GENDER AND THE DISCREDIT STRATEGY IN ELECTION DISCOURSE
The paper considers the pragmatic significance of gender propositions in the American election discourse. It is argued that gender propositions reflecting the gender ideology existing in a certain linguoculture can be exploited by the speaker in order to affect a voters opinion of the candidate. In particular, they participate in the implementation of the discredit strategy of a woman candidate which is based on emphasizing of both the compliance and incompliance of her personality and behaviour with the established gender norms.