2022 Spring Research Symposium

The Age of Aquarius: Bill and Hillary Clinton’s Use of Narrative in Empowering the Boomer Generation

How do politicians employ narrative within political and electioneering speech? How do they use generational narrative? The Boomer generation is unique, largely due to the social turmoil present in their adolescence during the 1960s, which shaped Boomer identity. Divisions resulting from the Boomers’ anti-Vietnam-War stance led to doubts on Boomers’ capability to lead. Thus, how do Bill and Hillary Clinton, two prominent Boomers, use Boomer narrative within their political and electioneering speech? This study utilizes qualitative textual analysis of eight speeches and three interviews from the Clintons to explore their use of Boomer generational narrative. The analysis of narrative structure and implicit and explicit references to the Boomers was supplemented by an examination of memoirs, speech drafts, and memoranda. Evidence of the Boomer narrative emerged in all texts. The Clintons speak on Boomer-centric experiences using personal narrative, often including self-referential language, storytelling-like speech, and master plotlines. Explicit and implicit references to 1960s events were plentiful, including the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, second-wave feminism, the Kennedys, and counterculture social movements. References to generation were also prevalent. The Clintons are leading figures of their generation, and their political success validates the Baby Boomers. Often, Bill’s Boomer narrative hinges on using his humble beginnings to elicit support from Black Americans and the labor movement. Much of Hillary’s Boomer narrative centers on Boomer feminism. This study is unique in its focus on the role of the Boomer narrative. This study has implications for politics, persuasive speech, and generational rhetoric.

PRESENTED BY
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Advised By
David Eisenhower
Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg School
Kimberly Dyuck Woolf
Research Director for Undergraduate Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication.
PRESENTED BY
College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant
Annenberg School for Communication
Advised By
David Eisenhower
Director of the Institute for Public Service at the Annenberg School
Kimberly Dyuck Woolf
Research Director for Undergraduate Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication.

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