The Footrace Metaphor in American Presidential Rhetoric

• Autores: Stephan R. Walk
• Localización: Sociology of sport journal, ISSN 0741-1235, Vol. 12, Nº. 1, 1995, págs. 36-55
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo
• Resumen

  • A constitutive view of metaphor is used to examine speeches of Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan. This analysis shows Johnson’s establishment of the metaphor of the footrace to describe life in the United States and Reagan’s attempt to contest this metaphor. Johnson’s rhetoric appealed to the notion of the “starting line” and the need for government to establish equal competitive conditions. Reagan appealed to the “runners” and argued that individual competitors need to rely on athletic “character” rather than government to succeed. It is argued that attention to the sport metaphor in public discourse as well as to the theoretical points raised in its analysis is needed in the sociology of sport.