Rebecca M. Townsend

@rmtownsend

Deliberation, democracy & public engagement scholar #TeamRhetoric politics in US & #CEE #transportation, public memory, Town Meeting. Lifter. Aromanian. Views here are personal & do not represent my employer #WMASS @TownModerator.bsky.social

1,316 Following2,917 Followers1,449 Posts

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Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· 15d

Got mine!!

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· 17d

Wow

Chart showing change in at home food prices have soared

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· 24d

Great to chat with representatives from Clan Donald, one of whom helped bring the #TartanArmy to the US. He added that, aside from the generous goodwill, there was a $30M+ economic impact from their visit.

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· 24d

Pipe Dream with Corey Walden

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 12

Peanut lived a great 17 years of life. We will miss her.

The most beautiful girl in the world, Peanut, age 17, a brown patch tabby cat, sits in the sun ray, eyes squinting

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 11

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 7

Veronica looks on

Black cat in front of TV screen showing Swiss team celebrating

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 6

Vacation is over. Heading home today after much needed R&R, ready to begin my new job with fresh energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm. I am over-the-moon excited about the role and feel ready to start!

Pink and yellow wildflowers in foreground. Spruce trees border a cove with some boulders

Peak of a mountain view looking over water

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

Armed forces members marching with flags

Car with Grand marshal Army Veteran Arthur Warren

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

Stars and Stripes and Homeruns

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

🦞 Lobstermen float

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

Spilling the tea

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

This parade is so joyful. #Rev250

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 4

In Maine

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 3

Brought a few books for vacation. Finished Joe Brainard's I Remember. 👍

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jul 3

I see your Simply Red and raise you a Pink Vlad.

Pink statue of Lenin from the waist up resting on gravel.

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jun 21

This was not something I expected we would be able to do, nor travel and logistics as smooth. But wow, what an incredible time!

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Jun 13

Veronica made the save. #fifa #worldcup

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 31

I loved meeting @ajcampbellma.bsky.social in person! I had seen her speak at W. New England Law School about initiatives the @massago.bsky.social is taking to protect LGBTQ+ rights.

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 24

I am glad that the editors for Communication Education's Forum offered the opportunity for communication scholars who are in academic administration to share reflections on higher education. I offered some thoughts on educating for democracy. share.google/ed7NauvhKO8g...

Purple journal cover for Communication Education with half a black and white Venn diagram cricles on the left.

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 10

Face the nation chart showing rising gas prices from the start of the US strikes on Iran

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 3

Aww! Glad she found her way to you b4 the hawks did! We knew she was around but couldn't see her. Went away. Used the shed on a Th. Shut door; opened Sat eve to find her. We had 3 already. Had her fostered to socialize her. She made a BFF so we had to adopt her too. She's bossy for being so small.

Black cat with brown stripe down her nose and white paw

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 2

Irene: Transformation of a gato. Brought to us by the Cat Distribution System

Tiny brown patch tabby smoky white kitten with big scaredy cat eyes

Confident looking brown patch tabby smoky white cat in the sunlight

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· May 2

#Caturday

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Apr 20

Gábor Pál shared with me some reflections recently. His chapter on Hungary examined the archetypes in the strategic public identity of the now-conceded Orbán.

.7.

FROM ARCHETYPES TO PROTOTYPES
FROM PROTOTYPES TO STRATEGIC PUBLIC
DENTITY: CONSTRUCTING THE PERSONA
OF A PROPER POLITICAL LEADER

Gábor Pál

Speaking academically about "presidential"! communication in Hungary, the
choice to focus on Viktor Orbán seems obvious. Still, it is worth considering
whether this choice is scientifically sound or sufficiently fruitful. Let us there-
fore consider the arguments in favor

The first factor that justifies the choice is the topicality of the analysis. At
the time of writing, Viktor Orbán is the incumbent head of the government ir
the country.

The second aspect, or set of aspects, that is important to take into account
is Orbán's career and his role and significance in Hungarian political life. In
the new political era following the collapse of the state socialist dictatorship
and the transition to democracy. Orbán has become one of the most influential
political leaders of the country. Since 1990, from the first free and multi-party
elections, he has been a Member of the Parliament. Since Fidesz? became a
parliamentary party, Orbán has been the organization's number one politician.
Between 1990 and 1994 he was the party's parliamentary group leader, and
after that, apart from a short three-year period (2000-2003), he held the post
of party's chairman. He first served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1998 to
2002, for four years, and then as leader of the opposition for eight years. After

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Apr 20

Bulgaria’s election brings to mind Svilen V. Trifonov and Nadezhda Sotirova's chapter, "a case study for the areas of transitology (from communism to democracy) and postsocialism studies as one of the closest allies to the USSR despite never being a formal member of the Soviet Union."

3 ·
POLITICAL PRUDENCE IN TIMES OF
PROTEST: THE RHETORIC OF BULGARIA’S
PRESIDENT RUMEN RADEV
Svilen V. Trifonov and Nadezhda Sotirova
Bulgaria’s political landscape in the past three decades has been dominated by
social protests and dramatic struggles for political power. Originating in the
turbulence of the 1980s and 1990s and followed by the struggles to prepare for
European Union (EU) accession (and afterwards—to manage and maintain
EU standards), the country’s period since the official fall of socialism in 1989
has become known as the “Transition.” The period has been defined by con-
sistent and enduring political instability with whiplash changes and appeals to
revert to the “old” socialist rule. Historically a strong socialist supporter, Bul-garia, like many other Eastern European countries, has also had strong West-
ern aspirations, assisting both the United States and NATO post-1989. Despite
joining the European Union in 2007, Bulgaria continues its pro-Russian incli-
nations highlighted by the numerous resurgences and political stronghold of
the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) in the government post-1989. Thus, the
country offers an interesting case study for the areas of transitology (from com-
munism to democracy) and postsocialism studies as one of the closest allies to
the USSR despite never being a formal member of the Soviet Union.
An illustrative example of Bulgaria’s pro-Russian inclinations was the
2016 Presidential election in which Rumen Radev, an independent candidate
with strong support of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, emerged victorious. As

Rebecca M. Townsend@rmtownsend· Apr 17

Close contenders. He was such a good boy.