Convention oratory as institutional discourse: A Narrative synthesis of the democrats and republicans of 1988

Abstract

This essay explores the theoretical distinctiveness of institutional discourse through a narrative method tailored to that task. As exemplars of institutional rhetoric, the author evaluates the oratory from the 1988 national nominating conventions. The findings indicate the Democrats told an uneven tale of competence and hope while the Republicans sought continuity and expansion. These results suggest the GOP convention achieved the institution's transitional objectives whereas the Atlanta assembly failed to establish a foundation for the fall campaign.