Reviews (20)

Research for more
This book for me was very good.There seems to be some "connecting of the dots" with other topics during a certain administration and other 'strange occurences'.Not a conspiracty theorist, but some things are more than obvious.

As author I agree with A. Abruzzese's criticism
I am Four Arrows, the lead author of this book.(See also my newest text from the Univesity of Texas, "Unlearning the Language of Conquest: Scholars Expose Anti-Indianism in America). A Strange Death Indeed
"American Assassination: The Strange Death of Senator Paul Wellstone" expands the report filed by the NTSB with the information received from eyewitnesses, U.S. government log files, local government reports and interviews with people related to those who died in the crash.Using this information and deductive reasoning/logic to sort through the gathered evidence, the authors display their conclusion: Wellstone, his family and friends, and the pilots were killed through sabotage.Conspiracy theories generally don't hold my interest too long unless there's proof, but I found this book to be well-written and strong in the use of logic.The book was extremely interesting to me, as I had suspected that the Senator's death by plane crash (another plane crash death) to be very peculiar, to a very suspicious degree.Read the book with an open mind, and see what kind of death you believe this to be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Americas (North Central South West Indies)    2. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History    5. History: American    6. Murder - General    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Politics / Current Events   

Reviews (3)

Educational
I purchased the book after viewing the HBO special because I wanted to compare history and Hollywood. I was very impressed by the in-depth history given in the book. It is very educational without having a feminist overtone. I wanted to learn what the "Ironed Jawed Angels" did to change the course of women's lives, and to learn about those women who received the well earned nickname. Some of there are nothing short of fascinating. These women not only endured physical violence, but actually inflicted physical pain on themselves in order to get the press's attention. Nothing new about it now but back then it was pioneering. I learned a lot from this book and I have a new found appreciation for my rights that these women faught and died for. This is espcially hellpful for research purposes if you are in school.

Understanding militant feminism
Unlike militant feminism in England, which destroyed property, the militant movement in the United States was expressed in parades, speeches, banners, and other techniques designed to attract publicity and further the suffrage cause, according to Linda Ford.Suffrage techniques were not violent, but they attracted violence, especially during World War I. Ford provides a history of the militant movement, biographies of militant feminists, a thoughtful analysis of the techniques the militants used and a balanced look at their accomplishmentsThis is a scholarly work and resembles the video based on it only slightly.The previous reviewer who said that it was even better because it provided many more facts was correct.The book is interesting and very readable, providing much needed insight into a part of the suffrage movement few of us have heard enough about.

Iron Jawed Angels
This book is great. It is better than the movie. It made me, as a woman, understand what all the fuss was about and how hard these woman worked to get what they wanted. I really admire these women for what they stood for and for going through all of this for all the women everywhere.Thanks ladies. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1913-1921    2. 20th century    3. History    4. History: American    5. National Woman's Party    6. Political Process - Elections    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Suffrage    10. United States    11. Women    12. Feminism    13. First World War, 1914-1918    14. Human rights    15. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    16. Non-Classifiable    17. Political parties    18. USA    19. c 1900 - c 1914   

Reviews (4)

Prompt and quality service and merchandise
Package arrived within a week of order, the two items shrink-wrapped together and in perfect condition.

Academic writing style but extremly helpful concept.
Several friends recommended this book to me to help me understand the incredible success that conservatives have had in "framing" the debates. In particular, the neocons have caused us to abandon the term liberal, label the Dems as "tax & spend" and sucessfully install the rhetorical title of policy issues without regard to their accuracy. For example, "death tax", "Leave no Children Behind", "Clean Air", Healthy Forests", etc., have almost the exact opposite effect of their titles.
At last -- a clear understanding of Republican rhetoric
George Lakoff's thin book cleared away the fog and let me see why Republian words that confuse ME are appealing to so many voters. Why FACTS don't win elections. And showed me ways to "REFRAME" my ideas and present them with effective, value-based wording.One of the most important books I personaly have ever encountered. I found the DVD a valuable addition -- it clearly summarizes the book, reminds me of the primary points, and is a great way to present these core ideas to others.This great tool will help progressives compete more effectively in upcoming elections.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    3. Political Process - Elections    4. Political Process - General    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Campaign management    2. Communication    3. Government - National    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Process - General    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Political Science / Government / National    12. Political campaigning & advertising    13. USA   

Subjects:  1. Campaign funds    2. Congress    3. Elections    4. Government - Legislative Branch    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Process - General    7. Political Science    8. Political action committees    9. Political campaigns    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. U.S. Congress (General)    13. U.S. Practical Politics    14. United States    15. Central government    16. Political campaigning & advertising    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Advertising    2. Advertising, Political    3. General    4. History    5. Negativism    6. Political History    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Science    9. Political campaigns    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. U.S. Elections And Voting    13. United States    14. United States - General    15. Elections & referenda    16. Political Science / Government / National    17. Political campaigning & advertising    18. Political parties    19. USA   

Reviews (28)

Joe Trippi just doesn't get it
Trippi was one of the first to make use of the Internet in presidential campaign politics.Using Blogs, using MeetUp.com and the like, Trippi generated a grassroots movement for Howard Dean's campaign.
Accepting transparency
This was a good book connecting communication facilitated by the internet to the concept of organizational health.In a nutshell the internet can hurt or help an organization depending on its attitude about transparency.You can't fool all of the people all of the time.

Government Reading
I bought this book in around March, 2004. I have had it collecting dust since then. When I began looking for books to choose for my AP Government book project I figured why not choose this book. The only thing really knew about it was that it was about Vermont Governor, now Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean's failed attempt to capture the Democratic Parties nomination for President in 2004. Basically, this is a very well written and fun "historical" analyzation of the changes that occurred in 2004 by what politicians must now do to get elected. The reason I use quotations is because the author, Joe Trippi, a popular Democratic strategist and at one point Dean's campaign manager, makes it very clear that the events and changes that he describes in the book took place at his doing and by his campaign. This is a great book leading up to the 2006 Midterm elections and more importantly into the 2008 Presidential election. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business Communication - General    2. Information society    3. Internet - General    4. Internet in political campaigns    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Political aspects    8. Political participation    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Social Aspects - General    12. Technological innovations    13. U.S. Presidential Elections    14. United States    15. Technology / General   

Subjects:  1. Advertising, Political    2. Campaign management    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Media Studies    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Science    7. Political campaigns    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. United States    12. Political Science / Elections    13. Political campaigning & advertising    14. USA   

Editorial Review

America in the 1950s may seem like a halcyon time, but Read more

Reviews (5)

DEEP THROAT WOULD BE PROUD
If you needed more proof that Richard Nixon was a crook and a crumb, this books lays it out. Mitchell spins a great tale of campaign anecdotes and informative history about California politics that tells it like it is, and keeps you turning pages. Also some great background on how theanti-communist paranoids destroyed lives in Hollywood and elsewhere. Ifthis had been published before 1968, Nixon would have never been elected.

Why You Should Hate Richard Nixon Too
Two weeks before election day in 1950, the Republican Senatorial candidate in California--Richard M. Nixon--accused the Democratic Senatorial candidate in California--Helen Gahagan Douglas--of being the conduitthrough which the decisions made by Josef Stalin in the Kremlin flowed tothe United States Congress: Terrific material on Red Scare,Women in Politics, Nixon.
I enjoyed this book enormously, extremely well-researched, clear and well-written, entertaining, scrupulous in detail and true to the mark. There's a lot of new "dirt" on Nixon but what is perhaps mostvaluable is the portrait of Helen Douglas as one of the most remarkable(though flawed) women of the century.Also a powerful depiction of the RedScare in Hollywood....Really, a must read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (Richard Milhous),    2. 1850-1950    3. 1900-    4. 1913-    5. 20th century    6. Anti-communist movements    7. California    8. Douglas, Helen Gahagan,    9. History    10. History & Theory - General    11. History: American    12. Nixon, Richard M    13. Political Process - Elections    14. Political Process - Leadership    15. Political Science    16. Political campaigns    17. Politics - Current Events    18. Politics and government    19. U.S. President    20. U.S. State Government - Western United States    21. United States - 20th Century/50s    22. Crime & mystery    23. Douglas, Helen Gahagan    24. History / United States / 20th Century    25. USA   

Subjects:  1. Campaign funds    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Law and legislation    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. United States    10. Elections & referenda    11. Political Science / Political Parties    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    2. Political Process - Elections    3. Political Science    4. Politics / Current Events    5. Politics/International Relations   

Reviews (4)

Consider some of these ideas
The Press Effect suggests the media frames issues and candidates in a way that their future stories on the subjects will tend to fit neatly inside the pre-conceived box.Since the media is a follow-the-leader game, once a frame takes hold it doesn't let go very easily.Jamieson and Waldman use this theory mainly to explore the 2000 Election between Gore and Bush. one of the most important books of our time
One of the most bothersome things about journalism today is how frequently lies and distortions promulgated on all sides of the political spectrum, particularly the right side, become accepted as truth.To a large extent, as this book points out, this is the fault of journalists, whose primary job is, or should be, to discover and report the truth about important issues of the day.Democracy cannot function well if the public is constantly mislead.And simply presenting opposing views does not help the public determine the truth.Truth telling needs to be rewarded and deception needs to be punished.This is not happening now. Solid, well researched, and balanced
Jamieson and Waldman offer a highly critical overview of media coverage, focusing on the 2000 Presidential election, but also touching on historical issues such as the Nixon Presidency and the Gulf of Tonkin incident.They are equally critical of the coverage given to Bush and Gore, in an impressive display of non-partisanship that is lacking in our media today.They encourage reporters to research the statements by candidates and to not simply accept the frame given to them by interested parties but to investigate and to put a truly fair and balanced frame around it.One issue that they note but could have gone into more detail on is that the media almost universally present issues as a for/against disagreement, whereas in reality there are often (I might argue almost always) more than two points of view on a given issue and the press ignores all but the two that are most easily reduced to sound bites. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Theory - General    2. Journalism    3. Media Studies    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Sociology    8. Political campaigning & advertising    9. Politics | American Politics | Political Communication & Media Studies    10. Social Science / Media Studies    11. USA   

Editorial Review

For anybody considering a career in politics, Read more

Reviews (3)

Highly recommended
I'm interning on my second state-wide campaign and this book has helped fill in the details of steps that happen before I have joined campaigns.I highly recommend this to anyone interested in politics or campaigning.

An inside look
As of late, political consultants have become convenient boogeymen.It seems whenever the American people decide they'd rather be apathetic than devote a few minutes out of their day to voting or whenever a politician is caught breaking the law, it somehow turns out to be the ultimate fault of political consultants.And so, every few months or so, we get a lot of people demanding a lot of new laws and vague terms like "campaign finance" get tossed around by commentators who obviously haven't got a clue as to what they're actually talking about.Yet somehow, nobody ever seems to really bother with, say, investigating what campaign consultants actually do.Luckily, veteran consultant Dennis W. Johnson has written "No Place For Amateurs," an inside look at campaign consultants that manges to avoid the anti-consultant hysteria of most recent insider books while at the same time never embracing the shallow arrogance of the "how-to" books of consultants like Dick Morris (who is featured in the opening chapters of Johnson's books and -- no great shock -- comes across as an egotistical cad).Chapter-by-chapter, Johnson explains, in detail, what pollsters, direct mail consultants, and advertising gurus actually do.He also explains how political consultants came to be so powerful in American politics and shows that the situation isn't quite as bad as we might think.At the same time, Johnson doesn't allow himself to be a shill for his fellow consultants.He does highlight some trouble spots and the reforms he suggests manage to be both effective and fair without resorting to the hysterical fearmongering of so many other reformers.As well, Johnson's book is also full of several entertaining anecdotes from previous campaigns and it should be a lot of fun for people with a taste for political trivia.

Fascinating inside look at modern political machinery
This is a great read - especially for news and politics junkies. Johnson writes with authority, candor and humor about real people involved with real campaigns and facing real ethical issues. Not only does the book describe the tools and techniques of modern campaigns, but it provides real insight into their strengths and weaknesses when used in varying situations. Read more

Subjects:  1. Campaign management    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Political Process - General    4. Political campaigns    5. Political consultants    6. Politics / Current Events    7. U.S. Elections And Voting    8. United States    9. Political Science / Elections    10. Political campaigning & advertising    11. USA   

Reviews (19)

Interesting but incomplete
I read this book in one night and found it to be very interesting.I did enjoy reading some of the behind the scenes stuff like John Kerry's tantrum in the back of the campaign limo when his personal assistant could not find his hair brush.However that had been in Newsweek before and as well as on Drudge's website.New inside information about the campaign is not really a quality aspect of this publication.Since I paid attention to the campaign this publication served more as a summary or a reminder of events.
Bush and GOP stole this election just like they did the last and look where our country's heading?
Down the toilet. But don't worry. We got Howard Dean who ain't afraid to come to my state and others and help bring in real democracy to America rather than put up with Bush/Limbaughian rant of bringing fake democracy to Iraq while stealing elections here at home and doing everything they can to turn America into a corporate fascism.

Feels incomplete
Certainly the privileged access that Thomas and his team makes for an insightful account of the 2004 election, drawing back to the nomination process.Pity for Kerry's plight, a hint of disdain for Bush and his coterie, are peppered throughout the narrative.Throughout, a lot of very interesting inside information is revealed in the book as well.Ultimately, I walked away feeling that the election was more lost by Kerry than won by Bush.Kerry's situation is blamed on his indecisiveness, his lack of trust in his his team, his poor people management skills, and his wife's attitude.There is not as much of the inside-scoop on the BC04 side perhaps, from an emotional perspective, as Kerry.And while Howard Dean takes a beating by the authors, we learn very little about John Edwards, who may in fact be the nominee in 2008.
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Subjects:  1. (George Walker),    2. 1946-    3. 2004    4. Bush, George W.    5. Election    6. Government - General    7. Political Process - Elections    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Presidents    12. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    13. U.S. Presidential Elections    14. United States    15. 21st century    16. Elections & referenda    17. USA   

Reviews (4)

Brilliant as Always....
I was required to read this book for a course and was my first experience with Kathleen Hall Jamieson and I am now one of her biggest fans.
This book is good
Jamison has successfully covered the intricasies of presidential campaign advertising from the beginning of the Republic up to the 1992 campaign.Awell organized and thoughtful book that is easy to read.

The refrence in political advertising
This book is probably the msot thoughful about presidential campaign advertising. You read it like a novel! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1945-1989    2. Advertising, Political    3. Election    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Process - General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics and government    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Presidents    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Advertising    14. Elections & referenda    15. Political Science / Elections    16. Political campaigning & advertising    17. Politics | American Politics | Elections, Public Opinion, & Voting Behavior    18. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    19. Public relations    20. USA   

Reviews (1)

Time for a New Edition
It's not David Paletz's fault that so much has happened in the last five years to render this book out-of-date, but that's what it is. His discussions of the role of the Internet are almost comically primitive compared to what has transpired since this edition was published in 2001, and they feel tacked-on to boot, as if the changes made for the second edition comprised a series of quick additions rather than a thorough reappraisal of the information in each chapter.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Mass media    4. Media Studies    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Political Process - General    7. Political Science    8. Political aspects    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. United States    13. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    14. Political Science / General    15. USA   

Reviews (1)

alaskan women's suffrage
does anyone know if this book includes any information about women's suffrage in Alaska>we got the vote 7 years before national enfranchisement. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Political Process - Elections    6. Suffrage    7. United States    8. Women    9. Women And Politics    10. Women's Studies - History   

Reviews (26)

The Very Best of all Possible Political Campaigns . . .

Excellent learning tool.
Ferling does a good job in depicting the way of life for U.S. office-oriented colonists/citizens in the 1700's.The relationship Adams and Jefferson had was also well described.I felt the author had some bias but the book is still a "must read" for parities interested in the early U.S.,mannerisms of politicians at that time, and important personal/party battles.

Great read for all Americans
Think the last two presidential elections have been nail biters?Then you should take a look at the presidential election of 1800.That election ended in an electoral college tie and took 36 votes by the House of Representatives to pick a President. Today's elections have nothing on what it took to decide the winner back then.
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Subjects:  1. 1735-1826    2. 1743-1826    3. 1800    4. Adams, John,    5. Election    6. Government - Executive Branch    7. History    8. History - U.S.    9. History: American    10. Jefferson, Thomas,    11. Political Process - Elections    12. Presidents    13. Presidents & Heads of State    14. United States    15. United States - Antebellum Era    16. United States - Revolutionary War    17. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    18. Elections & referenda    19. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    20. History, American | Early National    21. USA   

Reviews (10)

Pot calling the kettle black
I love how this book ignores Democrats' efforts to suppress the absentee vote in both the last presidential elections as it was heavily in favor of President Bush -- particularly the military vote.While there's some interesting historical information contained here, it's presented largely to lend legitimacy to the author's true agenda -- to smear the Republicans and to pretend that, for example, *Democratic* poll workers didn't tamper with Republican voters' ballots during the 2000 election.The last two elections were an embarrassment to this country because of the tactics and empty rhetoric of Messrs. Gore and Kerry.Oh, and one more thing -- the U.S. is a republic, not a democracy.

To cry, or to cry out? Andaboutwhat?
The election travesties of 2000 and 2004 left me angry and disgusted. I'm still angry and disgusted about those events and their conduct, but after reading Gumbel's book, I've softened my impressions a bit and redirected the focus of my ire and disgust. It's clear to me now that no American political party has ever seriously objected to election theft as long as the result was victory. Since achieving honest elections has never been an honest goal (except temporarily for the losers), a party in power has never had genuine interest in realizing honest results! So, here we are.
Reform long overdue?
One would have thought that of all the boring topics that an author could select, the mechanics and history of the secret ballot in the world's pre-eminent democracy should have been close to the top. But far from it, Mr Gumbel has documented and told a quite extraordinary and at times amazing tale. Whether he is right in every detail I have no idea but either way it ought to have every US citizen asking some very tough questions. Politics can be a venal game but surely the actual electoral process itself ought to be above question. Sadly it seems in the USA it's not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Corrupt practices    2. Elections    3. General    4. History    5. Political Corruption    6. Political Process - Elections    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. U.S. Elections And Voting    11. United States    12. United States - General    13. Voting-machines    14. Elections & referenda    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    2. Elections And Voting    3. Government - Executive Branch    4. Political Process - Elections    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Cultural studies    9. Political Science / Elections    10. Political campaigning & advertising    11. USA