Gring-Pemble Earns Top-Billing for Research in Economic Rhetoric

Gring-Pemble Earns Top-Billing for Research in Economic Rhetoric

The leading peer-reviewed journal for the field of rhetoric highlighted New Century College dean Lisa Gring-Pemble’s co-authored article on campaign rhetoric used in the 2012 presidential campaign. The article appears in the Spring 2015 edition of the journal Rhetoric and Public Affairs.

With her co-author David Levasseur, Gring-Pemble argues that rhetoric extolling hard work resulting in economic success is generally viewed in a positive light, especially when woven into a tale about one person’s desire to live the American dream. Mitt Romney’s retelling of his financial success as chief executive officer of Bain Capital turned many would-be supporters against him.

Gring-Pemble and Levasseur explain that this narrative demonstrates divided opinion over two types of economic success: success from the speculative economy (including company buy-outs and corporate restructuring) and success from the tangible economy (including the production of actual goods and services).

The article is available here.