Political Conversion as Intrapersonal Argument: Self-Dissociation in David Brock's Blinded by the Right

Abstract

Political conversion narratives are pervasive features of U.S. public discourse, yet their workings and functions are still relatively uncharted. This essay explores the rhetoric of journalist and activist David Brock, a convert from the political right to the left. I argue that Brock's controversial autobiography, Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative, demonstrates how conversion experiences can be enacted through dissociative argumentation. In particular, the author uses a series of what I term self-dissociations to define a new identity and advance movement advocacy. The paper concludes by evaluating political transformation in relation to dissociation, identity, and U.S. politics.

Key Words:

• conversion
• dissociation
• identity
• movements
• intrapersonal argument