Article outline

• 9.1Introduction: Negation and argumentation
• 9.2Negation in pragmatics: Enunciation theory and in discourse analysis
• 9.3Argumentation by negation and the straw man fallacy
• 9.4Refutations in the presidential election debates 1974 to 2012: Global scene and generic features
  • 9.4.1Refuting the collective voice or the opponent’s argument
• 9.5The straw man fallacies in the presidential debates
  • 9.5.1Negation used for straw man attacks
    • 9.5.1.1Francois Mitterrand versus Valéry Giscard d’Estaing 1974: straw man attacks on socialist demons, arrogance, cowardliness and lack of compassion
    • 9.5.1.2François Mitterrand versus Valéry Giscard d’Estaing 1981: Attacks on dogmatic socialism hostile to profit and a poorly conducted economy.
    • 9.5.1.3François Mitterrand versus Jacques Chirac 1988: Attacks on socialist program as based on wishes and the right-wing compliance to the extreme right party
    • 9.5.1.4Jacques Chirac versus Lionel Jospin 1995: Attacks on arrogant attitudes, obsolete methods and political immaturity
    • 9.5.1.5Nicolas Sarkozy versus Ségolène Royal 2007: Attacks on immorality, weak nerves, arrogance and left-wing dogmatism
    • 9.5.1.6Nicolas Sarkozy versus Francois Hollande 2012: Attacks on disuniting the people, on lies and arrogance
  • 9.5.2Defence against straw man attacks
• 9.6Synthesis and discussion
  • 9.6.1Generalities
  • 9.6.2Straw man attacks and facts
  • 9.6.3Right-wing and left-wing straw man negations and differences between candidates
  • 9.6.4Straw man and political ideas
  • 9.6.5Straw man and personal attitudes and character
• 9.7Conclusion