A Critical Discourse Analysis of Barack Obama’s (2004) DNC Keynote SpeechUnfolding the Elements of Social Liberal Ideology

Abstract

This paper conducts a critical discourse analysis of the linguistic manifestation of social liberal ideology in Barack Obama’s (2004) Democratic National Convention (DNC) Keynote speech. Grounded in Fairclough's (2015) discourse theory, Beitz's (1999) and Shypunov's (2018) frameworks of social liberalism, as well as Martin's (2004) positive discourse analysis, the paper examines how Obama’s speech constructs and promotes the key tenets of social liberalism—specifically individual liberty, social justice, unity, and equality—in contrast to the notions of division and inequality prevalent in the context of the USA in 2004. The study utilizes four tools of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA): social actor analysis, metaphors, personal pronouns, and lexical analysis. Specifically, it analyzes how Obama’s (2004) strategies for representing social actors, his use of metaphors, personal pronouns, and lexical choices reflect and reinforce social liberal ideology. Major findings of this analysis reveal that the core principles of social liberalism (individual liberty and social justice) are evident in Obama’s (2004) strategies for representing social actors, his use of metaphors, personal pronouns, and lexical choices. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of how ideology is linguistically encoded and disseminated in political speeches, revealing the complex linguistic mechanisms through which political leaders articulate and promote specific ideologies. This provides valuable insights for future research on political communication and ideological framing.