Pitt Expert in Presidential Rhetoric Available to Comment on Presidential Inaugural Address

PITTSBURGH—This weekend, all eyes will be on Washington, D.C., where President Barack Obama will take his second oath of office. Will President Obama’s second inaugural address be a defining moment in his presidency?

“It will be somewhat idealistic, as these speeches typically are, and laced with hope and desire to have more cooperation on all levels of government with the real objective of solving serious problems, not just ‘winning,’” said Gerald Shuster, a faculty expert in presidential rhetoric and political communication in the Department of Communication in the University of Pittsburgh’s Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.

Shuster is available to discuss:

• key points Obama is likely to make;
• how this speech may differ from Obama’s 2009 address;
• common themes that have run through many past inaugural addresses;
• memorable inaugural addresses from the past; and  
• the content and effectiveness of the 2013 inaugural address after it is delivered on Monday, Jan. 21.

Shuster is an expert on the rhetorical styles and strategies of modern presidents—from John F. Kennedy to Barack Obama; he studies the public comments and speeches presidents use in their attempts to achieve particular objectives with Congress, the general public, and other audiences. Shuster’s insights and opinions are frequently sought by national and international media.

Contact Gerald Shuster at 412-624-5199 (office), 724-543-2246 (home), or ges3@pitt.edu.

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