A Critical Discourse Analysis of Macro Structures in Speechesof President Bush and President Obama

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the strategic construction of discourse in the speeches of President Bush and President Obama, with a focus on identifying linguistic devices and discursive practices used to legitimize their war strategies. A qualitative approach was employed, and data were collected from six selected speeches delivered by Bush and Obama between 2001 and 2013 concerning the War on Terrorism. Data analysis and interpretation utilized Huckin's analytical toolkit (1997), focusing on a macro-level analysis of the speeches. The findings revealed that while Bush and Obama employed many similar linguistic devices and techniques, there were significant differences in their application. These differences pointed to shifts in their strategies for addressing the War on Terror. Bush's language appeared more aggressive compared to Obama's. The study's results may inspire future researchers to investigate the speeches of Pakistani politicians, exploring linguistic strategies for manipulation through Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).