This study examined the use of metaphors in the discourse of the American President Barack Obama concerning the Arab Spring uprisings. Following a CMA methodology, the study aimed at investigating how Obama's ideology could affect the Arab people; that is, how Obama's audience has been manipulated through his metaphoric choices in order to accept his beliefs and viewpoints. The study argued that Obama possesses an eloquent style and rhetorical techniques that have an influential role in manipulating his audience. It is also argued that the Arab uprisings provide a historic opportunity to meet the aspirations of the Arabs.
The results indicated that Obama proved a crafty orator, with his use of metaphorical language to uncover his ideologies and political strategies concerning the situation in the Middle East. The results also demonstrated that the conceptual network underlying the Arab Spring serves to invalidate the uprisings rather than justify them. The findings then supported the position that CMA could account for interpreting political phenomena and reveal Obama's hidden ideologies.
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