CHAPTER FOUR FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
4.1.1. Commissives for offer/promise
As stated, most commissives made by the three presidents are offers/promises, with Bill Clinton‘s commissives making up nine tenths and Barack Obama‘s and Donald Trump‘s both making up three fourths.
Following are typical examples by each president to illustrate the promises they make.
a. Bill Clinton
(4.46) To you who brought us here, I promise we will be the new pathfinders, for we are the children of your sacrifice. (April 30, 1993:
National Service Address)
(4.47) If we cannot close this country up to the forces of change sweeping throughout the world, we have to at least guarantee people the security of being employable. (November 13, 1993: Remarks to the Convocation of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis)
(4.48) And we will also offer the young people of America the opportunity of paying their loans back by serving their communities in a new program of national service. (April 30, 1993: National Service Address)
(4.49) To 21st century America, let us pledge these things: Every child will begin school ready to learn and graduate ready to succeed. (January
27, 2000: State of the Union Address)
(4.50) On this 100th day of my administration I want to recommit myself and those who work with me to the values that have made our Nation without peer in all human history, those of opportunity, responsibility, community, and respect for one another. (April 30, 1993: National Service Address)
As regards Bill Clinton‘s promises, they are realized in various patterns:
direct, indirect, with performative verbs, with commissive words, and without commissive words. For example (4.46), the promise is explicitly stated with the performative verb promise: “I promise we will be the new pathfinders, for we are the children of your sacrifice”. In (4.47), the commissive word guarantee makes it easier for the reader to recognize the promise: ―we have to at least guarantee people the security of being employable”. Similarly, the promises “we will also offer the young people of America the opportunity …”, “let us pledge these things: Every child will begin school ready to learn and graduate ready to succeed”, and “I want to recommit myself and those who work with me to the values that have made our Nation without peer in all human history, those of opportunity, responsibility, community, and respect for one another” in examples (4.48), (4.49), and (4.50) are easily noticed with the commissive words offer, pledge, and recommit respectively.
b. Barrack Obama
(4.51) Our government shouldn‘t make promises we cannot keep -- but we must keep the promises we’ve already made. (February 13, 2013: 2013 State of the Union Address)
(4.52) And it is time to embrace and effectively monitor norms that advance the rights of civil society and guarantee its expansion within and across borders. (September 23, 2010: Address to the United Nations)
(4.53) This exchange will take effect in 4 years, which will give us time to do it right. In the meantime, for those Americans who can't get insurance today because they have preexisting medical conditions, we will immediately offer low-cost coverage that will protect you against financial ruin if you become seriously ill. (September 9, 2009: Address to Congress on Health Care)
(4.54) Going forward, I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly. Our new approach in Afghanistan is likely to cost us roughly
$30 billion for the military this year, and I'll work closely with Congress to address these costs as we work to bring down our deficit. (December 1, 2009: Speech on Strategy in Afghanistan and Pakistan)
(4.55) And I’m going to take these plans all across the country, and I’m going to ask folks for help because, frankly, sometimes I just can‘t wait for Congress. (July 24, 2013: Remarks on Education and the Economy) Similar to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama uses a variety of commissive words and structures to convey his promises. For instance, he uses the noun promises in example (4.51) to make his promise: ―we must keep the promises we‟ve already made‖. In example (4.52), the commissive words embrace and guarantee are employed to make the promise: “it is time to embrace and effectively monitor norms that advance the rights of civil society and guarantee its expansion within and across borders”. Likely, the commissive words offer and committed are used to make the promises:
“we will immediately offer low-cost coverage…” and “I am committed to addressing these costs openly and honestly” in examples (4.53) and 4.54) in turn. Barack Obama, however, also uses a structure without any commissive word to make his promise in (4.55): “I‟m going to take these plans all across the country, and I‟m going to ask folks for help …”.
c. Donald Trump
(4.56) Whatever we do, I can promise you this: I will never forget that my first duty, and ultimate loyalty, is to you, the American people. (January 19, 2019: Remarks about the US Southern Border)
(4.57) Eighteen years. And I’ll guarantee, within a month or two months, that 18 will be even a much higher number. (July 24, 2018: Speech at the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention)
(4.58) And we‘re pouring a lot of money and a lot of talent into this horrible problem. And we pledge to honor the memory of those you lost with action and determination and resolve. We’ll get it. We will not rest until the end. (March 19, 2018: Remarks on Combating the Opioid Crisis) (4.59) America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearization and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world.
(September 19, 2017: Address to the United Nations General Assembly) (4.60) We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists who want to commit mass murder to our civilian populations. (January 26, 2018: Address at the World Economic Forum)
Similar to Bill Clinton‘s and Barrack Obama‘s, Donald Trump‘s promises are realized in various patterns. In examples (4.56), (4.57), and (4,60), Donald Trump in turn uses the commissive words promise, guarantee, and committed to make the promises: “I can promise you this: I will never forget that my first duty, and ultimate loyalty, is to you, the American people”, “I‟ll guarantee, within a month or two months, that 18 will be even a much higher number”, and “We are committed to ensuring that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists …”. In (4.59), he just uses a structure without any commissive word to convey his
promise indirectly: “America and its allies will take all necessary steps to achieve a denuclearization and ensure that this regime cannot threaten the world”. Differently, in example (4.58), Donald Trump uses both the performative verb pledge and structure without commissive words to make his promise: “we pledge to honor the memory of those you lost with action and determination and resolve. We’ll get it. We will not rest until the end”.