Hillary Rodham Clinton and the 2016 Election

Reviews / Votes

Lockhart and Mollick also edited Political Women: Language and Leadership (2013) and Global Women Leaders: Studies in Feminist Political Rhetoric (2014). Comprising an introduction and ten scholarly essays-most by professors of English, rhetoric, and feminism-the present volume focuses on the rhetoric of the woman who may be the US's first female president. The first four essays look at the evolution of Hillary Clinton's language, especially at national nominating conventions. The next three examine her role as an author, with special attention to her books Living History (2003) and Hard Choices (2014). The last three essays discuss her public persona, which now includes the role of grandmother. The contributors observe that female candidates have special shoals to navigate, including sometimes inordinate attention to their clothing. This reviewer found Margaret Scranton's chapter on Clinton's work on education reform in Arkansas to be particularly useful; also of special interest are Rebecca Richards's chapter on Clinton's use of 'pop feminism' and a final chapter by Sara Hillin on Clinton's cyber presence.... Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. * CHOICE * Hillary Rodham Clinton and the 2016 Election is another important contribution to what some have termed "Hillary Studies." The contributors consider Hillary Clinton as a first lady, senator, secretary of state, and 2008 presidential candidate, and examine how those various roles linguistically constitute the backdrop for her 2016 campaign, as well as the perceptions of her public identity and political credibility. From autobiography to stump speeches to social media, discourse by and about Hillary Clinton provides an important lens through which to consider the often contested relationships among gender, public identity, and power in U.S. political culture. An insightful, approachable, must read for anyone interested in Hillary Clinton, political communication, and/or gender in public culture. -- Kristina Kay Horn Sheeler, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis