Sunday, September 7, 2008

Presidential Death Match: Fatal Distractions

Managing Perceptions

on the Campaign Trail


An irreverent journey into the warped world of presidential campaign politics past and present, and how the media shape public opinion


“Presidential elections have been media spectacles for almost 50 years, roughly since television became the national drug… Every four years since then, corporate chiefs, media gatekeepers, and political fixers have manufactured new scripts and a new superstar… Anything is possible. And it’s a guaranteed blockbuster every time, a fatal distraction for which you don't need a ticket…”


Green Lighting Our Fatal Distractions: Primaries as TV Pilots

Selling Campaign Stories: Howard Dean and 2004 Race

Caucus Survivor 2004: Out-Spin, Out-Pander

Make No Assumptions: How Dean Went Down

Momentum: A Presidential Blockbuster

Momentum: Acting Like the President

Election Night 2004: Another Media Drag Race

Election Suspicions: The 2004 Cover Up

Democracy in Lockdown: After the Voting

Citizen Nader: From Prophet to Punchline

Barack Obama: The New Jimmy Carter

The Strange Race of John McHyde

Sarah Palin: Filtering Out the Facts

John McCain: Putting Himself First
Convention Watch 2008: News, Highlights and History