The 2008 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective(Communication, Media and Politics)

Presidential campaigns are our national conversations_the widespread and complex communication of issues, images, social reality, and personas. In 2008, more people participated in the conversation, as voter numbers in every demographic group increased to levels of the 1970s. Here, political communication specialists break down the historic 2008 presidential campaign and go beyond the quantitative facts, electoral counts, and poll results of the election. Factoring in everything from the campaign in popular culture, political cartoons, and the effect of celebrity, the authors look at the early campaign period, the nomination process and conventions, the social and political context, the debates, the role of candidate spouses, candidate strategies, political advertising, and the use of the Internet. This enlightening book shows why more technology doesn't always mean more effective communication and how, as we attempt to make sense of our environment, we collect 'political bits' of communication that comprise our voting choices, worldviews, and legislative desires.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 The Early Presidential Campaign of 2008: The Good, the Historical, but Rarely the Bad Chapter 2 The 2008 Presidential Nominating Conventions: Fighting for Change Chapter 3 Constituting Contrasting Communities: The 2008 Nomination Acceptance Addresses Chapter 4 The 2008 Presidential Debates Chapter 5 Identity Politics and the 2008 Presidential Campaign Chapter 6 Clinton, Post-feminism and Rhetorical Reception on the Campaign Trail Chapter 7 McCain's Issue Framing in 2008: The Environment as Freedom and a Commodity Chapter 8 Pop Goes the Campaign: The Repopularization of Politics in Election 2008 Chapter 9 Presidential Campaign Cartoons and Political Authenticity: Visual Reflections in 2008 Chapter 10 Videostyle in the 2008 Presidential Advertising Chapter 11 The Web, Campaign 07-08, and Engaged Citizens: Political, Social, and Moral Consequences Chapter 12 Explaining the Vote in the Election of 2008: The Democratic Revival

About the Author :
Robert E. Denton, Jr., is the W. Thomas Rice Chair of Leadership Studies in the Pamplin College of Business and is professor of communication at Virginia Tech.

Review :
Robert Denton's edited volume on the 2008 presidential campaign sets the standard by which all future collected studies of the landmark election will be judged. Denton has gathered a team of top senior and emerging scholars to analyze the innovations and inner workings of Campaign '08. The result, however, is more than a work of academic scholarship. The chapters provide many insights and data that were unknown, missed or misinterpreted by pundits and politicos. Everybody-from students to reporters to bloggers to politicians-should consult The 2008 Presidential Campaign before making any claims about what happened in 2008 and any predictions about the future of political campaigns in America. -- David D. Perlmutter, The University of Iowa