With the election of George Walker Bush in the 2000 presidential election, a new chapter in American history was established. For the first time in 175 years, and in only the second time in history, a president was elected whose father had previously served in the highest office in the land. The Bushes became the first family to complete two individual successful campaigns for president since John Adams (1797-1801) and John Quincy Adams (1825-1829).

This family legacy even distinguishes itself from the previous occurrence due to the short time frame in which it occurred. The Adamses achieved their political family legacy in just over a quarter of century. The Bushes cut this period in half. This unusual set of circumstances should provide researchers with new opportunities for political discourse analysis, both from the campaigns themselves and from the two men's presidencies. Political discourse is a topic that has received much attention from scholars. Factors such as political environments, cultural issues, economic class and political affiliation have received a great deal of attention when analyzing public political discourse. A question that has not been asked very often concerns the impact of family relationships on a politician's political expression. Are verbal traits and ways of talking influenced by heredity, or does each politician transcend his familial influences to develop his own method of communicating?

This issue is particularly intriguing when one considers the case of the Bush family. Historians and biographers alike have keyed on the competitive environment in which Governor Bush and his siblings were raised. In the political realm, Governor Bush has faced constant criticism questioning his ability to measure up to his father's legacy in business, character and ultimately politics. Although he eventually did follow in his father's footsteps, much has been made of his struggles to define himself in his own terms, as his own man.

But was Governor Bush able to distinguish himself rhetorically from the approaches of his father? Supporters answer this question in the affirmative. Critics assert that he has not, that his success in politics has been due only to the legacy left him by his father. The purpose of this study is to take a closer look at the manner in which both Bushes, the incumbent president and the challenging governor, presented themselves during their respective campaigns. Modern journalism appears to dwell unrelentingly on the "horse race" aspects of elections. Actual news coverage of the campaign tends to feature analysts and political experts as the major focus of attention, rather than the candidates themselves or their words. Thus, stepping back to analyze the speech of the men themselves should prove an interesting change in the way we understand the verbal political voice.

Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Results

Discussion

Reference List