Finding the Hidden Meanings in Presidential Messages

Who: Kathleen Jamieson

Where: Hendricks Chapel

When: Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.

How much: Free

 

Growing up in Minnesota, Kathleen Jamieson watched big political names from her state, such as Hubert Humphrey, Walter Mondale and Eugene McCarthy, get elected to various positions in the White House, all before she graduated high school.

‘The people who were political leaders in my state were easy to follow and become interested in,’ she said.

Jamieson, director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania, will discuss the truths and lies in presidential candidate speeches Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Hendricks Chapel.

‘Finding the Hidden Meanings in Presidential Messages’ is the second event in this year’s University Lectures series and is co-sponsored by the Department of Communication and Rhetorical Studies.

Jamieson is the author or co-author of 15 books and 90 academic articles on various campaign topics. ‘The Obama Victory: How Media, Money, and Messages Shaped the 2008 Election,’ which she co-authored, was released in June. She is also the founder of FactCheck.org, a website that researches and publishes articles about what current candidates are saying and whether or not it is true.

Jamieson has been involved in politics since she was young.

Jamieson’s family is filled with both Republicans and Democrats, and even at a young age, she attended many campaign rallies, she said. Jamieson’s surroundings sparked her interest in political rhetoric and led her to study communication as a college student and rhetoric as a college professor. 

At the lecture, Jamieson said she plans to talk about how to dissect and watch political races through the speeches given by candidates.

She said she aims to teach strategies an average person can use to make sense of what presidential candidates say. She will feature numerous video vignettes depicting candidates and presidents making promises and deceiving their audience. The most discussed candidates of the night will be President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush, although videos will reach back to the Nixon presidency.

During the clips of candidates campaigning, she will point out how each promise or speech hindered the candidate’s ability to govern after being elected. What is said during the campaign might not be as important to a candidate once elected, she said.

‘Things presidents said can come back to haunt them, and I plan to ask you: Why?’ Jamieson said.

Jamieson encourages others to pay attention to what a candidate says and intends to get her audience involved in the discussion and interested in using FactCheck.org as a resource.

‘What a candidate says matters,’ Jamieson explained. ‘Paying attention to what they say is rewarding. One can gain insight, which is important to voting, by listening carefully.’

Francesca Capotorto, a freshman public relations major, said she planned to go to the lecture so she can learn to better dissect political speech in class.

‘It will piggyback what we are learning in ‘Communications and Society’ and be beneficial information for my first writing assignment,’ Capotorto said.

Esther Gray, special assistant for academic affairs, said Jamieson’s talk will be relevant to SU students interested in politics. 

‘I think that is a timely topic, given that elections are only a couple weeks away,’ Gray said. ‘She will be relevant to any students who are civic-minded and recognize the importance of our political system and the effect of the media and advertising to shape and influence.’

Gray said Jamieson’s topic will also appeal to a wide audience because communication is something everyone shares.

‘Jamieson speaks about language — the power of it, how it is used and who it influences,’ Gray said. ‘We all use and are influenced by language, so to understand the nuances of hidden meanings and how to look for them is very important for any student in all disciplines to understand.’

ejdoyon@syr.edu

Published on October 11, 2010 at 12:00 pm