| Crises have become commonplace in the world. They will continue to punctuate our lives. During periods of national crisis, Presidents will be constantly challenged to explain, make sense of, identify, and clarify responses to, the immediate situational exigencies. They must organize, mobilize, direct, and reassure a nation that is shocked, confused, and often angry.; The purpose of this study was to examine the enactment of Presidential rhetorical leadership during periods of crisis. Fundamental leadership constructs and theories that ground the rhetorical leadership function were reviewed, concepts of crisis were discussed, and the characteristics of leadership during crisis were described. Critical analysis focused on the initial speeches delivered by Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and George W. Bush following the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11, 2001 assaults on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.; Research questions were advanced that provided a general understanding of how the Presidents rhetorically addressed the exigencies of the crises. Comparisons and contrasts were drawn between the two speeches and contributed to the recognition of a genre of Presidential crisis discourse. Further investigation determined public reaction to the Presidents' leadership rhetoric.; Critical description, interpretation, and evaluation of the speeches were examined from a dramaturgical perspective. Contingency and genre theory ground the overall project. Concepts of symbolic convergence theory (with particular emphasis on fantasy theme analysis), sensemaking, and framing were fundamental to the analytical process.; Analysis established that both Roosevelt and Bush employed similar rhetorical constructs to address crisis events that were distinctly different in context. Despite situational differences, both Presidents enacted discursive strategies that worked to define the crises, unify the nation, enable them to take command of the situation, and create a vision for the future. Each President was successful in their efforts. |
