The Person in Politics : Pronouns and political personalization in U.S. presidential campaigns

Personalization has become a central feature of political communication. Politicians appear on late-night talk shows, smile from billboards, and post family photos on social media – placing themselves at the heart of public discourse. As individual personalities take center stage, abstract political ideologies and political collectives fade into the background. The Person in Politics explores the linguistic dimension of this shift through the cognitive semantic analysis of pronominal references. Drawing on a thorough account of how pronouns are used in American presidential nomination acceptance speeches and with what purpose, this work investigates how politicians emphasize individual leadership and craft collective identities with personal pronouns. Offering valuable insights into the intersection of language and political campaign rhetoric, this book is relevant for scholars of cognitive linguistics and political communication, as well as practicioners seeking to navigate the evolving field of political discourse.