Description
Book SynopsisArgues that campaigns do play their role in sustaining democracy, mainly because they bring about a dialogue among candidates, the press, and the people. This book takes a look at the exchange of ideas through language used in campaign speeches, political advertising, public debates, print and broadcast news, and a various letters to the editor.
Trade ReviewWinner of the 2009 Doris Graber Book Award, Section on Political Communication of the American Political Science Association "This upbeat assessment is founded on a careful look at language... Readers may not be ready to embrace electoral politics as a national treasure, but Hart's suggestion that at least something positive can be gleaned from the campaign trail is reassuring."--Publishers Weekly "Campaign Talk should be required reading for politicians and their speechwriters. However, it is also for political campaign workers who talk about "staying on the message" and really for anyone who need to be reminded that democracy is not for the complacent but rather it is a dirty-your-fingernails process that anyone can, and should, dive into."--David Kissinger, San Franciso Bay Guardian "Hart is to be complimented for what is ... a brave premise and encouraging analysis... [He] has written a useful and impressive book."--Lane Crothers, Quarterly Journal of Speech "For those cynical and pessimistic about American political campaigns, this book may be an appropriate antidote... The sophisticated research methodology does not detract from the readable text."--Library Journal "In [his] fascinating new book ... Roderick Hart uses a computer to analyze the language of candidates to see how their vocabularies work. Specifically, [he] shows how a candidate is or is not in touch with his times."--Suzanne Fields, Washington Times "The book to buy for the Rodney Dangerfield campaign operative in your life, sure to buck him up on those long bus rides."--Carlin Romano, Philadelphia Inquirer "Hart forces us to rethink some cliches of political kibitzing... Campaigns teach, sensitize, and activate the people as they preach to them."--Carlin Romano, Philadelphia Inquirer "[Hart] treats presidential campaigns as a conversation among the people, the press, and the nation's leaders, and finds they serve the nation well. Such optimistic conclusions seem to run against the conventional wisdom and numerous recent more rigorous analyses, yet it would be difficult to find in Hart's persuasive and enthusiastic analysis flaws serious enough to undermine his conclusions. The success of his volume lies precisely in the mix of "hard" and "soft" methodology. American democracy seen through the prism of work usage looks impressively stable and efficient... No matter how skeptical and cautious readers may be, they must admit that Hart develops his argument in a captivatingly persuasive fashion."--Bohdan Szlarski, The Review of Politics
Table of ContentsList of Figures ix List of Tables xi Preface xiii CHAPTER 1 Campaign Questions 3 CHAPTER 2 Campaign Language 23 CHAPTER 3 Campaign Evolution 46 CHAPTER 4 Campaign Functions 75 CHAPTER 5 Campaign Forums 103 CHAPTER 6 The Political Voice 140 CHAPTER 7 The Media's Voice 169 CHAPTER 8 The People's Voice 199 CHAPTER 9 Campaign Reflections 226 APPENDIX 1 DICTION: The Text Analysis Program 245 APPENDIX 2 Statistical Notes 253 APPENDIX 3 Sampling Details 263 Notes 269 Index 299
