Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Is She Charismatic or is She Not? Examining Hillary Clinton’s Charismatic Rhetoric During the 2016 Presidential Race

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-3-2019

Abstract

“Looking for the Surgeon for Hillary’s Charisma Transplant” (Pruden) is just one example of the many headlines that questioned Hillary Clinton’s charisma during the 2016 presidential election. Other headlines blasted statements such as “I Can’t Get Excited about Hillary Clinton’s Campaign—It Lacks a Raison d’Etre” (Keneally); and, “A Leadership Expert Says Hillary Clinton is Missing One Key Personality Trait—And It Could Stop Her from Winning the Election” (Lebowitz). There even existed several Reddit threads dedicated to the issue, with one titled: “How Can Hillary Clinton Be so Far in the Lead with so Little Charisma…? (Reddit). Despite the loudness of these proclamations, most were based on anecdotal evidence and hearsay, with little or no data to support the pointed claims. This is one reason among many that spurs the need for a systematic examination of this important leadership trait—charismatic rhetoric—and, hence, this study. Another reason necessitating such a systematic examination of Clinton’s charismatic rhetoric is the historical nature of her 2016 presidential bid, which saw her be the first woman to lead a major party ticket for US president. Such undeniably historical milestones beget scholarly inquiry in terms of pertinent dynamics and implications. Third, research shows the existence of gender-based biases and misperceptions regarding charisma and voter perceptions in the electoral process—mostly disadvantageous to female candidates. It is worthwhile to examine if such patterns manifested in the first US presidential election featuring a female candidate. Therefore, this study examines the role that gender and charisma plays in US presidential elections with a focus on the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 races.

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© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Publication Title

Women's Studies

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00497878.2019.1567514

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