The Dole “Godless Americans” advert: representations of the unfaithful, disloyal villains

Abstract

Using a rhetorical analytic methodology, this study examines the representations constructed in the “Godless Americans” advert from the North Carolina 2008 US Senate race between incumbent Republican Elizabeth Dole and Democratic challenger Kay Hagan. Bringing to consciousness ideologies that influence messages is important because they are often taken at face value without understanding of their underlying meaning. Religious faith, morality and trustworthiness are values conveyed in this advert through the devices of framing, coded language and propaganda techniques. Non-linguistic elements are effectively coordinated to perpetuate the code of disloyal villains, activating cognitive networks of fear and anger toward atheists. By marginalizing atheists, an ideology that runs counter to the US Constitution is exposed coming from a lawmaker entrusted to uphold it.

Keywords:

• political advertising
• rhetorical analysis
• semiotics
• affective intelligence
• religion

Acknowledgements

This article is based upon an earlier version of a paper presented in the United States at the 70th Annual Pennsylvania Communication Association Conference in October 2009, and was awarded second place in the Pennsylvania Communication Association Writing Competition for graduate students at this conference. The author would like to thank Dr Fabienne Darling-Wolf for her suggested improvements and Dr Karen Ross for her referral suggestion.