Arlen Specter and the Construction of Adversarial Discourse: Selective Representation in the Clarence Thomas–Anita Hill Hearings
- 1 September 1995
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Argumentation and Advocacy
- Vol. 32 (2) , 75-89
- https://doi.org/10.1080/00028533.1995.11977982
Abstract
On the morning of October 11, 1991, Senator Arlen Specter began what many observers view as a rather antagonistic interview with Professor Anita F. Hill regarding her allegations of sexual harassment against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. What social structures and argumentative strategies did Specter invoke in this discursive practice to place Hill in a position of such seeming powerlessness? The essay argues that one key resource contributing to the adversarial nature of Specter and Hill's interaction is that of ambiguity, specifically in terms of “selective representation.”Keywords
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