Roderick Hart may be among the few Americans who believe that
what politicians say in a campaign actually matters. He also
believes that campaigns work. Even as television coverage,
political ads, and opinion polls turn elections into field days for
marketing professionals, Hart argues convincingly that campaigns do
play their role in sustaining democracy, mainly because they bring
about a dialogue among candidates, the press, and the people. Here
he takes a close look at the exchange of ideas through language
used in campaign speeches, political advertising, public debates,
print and broadcast news, and a wide variety of letters to the
editor. In each case, the participants choose their words
differently, and this, according to Hart, can be a frustrating
challenge to anyone trying to make sense of the issues. Yet he
finds that the process is good for Americans: campaigns inform us
about issues, sensitize us to the concerns of others, and either
encourage us to vote or at least heighten our sense of the
political world.
Hart comes to his conclusions by using DICTION, a computer
program that has enabled him to unearth substantive data, such as
the many subtle shifts found in political language, over the past
fifty years. This approach yields a rich variety of insights,
including empirically based explanations of impressions created by
political candidates. For example, in 1996 Bill Clinton
successfully connected with voters by using many human-interest
words--"you," "us," "people," "family." Bob Dole, however,
alienated the public and even undermined his own claims of optimism
by using an abundance of denial words--"can't," "shouldn't,"
"couldn't." Hart also tracks issue buzzwords such as "Medicare" to
show how candidates and voters define and readjust their positions
throughout the campaign dialogue.
In the midst of today's increased media hype surrounding
elections, Americans and the candidates they elect do seem to be
listening to each other--as much as they did in years gone by.
Hart's wide-ranging, objective investigation upends many of our
stereotypes about political life and presents a new, more bracing,
understanding of contemporary electoral behavior.
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