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 Myth : A Biography Of Belief by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Death of a Generation:How the Assassinations of Diem and JFK Prolonged the Vietnam War by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Quest For The Perfect Hive : A History Of Innovation In Bee Culture by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Body in Pain:The Making and Unmaking of the World by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book William Osler: A Life in Medicine by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Rome:An Empire's Story by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book War From the Ground Up: Twenty-First Century Combat as Politics by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Jesus : Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Talibanistan: Negotiating the Borders Between Terror, Politics and Religion by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Apocalyptic AI:Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book The Firm : The Inside Story Of The Stasi by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Jazz Anecdotes:Second Time Around by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Language Matters: A Guide to Everyday Questions About Language by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Everyday Stalinism:Ordinary Life in Extraordinary Times: Soviet Russia in the 1930s by Jeffrey C. Alexander
Cover of the book Souls in Transition:The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults 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