Ralph D. Berenger

Framing U.s. Political Behavior: How American Voters, Politicians and Mass Media Define Presidential Candidates in Primary and General Elections: Lessons from the 2000 Primary Ralph D. Berenger

When America¿s president sneezes, the world catches a cold. Shouldn¿t then the global community have a say in who does the sneezing? The Economist found 87% of its readers supported Barack Obama over John McCain in 2008. In places like Europe and the Middle East, the Obama vote margin was even greater. This interesting poll indicated the world had had enough of U. S. foreign policies under George W. Bush, a sentiment echoed in the 2008 General Election. Through frame analysis, this book examines the interlaced behaviors of political campaigns, the mass media and the voting public during one of the most important elections in modern history. The 2000 primary produced Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore, whose head-on duel later that year culminated in one of America¿s most controversial presidential elections. The author demystifies the American primary election system and draws inferences that were applicable to more recent presidential campaigns, including the ground- breaking 2008 election of America's first black president. A must-read for anyone interested in behavior of U. S. presidential campaigns, mass media and voters.