This volume explores three different genres of public speech in the context of the US presidential discourse. Eulogies, commencement addresses, and concession speeches are liminal genres unfolding during moments of passage which are incorporated into larger rituals, thus interplaying with other genres. Despite being ceremonial genres, they hybridize, combining deliberative and epideictic aspects. These genres are explored in terms of their social functions in the context of specific discourse communities and the discursive strategies they employ to achieve their functions. To this end, the volume draws on Critical Discourse Analysis in combination with rhetorical, pragmatic and persuasive frameworks.
The volume also reflects on the effects of mediatization on political discourse which has produced personalization, conversationalization and even spectacularization of presidential genres. With their balanced mix between solemn and casual style, these genres illustrate how presidents continue to inspire the nation reinforcing American identity through references to the sacredness of American democracy and values.