An Analysis of Post 9/11 Presidential Rhetoric - Lead-up to the Iraq War

Bachelor Thesis From The Year 2009 In The Subject American Studies - Linguistics Grade: 10 University Of Hildesheim (English Department) Language: English Abstract: On The Morning Of May 1St 2003 President George W. Bush Landed On The Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Off The Coast Of San Diego California Announcing From Its Deck That Major Combat Operations In Iraq Have Ended (George W. Bush May 1St 2003). On The Prominent Banner Behind Him It Said: Mission Accomplished. The War Had Only Begun One And A Half Months Prior To This Event And Currently (October 2009) American Troops Are Still Deployed And Involved In Combat In Iraq. The Mission Of The Iraq War Was Certainly Not Accomplished On May 1 2003. What The Bush Administration Had Accomplished Was Something Else However: They Convinced The Majority Of The American People Of The Necessity Of This War Which Was Reflected In Polls At That Time. According To The Gallup Poll 75% Of All Americans Approved Of Sending American Troops To Iraq In March 2003 (Gallup 2009). Americans Were Told That The Iraqi Leader Saddam Hussein Possessed Weapons Of Mass Destruction (Wmds) And Therefore Was A Threat To The United States. However To Date No Weapons Of Mass Destruction Have Been Found In Iraq Although Their Alleged Existence Was One Of The Main Reasons For Going To War. The Bush Administration Managed To Make The Vast Majority Of Americans Believe This False Assumption. The Goal Of This Paper Is To Explore How A U.S. President Who Was Not Considered A Good Speaker Nevertheless Succeeded In Convincing The American Citizens That Going To War Was The 'Right Thing To Do'. In This Paper It Will First Be Briefly Outlined What Role Presidential Rhetoric Plays Then The Post-9/11 Rhetoric Of The Bush Administration And Its Circumstances Will Be Examined. An Attempt Will Be Made To Prove That The Rhetoric Of The Bush Administration Was The Key To The High Level Of Support From The U.S. Popula