THE RHETORIC OF HOPE: BARACK OBAMA’S PROMISES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSES
THE RHETORIC OF HOPE: BARACK OBAMA’S PROMISES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESSES

Summary/Abstract: The present article looks into the way in which former US President Barack Obama capitalizes on the emotional resources of the rhetoric of hope, making use of promises in the State of the Union Addresses in order to win over the audience or, as the case may be, to reinforce his legitimacy and enhance the credibility of his political persona. The research sheds light on the role promises play in political communication, on the way in which they have become an inherent part of a politician’s permanent campaigning, that is, campaigning that goes beyond electoral purposes and aims to put forward and consolidate a specific, long-lasting public image. The corpus consists of the State of the Union Addresses Obama delivered throughout his two terms of office, and our main goal is to identify how the speaker resorts to making promises both for electoral purposes, and to adequately respond to the public’s expectations. Thus, promises not only help lay out the prospect of a brighter future, they also contribute to shaping a political agenda in line with the requirements of the audience.

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