Political Conversion as Intrapersonal Argument: Self-Dissociation in the David Brock's 'Blinded by the Right'
Argumentation and Advocacy, 47(4), 228-245, 2011
19 Pages Posted: 12 Dec 2014
Date Written: 2011
Abstract
Political conversion narratives are pervasive features of the U.s. public discourse, yet their workings and functions are still relatively uncharted. this essay explores the rhetoric of journalist and activist David Brock, a convert from the political right to the left. I argue that Brock's controversial autobiography, "Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative," demonstrates how conversion experiences can be enacted through disassociative argumentation. In particular, the author uses a series of what I term self-dissociations to define a new identity and advance movement advocacy. The paper concludes by evaluating political transformation in relation to dissociation, identity, and U.S. politics.
Keywords: Conversion, dissociation, identity, movements, intrapersonal argument
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