Schubert2019

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Schubert2019
BibType ARTICLE
Key Schubert2019
Author(s) Christoph Schubert
Title ‘OK, well, first of all, let me say …’: Discursive uses of response initiators in US presidential primary debates
Editor(s)
Tag(s) common ground, conversation analysis, discourse analysis, discourse marker, election debate, information management, media discourse, persuasion, response initiator, self- and other-presentation, turn-taking, US political discourse, speech acts, turn-initial particles, American English
Publisher
Year 2019
Language English
City
Month
Journal Discourse Studies
Volume 21
Number 4
Pages 438–457
URL Link
DOI 10.1177/1461445619842734
ISBN
Organization
Institution
School
Type
Edition
Series
Howpublished
Book title
Chapter

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Abstract

This article examines the discursive uses of frequent response initiators by Republican and Democratic presidential candidates in the genre of televised US primary debates. Ten full transcripts of debates held between February and April 2016 are investigated from the perspectives of political discourse studies and conversation analysis. It is shown that the response initiators well, first of all, look, you know and let me (just) speech act verb fulfill specific discursive functions in competitive media discourse. On the textual level, candidates exert power and control by negotiating turn-taking processes and managing the information flow. On the interactional level, competitors use response initiators to frame themselves as likable and competent personas, to establish common ground with voters and to enhance negative perceptions of opponents. Conclusively, in the multilogue of election debates, response initiators significantly contribute to the construction of individual preferability.

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