When John Kennedy won the presidency in 1960, he also won the right to put his own spin on the victory - whether as an underdog's heroic triumph or a liberal crusader's overcoming special interests. Now W. J. Rorabaugh cuts through the mythology of this famous election to explain the nuts-and-bolts operations of the campaign and offer a corrective to Theodore White's flawed classic, ""The Making of the President"". Despite a less than liberal record, JFK assumed the image of liberal hero - thanks to White and other journalists who were shamelessly manipulated by the Kennedy campaign. Rorabaugh instead paints JFK as the ideological twin of Nixon and his equal as a bare-knuckled politician, showing that Kennedy's hard-won, razor-thin victory was attributable less to his legendary charisma than to an enormous amount of money, an effective campaign organization, and television image-making. The 1960 election, Rorabaugh argues, reflects the transition from the dominance of old-style boss and convention politics to the growing significance of primaries, race, and especially TV - without which Kennedy would have been neither nominated nor elected. He recounts how JFK cultivated delegates to the 1960 Democratic convention; quietly wooed the still-important party bosses; and used a large personal organization, polls, and TV advertising to win primaries. JFK's master stroke, however, was choosing as a running mate Lyndon Johnson, whose campaigning in the South carried enough southern states to win the election. On the other side, Rorabaugh draws on Nixon's often-ignored files to take a close look at his dysfunctional campaign, which reflected the oddities of a dark and brooding candidate trapped into defending the Eisenhower administration. Yet the widely detested Nixon won almost as many votes as the charismatic Kennedy. This leads Rorabaugh to re-examine the darker side of the election: the Republicans' charges of vote fraud in Illinois and Texas, the use of money to prod or intimidate, manipulation of the media, and the bulldozing of opponents. ""The Real Making of the President"" gives us a sobering look at all of this, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of one of the nation's most memorable elections.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Blunt, gritty, and written without illusions, this concise and pungent account depicts a cynical, rough-and-tumble political world at a time when money, alliances of convenience, elaborate organization, and new modes of communication were changing the character of presidential campaigning and governance. Alonzo L. Hamby, author of For the Survival of Democracy ""Captures the interplay of money, power, and politics in the 1960 election and brings a fresh eye and new material to an election that has taken on mythic proportions in the American imagination."" Donald T. Critchlow, author of The Conservative Ascendancy: How the GOP Right Made Political History
W. J. Rorabaugh is professor of history at the University of Washington and author of four previous books, most recently Kennedy and the Promise of the Sixties.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
FREE
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
£ 2.98
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Ergodebooks, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: USED_GOOD. First Edition. When John Kennedy won the presidency in 1960, he also won the right to put his own spin on the victory-whether as an underdog's heroic triumph or a liberal crusader's overcoming special interests. Now W. J. Rorabaugh cuts through the mythology of this famous election to explain the nuts-and-bolts operations of the campaign and offer a corrective to Theodore White's flawed classic, The Making of the President.War hero, champion of labor, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, JFK was long on charisma. Despite a less than liberal record, he assumed the image of liberal hero-thanks to White and other journalists who were shamelessly manipulated by the Kennedy campaign. Rorabaugh instead paints JFK as the ideological twin of Nixon and his equal as a bare-knuckled politician, showing that Kennedy's hard-won, razor-thin victory was attributable less to charisma than to an enormous amount of money, an effective campaign organization, and television image-making.The 1960 election, Rorabaugh argues, reflects the transition from the dominance of old-style boss and convention politics to the growing significance of primaries, race, and especially TV-without which Kennedy would have been neither nominated nor elected. He recounts how JFK cultivated delegates to the 1960 Democratic convention; quietly wooed the still-important party bosses; and used a large personal organization, polls, and TV advertising to win primaries. JFK's master stroke, however, was choosing as a running mate Lyndon Johnson, whose campaigning in the South carried enough southern states to win the election.On the other side, Rorabaugh draws on Nixon's often-ignored files to take a close look at his dysfunctional campaign, which reflected the oddities of a dark and brooding candidate trapped into defending the Eisenhower administration. Yet the widely detested Nixon won almost as many votes as the charismatic Kennedy, even though Democrats outnumbered Republicans by three to two. This leads Rorabaugh to reexamine the darker side of the election: the Republicans' charges of vote fraud in Illinois and Texas, the use of money to prod or intimidate, manipulation of the media, and the bulldozing of opponents.White and others helped shape persisting impressions of both candidates, influencing the way Nixon conducted subsequent campaigns and the Democrats nurtured the Kennedy legacy. The Real Making of the President gives us a more sobering look at all of that, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of one of the nation's most memorable elections. Seller Inventory # SONG070061639X
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Sequitur Books, Boonsboro, MD, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Hardcover and dust jacket. Good binding and cover. Shelf wear. Clean, unmarked pages. Seller Inventory # 2405270003
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Goodwill, Brooklyn Park, MN, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_FAIR. This is a retired library book with typical wear/markings. May or may not have library stickers attached which will not be removed. Item has stickers or notes attached to cover and/or pages that have not been removed to prevent further damage Cover/Case has some rubbing and edgewear. Access codes, CDs, slipcovers and other accessories may not be included. Seller Inventory # 2Y6RUU000QBV_ns
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP102399863
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GF Books, Inc., Hawthorne, CA, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Book is in Used-VeryGood condition. Pages and cover are clean and intact. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as CDs or access codes. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain very limited notes and highlighting. 1.15. Seller Inventory # 070061639X-2-3
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books Unplugged, Amherst, NY, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_FAIR. Buy with confidence! Book is in acceptable condition with wear to the pages, binding, and some marks within 1.15. Seller Inventory # bk070061639Xxvz189zvxacp
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_GOOD. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 21-070061639X-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_GOOD. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 42-070061639X-G
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: GoldBooks, Denver, CO, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Very Good Copy. Customer Service Guaranteed. Seller Inventory # think_very_070061639X
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Books of the Smoky Mountains, Del Rio, TN, U.S.A.
Condition: USED_VERYGOOD. Gently used book with ongoing seller support until you're fully satisfied with your purchase. Seller Inventory # oldport070061639X
Quantity: 1 available