Rises In Superstorm SandysWake[http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-

sandy.php], 8 May 2013

15. Newport, Frank (2012),Many Key Indicators Better Than When Obama TookOffice[http://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-

took-office.aspx], 7 May 2013

16. Newport, Frank (2012), Obama Approval at 56%, Highest Since October 2009 [http://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspx], 8 May 2013

17. Obama, Michelle (2012), Transcript: Michelle Obama's Convention Speech[http://www.npr.org/2012/09/04/160578836/transcript-michelle-obamas-

convention-speech], 5 May 2013

18. Rogers, John; Burn-Murdoch,John (2013), US jobless data: how hasunemployment changed under Obama?

[http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-

unemployment-data], 7 May 2013

http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.phphttp://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.phphttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-datahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-datahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-datahttp://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/us-jobless-unemployment-datahttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/159440/obama-approval-highest-october-2009.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspxhttp://www.gallup.com/poll/157382/key-indicators-better-obama-took-office.aspxhttp://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.phphttp://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/11/obama-approval-superstorm-sandy.php