"The presiding geniuses of the game…had always been the advertising guys" (page 55). The author points to Lyndon Johnson’s famed "Daisy" ad as one that was enormously effective. What are some of the other iconic political ads of the TV age that you remember? What kind of effect did they have on you? Do you think advertising is a suitable medium for a politician to use in order to get out his/her message?
"Character is one of the most overused and under-analyzed words in American politics. Let’s attempt a simple definition: Character is the intersection of beliefs and humanity" (page 79). Do you agree with the author’s definition? What does a political candidate’s character mean to you? Does it affect your choice in the voting booth?
"Presidential politics had been reduced to a handful of moments and gestures" (page 146). Howard Dean’s infamous scream, Ronald Reagan imploring Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down this wall," George W. Bush standing on a warship deck with the "Mission Accomplished" banner behind him. How do these moments affect your feelings about politicians? Do they fairly represent a politician and his/her views in total? Do the media rely upon these quick sound bites and images too much?
"There has been a voluptuous history of weirdos, near-weirdos, and plain old mavericks running for president in the television era" (page 162). Who have been some of your favorite or least-liked "maverick" presidential hopefuls?
Having read this book, has your opinion of America’s democratic election process changed in any way? Why or why not? Does it need improvement, as the author suggests? If so, how?
