The newt Gingrich book deal controversy: Self‐defense rhetoric

Abstract

This essay critically analyzes Speaker Newt Gingrich s self defense discourse following the multi‐million dollar book deal controversy. Gingrich used five major rhetorical strategies to deal with allegations surrounding the book deal with Harper‐Collins: denial, good intentions, bolstering, attacking accusers, and corrective action. The evaluation shows that Gingrich failed to deal adequately with allegations, employed inconsistent arguments, and developed strategies poorly. This unfavorable assessment is shown to be consistent with the existence of continued attacks and public opinion data. Finally, several implications of this analysis are discussed.