Intensification And Minimization ─ Persuasive Techniques In The Present Political Discourse
Intensification And Minimization ─ Persuasive Techniques In The Present Political Discourse

Summary/Abstract: The political discourse is a “discourse of influence” whose particular nature can be outlined by firstly beginning from the persuasive effect directed to the audience. This type of speech is based on a special relationship (oriented, intentioned, dissimulated) with the receiver, showing its effectiveness exclusively in relation with this one and only on the background of a supportive climate. In these conditions, in the present work, we propose a delimitation of the persuasive strategies used in the present Romanian political discourse and, implicitly, an analysis of their functioning from the perspective of Rank's Model. We consider that this model is essential to approach a political discourse as a process of persuasion, since it lays on an appropriate understanding of persuasion’s mechanisms, which can prevent the manifestation of manipulation, being centered upon the development of the discourse’s active/critical reception. Thus, we will analyze the manner in which the two main persuasive strategies - intensification and minimization - concretize themselves in today’s politicians’ speeches, on the basis of two substrategies: on the one hand, the intensification of their own strong points/intensification of opponents’weak points, and, on the other hand, the minimization of their vulnerable points/minimization of their opponents’strong points. The analyzed material is represented by the political speeches from the first electoral confrontation from Cluj, between the candidate of the National Liberal Party, Crin Antonescu and Traian Băsescu, on 14th November 2009 (debate broadcasted by Realitatea TV). On the basis of this televised political debate, we will illustrate that political discourse is (or at least should be) a discursive space carefully elaborated, whose efficiency particularly depends on the force of the discursive strategies, meant to influence the audience.

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