Selling Ronald Reagan : the emergence of a president / by Gerard DeGroot.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

De Groot, Gerard J., 1955- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Reagan, Ronald.

Governors--California--Election.

Governors.

Political campaigns--California--History--20th century.

Political campaigns.

United States--Politics and government--1963-1969.

United States.

United States--Politics and government--1969-1974.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (321 p.)

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

London : I.B. Tauris, 2015.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"Before 1966, the idea of Reagan in politics provoked widespread scorn. To most people, he seemed a has-been actor, a right-wing extremist and a 'dunce'. Journalists therefore ridiculed his aspirations to be governor of California. No one, however, doubted his incredible ability to communicate with a crowd. In order to succeed in his campaign, Reagan had to be packaged as an outsider - an antidote to politics as usual. A highly sophisticated team of marketers and ad-men turned the scary right-winger into a harmless moderate who could attract supporters from across the political spectrum. Researchers meanwhile provided the coaching that allowed Reagan to seem well-informed - all of which led to Reagan winning the California governorship by a landslide. Gerard DeGroot here explores how, in the decade of consumerism, Reagan was marketed as a product. While there is no doubting his natural abilities as a campaigner, Reagan won in 1966 because his team of advisers understood how to sell their candidate, and he, wisely, allowed himself to be sold. Selling Ronald Reagan tells the story of Reagan's first election, when the nature of campaigning was forever altered and a titan of modern American history emerged."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Contents:

Contents; Introduction; The Speech; Hardening of the Categories; 'You Guys Are Absolutely Crazy'; Old Tactics, New Faces; Those Boys from BASICO; The Great Pretender; Drowning in Milk; 'What Are You Going to Do About Berkeley?'; 'Who Shot Lincoln?'; 'Hey, This Guy Could Be President Someday'; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780755620036

0755620038

9780857727268

0857727265

OCLC:

953656399