Communication 395: 2008 Presidential Campaign Rhetoric
Fall 2008
Prof. Christian Spielvogel
Office: 128 Martha Miller Center
Phone: Ext. 7596
E-mail: spielvogel@hope.edu
Office Hours: M, W, F 11:00-11:50 a.m.

OVERVIEW

This special topics seminar uses the 2008 presidential election campaign as an extended case study of the communication process. Viewing the campaign as a lengthy conversation between the press, candidates, and the public, we will be eavesdropping for ten weeks on the 2008 campaign to assess its quality and effectiveness, both for the candidates and the democratic process. Each component of the communication process—including speakers, medium, message, and audience—will be taken into consideration to help us interpret the meaningfulness of this complex conversation. Television ads, convention speeches, photo-ops, news coverage, and debates are just a few of the forms of communication that we will be dissecting in class. Before dropping in on this conversation, however, we must learn how to listen to it, and so we will devote time learning how to be effective critics of campaign talk.

The election provides us with a unique opportunity to create daily connections between the classroom and the world outside of it. You will be expected to keep up with election news on a daily basis, and bring in examples of campaign discourse that challenge, extend, and deepen our understanding of the concepts and theories discussed in class. The pace of the first ten weeks of the semester leading up to the election will resemble an intense seminar, culminating with election night on Tuesday, November 4. In other words, let’s be political junkies for a few months!! We will end the seminar portion of the course the day after the election and begin writing research papers on some dimension of campaign rhetoric that you will share with the class at the end of the semester.

READINGS

1. Crouse, Timothy. The Boys on the Bus. New York: Ballantine Books, 1973.
2. McCain, John and Mark Salter. Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir. New York: Harper, 2008.
3. Obama, Barack. Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance. New York: Crown, 2007.
4. Schroeder, Alan. The Presidential Debates: Fifty Years of High Risk TV. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008.
5. Wallace, Jim. The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith and Politics in a Post-Religious Right America. New York: Harper, 2008.

ARTICLES AND ESSAYS (provided by instructor)

CNN Student News One-Sheet: Electoral College

Frank, Thomas. What’s the Matter With Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America.

Jamieson, Kathleen Hall. Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992 (excerpts).

ASSIGNMENTS

Campaign Issues Report: We will, in the first week of class, identify the top six issues or problems that you think are vital to the future of our nation and will be impacted by the election of either Barack Obama or John McCain. Working in pairs, each group will be responsible for selecting one issue or problem. Groups will research and share the two candidates’ positions on your issue, distribute one or two short articles, links, or video clips that provide background information about the problem, and lead a class discussion about the problem and the candidates’ “framing” of the problem and their proposed solutions.

Note: Some of the external readings on your issue will come from Wallis’ Great Awakening.

Television Advertisement Analysis: Working in groups of three, you will be responsible for analyzing the rhetorical dynamics of one televised presidential campaign advertisement broadcast between 1952 and 2008. Your papers should extend, challenge, apply, and/or revise Kathleen Jamieson’s theories and/or methods for analyzing political campaign advertisements outlined in Dirty Politics. Length: 6-9 pages, excluding the appendix, which will include a transcript of the ad. Source: Refer to the excellent website www.livingroomcandidate.com for numerous examples of ads from 1952-2008.

Swing States Presentation: Working in groups of three, students will deliver a ten-minute power point presentation to the class in which they describe the pivotal issues and demographics of a key election swing state (e.g. Ohio, Michigan, or Florida). Each group should hand in a one-page bibliography at the end of their presentation. Make sure you describe the following:

1. A breakdown of the significant demographic groups and regions in the state.
2. The issues that strongly impact the voters in the state.
3. Presidential election voting tendencies in the state since 1980.
4. The candidates’ strengths and weaknesses in the state.
5. The candidates’ communication strategies in the state.
6. The latest polls in the state.
7. The potential significance of that state in the overall electoral vote.
8. Your prediction of who will win the state and why.

Hosting a Public Campaign Event—The Debates: Our class will moderate a public discussion of the second presidential debate in the Fried/Hemenway Auditorium in the Martha Miller Center on Tuesday, October 7 (Town Hall Format). The debates are scheduled for 9/26, 10/7, and 10/15. The vice presidential debate will be held on October 2.

Final Research Paper: Working in groups of two, and using one of the ten rhetorical criticism research methods learned in COMM 260, you will be responsible for creating a 10 page research paper that analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of some instance or recurring dimension of 2008 campaign talk. Each group should strive to produce a polished research paper that will be submitted to a national undergraduate research conference at the end of the term.

[Note: Two groups went to San Francisco to present their research when I last taught the course in 2004].

Service Learning: This semester you will volunteer for up to two hours per week at the local campaign headquarters for either Barack Obama or John McCain. You can also propose to work for another volunteer organization as long as its efforts are directly related to the 2008 presidential election.

News and Opinions: You will be expected to subscribe to the online version of the New York Times (it’s free) and read one article per day (Sun-Thurs) from the paper’s opinion page. You should also keep up with all campaign news by spending 15 minutes per day reading either a newspaper, blog, or watching a television program (i.e., The Daily Show, Hardball).

EXAMS

There will be a final reflective essay exam that will take place during the regularly scheduled final exam time.

ATTENDANCE POLICY

I expect that you will attend class regularly. The learning process in this course requires your constant participation as a speaker, listener, group member, and peer evaluator. More than two unexcused absences will result in a deduction of a half letter grade off your final course participation grade for each class missed. Arriving to class late and leaving class early is disruptive and will result in a loss of participation points.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS

• Honesty: Plagiarism is the use of another person’s words or ideas without appropriate acknowledgment. Plagiarism and cheating will result in immediate failure of the course and possible action by the department, dean, or college.
• Reading and Participation: Assigned readings should be read prior to class. You are expected to be able to engage in-class assignments and discussion that are dependent on the assigned readings. Keep a record of reading notes and make a list of discussion questions for each reading.
• Assignments and Exams: Assignment due dates are indicated in the syllabus. Late assignments will not be accepted more than one week past the stated due date. Late papers cannot receive a grade higher than a B. Exams must be taken during the scheduled exam time. If you miss an exam due to a critical medical or family emergency, you must notify me prior to the scheduled exam. In-class assignments and exercises cannot be made-up.
• Seeking Extra Help: If you do not understand a reading or assignment, please see me as soon as possible.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Since participation is so central to a liberal arts education, let me be clear about what I expect from you. The following represents a scale for grading classroom participation:

From John C. Bean and Dean Paterson, “Grading Classroom Participation,” in Changing the Way We Grade Student Performance.

A A student receiving an A comes to class prepared; contributes readily to the conversation but doesn’t dominate it; makes thoughtful contributions that advance the conversation; shows interest in and respect for others’ views; participates actively in small groups; consistently pushes discussion to a “deeper” level of analysis.

B Comes to class prepared and makes thoughtful comments when called upon; contributes occasionally without prompting; shows interest in and respect for others’ views; participates actively in small groups.

C A student receiving a C comes to class prepared, but does not voluntarily contribute to discussions and gives only minimal answers when called upon. Nevertheless these students show interest in the discussion, listen attentively, take notes, and attend class regularly.

D A student receiving a D participates occasionally in discussion, but in a problematic way. Such students may talk too much, make rambling or tangential contributions, and sidetrack the discussion. Students in this range may also continually interrupt others with digressive questions, failing to acknowledge cues of annoyance from instructor or students. Students who receive a D also have a spotty attendance record, show up for class late on occasion, and are often inattentive during class.

F Students in this range often don’t participate because they haven’t read the material or done the homework. Students receiving an F miss class frequently, provide incorrect answers when called upon, reflect a negative attitude towards learning while in the classroom, and rarely, if ever, participate in class discussion or group work.

Grading

There will be 500 total points in this course. They will be divided as follows:

CLASS SCHEDULE