Article published In: Journal of Argumentation in Context
Vol. 5:2 (2016) ► pp.157–171
The sliding scales of repentance
Understanding variation in political apologies for infidelity
Published online: 20 October 2016
https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.5.2.03che
https://doi.org/10.1075/jaic.5.2.03che
This paper investigates the apologies of four US politicians whose marital infidelities were made public. The paper notes the variations in the use of religious language, representations of the transgressions, and metadiscourse. These variations can be calibrated to political ethos, the nature of the transgression, and the amount of repair work required. Thus, generic qualities of the personal political apology are best interpreted as existing on a sliding scale relative to the situation.
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