Citation

Winkler C. Terrorism 1989; 12(1): 21-30.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1989)

DOI

10.1080/10576108908435758

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Hostage crises have had negative effects on the last two presidents, crippling reelection bids and executive effectiveness. The public never forgave Jimmy Carter, but allowed Ronald Reagan to leave office the most popular president since Franklin Roosevelt. This analysis argues that presidential rhetoric is a key variable which explains the public's discrepant response. Recognizing the constraining effect of presidential rhetoric on future words and actions, this study posits that Carter's early rhetorical choices placed him in an untenable posture with the public, while Reagan's early choices allowed him sufficient flexibility to retain a successful image. The study concludes that Carter's rhetoric heightened the sense of crisis, associated him with repeated failures, intimated that he had no other solutions, and precluded traditional arguments for allaying public concern. Reagan's rhetoric discouraged public scrutiny, preserved argumentative options for diffusing public frustration, and maintained consistency with his promise to bring criminals to justice.

Language: en