In lack of ‘Will’? Strategic ‘Future-ness’ and Barack Obama’s experiment: From intention negotiation to will creation and political action in Barack Obama’s e-mail campaigning

Abstract

Time is conventionally conceptualized in terms of space, also affecting the articulation of identity. The relation between time, space and identity will be discussed through theoretically questioning the formal expression of future time, and particularly “will” future, in English to observe its potential cognitive and pragmatic implications – i.e. how ‘future-ness’ can become “strategic” – on identity construction – cf. “progressive identity” – and persuasion. Barack Obama’s e-mail campaigning (2008–2010) is used as a case in point. More specifically, the articulation of ‘future-ness’ emerging here suggests interesting consequences on national and political identity construction and consent creation. If the consistent use of new information and communication technologies has been crucial in determining Barack Obama’s communicative fortune, his rhetorical style (inclusive rhetoric, progressive logic, conceptual reframing) has also been undoubtedly significant in the construction of his audience consent, at least in the first part of his Presidency. But the question is, how this progressive logic comes to be specifically constructed and articulated along with the audience involvement? The present article focuses on some persuasive instances observable in Barack Obama’s e-mail campaigning (2008–2010) to reason on the discoursal move the President suggests from intention negotiation to will creation and political action. More specifically, it will investigate the discoursal construction of ‘progressive identity’, ideological change and involvement creation before and after the elections. Additionally, the strategic use of the shifting from public/institutional to private sphere will also be taken into account as a specific medium-driven characteristic. In this respect, particularly significant has come out to be the articulation of ‘future-ness’ as identity projection, which is in turn continuously negotiated amongst the subjects of the discourse.

Keywords

‘Future-ness’persuasion campaigning progressive identity consent strategic narrative metaphor

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