The Performance of Politics:Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power

Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, Leadership, Government
Cover of the book The Performance of Politics:Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power by Jeffrey C. Alexander, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Jeffrey C. Alexander ISBN: 9780199780020
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: October 13, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Jeffrey C. Alexander
ISBN: 9780199780020
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: October 13, 2010
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

Contemporary observers of politics in America often reduce democracy to demography. Whatever portion of the vote not explained by the class, gender, race, and religious differences of voters is attributed to the candidates' positions on the issues of the day. But are these the only--or even the main--factors that determine the vote? The Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for power, explaining what happened, and why, during the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States. Drawing on vivid examples taken from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Jeffrey Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. While these features have been largely overlooked by pundits, they are, in fact, the primary foci of politicians and their staff. Obama and McCain painstakingly constructed heroic self-images for their campaigns and the successful projections of those images suffused not only each candidate's actual rallies, and not only their media messages, but also the ground game. Money and organization facilitate the ground game, but they do not determine it. Emotion, images, and performance do. Though an untested senator and the underdog in his own party, Obama succeeded in casting himself as the hero--and McCain the anti-hero--and the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times. Illuminating the drama of Obama's celebrity, the effect of Sarah Palin on the race, and the impact of the emerging financial crisis, Alexander's engaging narrative marries the immediacy and excitement of the final months of this historic presidential campaign with a new understanding of how politics work.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Contemporary observers of politics in America often reduce democracy to demography. Whatever portion of the vote not explained by the class, gender, race, and religious differences of voters is attributed to the candidates' positions on the issues of the day. But are these the only--or even the main--factors that determine the vote? The Performance of Politics develops a new way of looking at democratic struggles for power, explaining what happened, and why, during the 2008 presidential campaign in the United States. Drawing on vivid examples taken from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Jeffrey Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. While these features have been largely overlooked by pundits, they are, in fact, the primary foci of politicians and their staff. Obama and McCain painstakingly constructed heroic self-images for their campaigns and the successful projections of those images suffused not only each candidate's actual rallies, and not only their media messages, but also the ground game. Money and organization facilitate the ground game, but they do not determine it. Emotion, images, and performance do. Though an untested senator and the underdog in his own party, Obama succeeded in casting himself as the hero--and McCain the anti-hero--and the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times. Illuminating the drama of Obama's celebrity, the effect of Sarah Palin on the race, and the impact of the emerging financial crisis, Alexander's engaging narrative marries the immediacy and excitement of the final months of this historic presidential campaign with a new understanding of how politics work.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Antarctica: A Biography by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Lone Star Lawmen : The Second Century of the Texas Rangers by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Prince of Medicine: Galen in the Roman Empire by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Buzz to Brilliance:A Beginning and Intermediate Guide to Trumpet Playing by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Rhythms of the Brain by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Psychology for Musicians : Understanding and Acquiring the Skills by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Man Behind the Microchip : Robert Noyce and the Invention of Silicon Valley by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Klansville, U.S.A:The Rise and Fall of the Civil Rights-era Ku Klux Klan by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Conscious Mind : In Search of a Fundamental Theory by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Intellectual Disability : A Guide For Families And Professionals by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Make It a Green Peace!: The Rise of Countercultural Environmentalism by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book William Osler: A Life in Medicine by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Narrative Medicine : Honoring the Stories of Illness by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Six Degrees of Social Influence: Science, Application, and the Psychology of Robert Cialdini by Jeffrey C. Alexander
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy