ABSTRACT
This research is about comparison of two texts taken from presidential election debate of the United States in 2012 between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. The purposes of this research are (1) to find out the employed attitudes in the text of United States Presidential Election Debate in 2012 between Obama and Romney regarding Obama’s presidency in 2009-2012, (2) to describe the influences of attitudes toward both texts of United States Presidential Election Debate in 2012 between Obama and Romney regarding Obama’s presidency in 2009-2012, (3) to explain about the reason why the attitudes are performed in the text of United States Presidential Election Debate in 2012 between Obama and Romney regarding Obama’s presidency in 2009-2012.
This research is a qualitative descriptive research using appraisal approach. The data of this research are in form of spoken text transcribed into written text. The sampling of this research uses purposive sampling technique. The data are collected by retrieving the transcription from the internet and match it with the video of US presidential election debate in 2012 retrieved from the internet. The research procedure is collecting the data, classifying the data, analyzing the appraisal, interpreting the analysis, comparing the result, and drawing conclusion.
The results of this research show: (1) 3 types of attitudes found both texts: affect, judgment, and appreciation; (2) 12 graduation force: raise, 1 graduation force: lower, and 2 graduation focus: softening found in text 1; 25 graduation force: raise, 2 graduation force: lower, 3 graduation focus: softening, and 1 graduation focus: sharpening found in text 2; (3) 20 engagement heterogloss found in text 1; 1 engagement monogloss and 29 engagement heterogloss in text 2; (4) positive attitudes that dominate the first text classifies Obama as protagonist right because Obama tried to maintain the issue and negative attitudes that dominate the second text classifies Romney as antagonist left because Romney challenges the issue.
Keywords: sfl, appraisal, US presidential election debate, Obama, Romney.