Politics

The Sound of One Invisible Hand Clapping

by Diane Farsetta — May 9, 2004 - 11:00pm

Jackie Calmes writes: "Over the past four years, Mr. Bush has swung from free-market candidate to sometime-protectionist president and back again." But lately, on the campaign trail, "he has re-emerged as a full-throated free trader," even in "the most hotly contested states... with the biggest job losses." Why?

Main Source: 
The Wall Street Journal, May 10, 2004

Planes, Buses and Outsourced Automobiles

by Diane Farsetta — May 3, 2004 - 11:00pm

George Bush is campaigning in Ohio, as part of a two-day, nearly 300-mile bus tour. Make that a bus-and-plane tour: "Tuesday's bus tour, about 60 miles through western Ohio, actually includes two airplane flights - one from Detroit to Toledo and another from Toledo to Dayton," reports Associated Press.

Main Source: 
Associated Press, May 4, 2004

Schwarzenegger's More Feminist Side

by Diane Farsetta — May 2, 2004 - 11:00pm

PR Week's Douglas Quenqua asks: "Of the three men honored by a women's-empowerment group in Los Angeles last week for their 'support and advocacy of the issues that are important to women,' how many... have publicly mused over his great fortune at getting to stick a woman's face in the toilet?" If you guessed just one - named Arnold Schwarzenegger - you're correct.

Main Source: 
PR Week, May 3, 2004

Madison Avenue Knows Best

by Diane Farsetta — May 1, 2004 - 11:00pm

"The spots may be optimally situated by the blunt standards of Madison Avenue, which puts a premium on placing commercials in programs where they will have the most emotional effects," writes Jim Rutenberg, in an article on presidential campaign advertising.

Main Source: 
The New York Times, May 2, 2004

Two-party Epistemology

by Sheldon Rampton — April 24, 2004 - 11:00pm

In the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary, a new survey by the University of Maryland shows that 57 percent of the American people continue to believe Saddam Hussein gave "substantial support" to al-Qaeda before the war with Iraq. "Why would so many Americans cling to patently false beliefs?" asks history professor Juan Cole. "One can only speculate of course. But I would suggest that the two-party system in the US has produced a two-party epistemology. Epistemology is the study of how we know what we know.

Main Source: 
Juan Cole's Informed Comment weblog, April 25, 2004

A Dirty Trickster's Bush Bonanza

by Sheldon Rampton — April 18, 2004 - 11:00pm

"Roger Stone, the dirty-tricks hobgoblin of Republican politics, has exploited his Bush connections to become an influence-peddling force in the $13 billion Indian gaming industry," reports Wayne Barrett. "Stone's booming business in such a federally regulated enterprise makes his recent pro bono orchestration of Al Sharpton's double-edged presidential campaign an even stranger covert caper.

Main Source: 
Village Voice, April 19, 2004

Kerry Crafts His Image to Sell to Republicans

by John Stauber — April 15, 2004 - 11:00pm

Can John Kerry beat George Bush by selling himself to disgruntled Republican voters as the kinder, gentler, more compassionate and centrist candidate? After appealing to a left/liberal base during his primary victories juggernaut, the presumed Democratic presidential candidate is moving quickly to the right. "Declaring that he is 'not
a redistribution Democrat,' Senator John Kerry told a group
of wealthy and well-connected supporters on Thursday that
he would soon start an aggressive campaign to define
himself as a centrist, in hopes of peeling moderate
Republicans from President Bush.

Main Source: 
New York Times, April 16, 2004

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life

by Diane Farsetta — April 11, 2004 - 11:00pm

The Bush-Cheney campaign's aptly named advertising team, Maverick Media, understands that this year's presidential election is much different than the previous one: "The environment in 2000 was peace and prosperity. Everything was going fine and the question was what to do next.

Main Source: 
Advertising Age, April 12, 2004

Voters Tune In and Drop Out

by Diane Farsetta — March 22, 2004 - 12:00am

Communications consultant Fraser Seitel says this year's presidential campaign "promises to be the filthiest, grimiest, most mean-spirited in the history of the Republic." He predicts: "the Karl Rovian/ Bob Shrumian mega-million dollar PR strategies" will have Bush slamming Kerry as a "position-hopping, tax-popping, liberal toady" and Kerry painting Bush as a "bible thumping, fat cat pumping, right wing wildman." Noting Bush's

Main Source: 
O'Dwyer's PR Daily, March 22, 2004

Spun Out of Office

by Sheldon Rampton — March 15, 2004 - 12:00am

"We have won without lies," chanted the crowd outside the Madrid headquarters of Spain's socialist party, PSOE, which swept to victory in the country's March 14 elections. "Spin was indeed at the centre of PSOE's extraordinary, unexpected triumph," notes reporter David Mathieson. "There is no word in Spanish for 'spin,' but there has been no absence of the practice in Madrid over the last year - and especially in the past few days. The spectacular gains made by PSOE ...

Main Source: 
Guardian (UK), March 15, 2004
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