An Analysis of the Logic of Televised Campaign Advertisements

Abstract

A set of "idio-logical attributes" was used to identify styles of "concludifying" in texts of paid political campaign advertising broadcast during the 1972 presidential election. Republican and Democratic advertisements were found to be similar in the variety and proportion of concludifying styles employed. Advertisements tended to avoid styles classified as "informal logical fallacies," but included common "cognitive maneuvers." Patterns of subject/ object association among candidate, party, and issue themes were found to reflect common interpretations of Nixon and McGovern campaign strategies.