MARC Record from Library of Congress

LEADER: 02455cam a2200313 a 4500
001 2010007928
003 DLC
005 20110618084521.0
008 100323s2010 nyua b 001 0 eng
010 $a 2010007928
020 $a9780199744466 (hardback : alk. paper)
020 $a0199744467 (hardback : alk. paper)
035 $a(OCoLC)ocn574923942
040 $aDLC$cDLC$dYDX$dYDXCP$dCDX$dBUR$dNLGGC$dDLC
043 $an-us---
050 00 $aE906$b.A44 2010
082 00 $a324.973/0931$222
084 $a15.85$2bcl
100 1 $aAlexander, Jeffrey C.,$d1947-
245 14 $aThe performance of politics :$bObama's victory and the democratic struggle for power /$cJeffrey C. Alexander.
260 $aNew York :$bOxford University Press,$c2010.
300 $axiv, 364 p. :$bill. ;$c25 cm.
520 $aObservers of politics in America often reduce democracy to demography. Whatever portion of the vote not explained by the class, gender, race, and religion of voters is attributed to the candidates' positions. But are these really the only--or even the main--factors? Sociologist Jeffrey Alexander explains what happened, and why, during the 2008 presidential campaign. Drawing on examples taken from a range of media coverage, participant observation, and interviews with leading political journalists, Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. Largely overlooked by pundits, these features are, in fact, the primary foci of politicians and their staff. Obama and McCain painstakingly constructed and projected heroic self-images for their campaigns. Though an untested senator and the underdog in his own party, Obama succeeded in casting himself as the hero--and McCain the anti-hero--and the only candidate fit to lead in challenging times.--From publisher description.
505 0 $aPower, performance, and representation -- Civil sphere and public drama -- Becoming a collective representation -- Spirit of the ground game -- Heroes, binaries, and boundaries -- Imagining heroes -- Working the binaries -- Walking the boundaries -- Victory and defeat -- Celebrity metaphor -- Palin effect -- Financial crisis.
504 $aIncludes bibliographical references and index.
650 0 $aPresidents$zUnited States$xElection$y2008.
600 10 $aObama, Barack.
650 0 $aPerformance art$xPolitical aspects$zUnited States.
651 0 $aUnited States$xPolitics and government$y2001-2009.