My Academic Essays as an English Major

2. Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate

Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate: Bernie Sanders – Joe Biden

Debates are a useful way for citizens to figure out who they want to vote for. In the case of the 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate, potential voters were able to compare Sanders' and Biden's perspectives. Indeed, both candidates are Democrats and run for being the Democrat nominee to the presidential election. Biden and Sanders are Democrats but have different strategies and viewpoints. First, I will discuss the contexts of the debate and the similarities between the candidates. Then, I will study the way they present their shared political ideas. Finally, I will analyse Sanders' and Biden's own methods. In this essay, I will demonstrate that the knowledge of pragmatics plays a crucial role in political debates.

Before analysing how language is used in the discourse between Biden and Sanders, it is important to understand the context and to acknowledge what is at stake in this debate. Indeed, it took place on March 15th, 2020, and Super Tuesday had just taken place. Twenty- seven states had already voted for the Democratic primary and two days after, big states such as Florida and Illinois were to vote. Thus, the debate had a great importance in the campaign for the nomination of the Democrat party, but also for the Presidential election because it was broadcasted nationwide. Therefore, all Americans could watch it. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, it took place with no audience in Washington D.C. in the CNN studios instead of taking place in Phoenix, Arizona. Therefore, only the two candidates, the three journalists and the cameras were present. Thus, the physical context was very particular and peculiar.
The social context is also important because of the way the candidates are referred to by the journalists. Mr Biden is referred to as "Vice President Biden" and Mr Sanders as "Senator Sanders." This shows that they both share a major background in the Democratic party. As such, both candidates show a sense of unity in the social context. They present themselves united as Americans and as Democrats. Indeed, Biden says: "We can" (00:16:50) meanwhile Sanders asserts: "We are not." (00:12:02) By using the pronoun "we", they are trying to make Americans feel like they are only one nation, one people. They do not oppose themselves. Instead, they share values and ideas as Democrats, as Biden says: "I agree with Bernie" (00:31:45) about a particular point on bailouts for industries. Besides, Sanders nods when Biden notices the cost of this action (00:33:30), or when Sanders agrees when Biden talks about the Italian system (00:10:45), looking at each other and smiling. To achieve that goal, they show a mutual respect for one another: they both stick to the rules that the interviewers gave at the beginning, and they stick to their speaking time. The tone of the conversation is respectful and even friendly at times. Indeed, repeatedly they refer to each other as "Joe" and "Bernie", Biden even says "my friend" (01:43:02). This creates a relaxed atmosphere. When they want to intervene, they just raise their hand (00:12:41 for Biden, and 00:14:08 for Sanders).

Then, both candidates use similar methods to gain the audience's trust. It is all the easier for them since they share political views. Indeed, both men give real life examples to assert their positions on certain topics, and to show the people they are aware of their everyday life preoccupations. For instance, when asked about the healthcare system, Sanders responds: "Well, first of all, the dysfunctionality of the healthcare system is obviously apparent. As I said earlier, there are people who hesitate to go to the doctor." (00:11:42) Similarly, Biden declares: "Up in the Northeast, because you have everything from beetle infestation and a whole range of things that are causing diseases." (01:21:40) Giving such examples shows the American people that the candidates know what they go through in their daily life, that way, they feel seen and important.
Both candidates also appear united as Democrats in their discourse and in their attitudes. To begin with, Biden and Sanders use ethos, "an ethical appeal that refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of an orator" to convince "the audience through an argument, that they are competent, reliable, fair and honest." (Ko 116). For instance, Sanders declares that "We spend twice as much per capita on healthcare than any other nation." (00:11:58) Later during the debate, he adds: "We got 45 million people in America struggling with student debt." (00:51:47) Referring to statistics makes his point ascertainable. Moreover, Joe Biden tells the audience: "There's an awful lot of people today who are in fact getting ill because of the changes in the environment." (01:21:50) Besides, they use arguments from authority. Indeed, Sanders says: "Look, this is what the scientists are telling us." (01:20:01) In the same way, Biden declares: "Listen to the experts." (00:10:09) Using Ethos makes the speakers credible and trustworthy.
Besides, both men avoid using any jargon. Doing so enables everyone to clearly understand what the candidates stand for and what they are saying. Indeed, not everyone in the audience is familiar with technical and political lexicon. Moreover, the debate aims at convincing the audience and maybe reaching those who would still be undecided voters, educated and non- educated people indiscriminately. Thus, using simple and unambiguous vocabulary enables people to understand what the candidates are saying. For instance, Sanders describes the Bankruptcy Bill as a "very, very bad bill." (00:51:59) The fact that Sanders is straightforward enables him to keep the audience's attention.
As Dr Ko acknowledges, "persuasion is fundamental to public policy debates . . . , persuasive communication is aimed at altering the subjective beliefs that the audience holds towards a particular political issue or policy" (Ko 114). Therefore, to convince the audience, the candidates refer to their web sites so that they can go and check both programs in further details. Biden refers to it from the very beginning (00:02:41) and Sanders does so later on in the debate (01:08:07). Therefore, if someone misses something, they can go and check the programs. For the same purposes, the candidates use repetitions widely so that listeners will remember the parts they dwelt on. In the same way, they use three-part lists to insist on key points. Indeed, listeners are more likely to remember elements that are repeated several times. Therefore, candidates tend to choose wisely and strategically which part they restate. We can also notice that in this particular debate, there is no real religious connotations, even if both candidates refer to God twice. Indeed, Sanders says: "How in God's name" (00:08:25) and Biden says later on adds: "Thank God" (00:37:20).