Talk Show Campaigns offers a fresh, comprehensive, and discerning examination of politics in the media age. For years even casual observers of American politics have noted an increasing number of TV talk show campaign appearances and now, thanks to Michael Parkin, we know why. In this meticulously researched and captivating book, Parkin explores the relationship between political candidates and voters through the increasingly important structure of entertainment television. Through his examination of this talk show strategy, Parkin tells a larger story about American elections, the entertainment we enjoy, and the new ways which we get our information. Well written and accessible, this is a fantastic book.
Alison Dagnes , Shippensburg University
This is a book that needed to be written. Over the past two decades, appearances on entertainment talk shows have played an increasingly important role in the campaign strategies of presidential candidates. While others have investigated this phenomenon, no study to date has offered such a comprehensive assessment of it over time. To do so, Parkin assembles an impressive array of data spanning over 200 appearances on entertainment talk shows by presidential candidates between 1992 and 2012, including content analyses of candidate interviews, audience demographics, and ratings data. In bringing all of these elements together, Parkin is able to offer a thorough accounting of the role of entertainment talk shows in modern presidential politics. This book is a must read for students and scholars interested in presidential politics and political communication.
Matthew Baum , Harvard University
Talk Show Campaigns
Over the past 20 years, presidential candidates have developed an entertainment talk show strategy in which they routinely chat with the likes of Oprah Winfrey, David Letterman, and Jon Stewart. In fact, between 1992 and 2012, there have been more than 200 candidate interviews on daytime and late night talk shows with nearly every presidential candidatefrom long-shot primary contender to major party nomineehitting the talk show circuit at some point during the campaign.
This book explores the development of the entertainment talk show strategy and assesses its impact on presidential campaigns. The chapters mix detailed narrative with extensive empirical data on audiences, content, viewer reaction, and press coverage to explain why candidates have embraced this strategy and the conditions under which it is most likely to meet their expectations. The book also explores how these interviews can enhance campaigns by connecting a critical segment of the voting population with candidates who provide useful political information in a casual setting. Talk Show Campaigns shows that this is more than a gimmickits a key part of how candidates communicate with voters, which reveals a lot about how campaigns have changed over the past two decades.
Michael Parkin is Associate Professor of Politics at Oberlin College. His primary research and teaching interests are in candidate use of new media, particularly entertainment television and the Internet.
Routledge Studies in Global Information, Politics and Society
Edited by Kenneth Rogerson, Duke University and Laura Roselle, Elon University
International communication encompasses everything from one-to-one cross-cultural interactions to the global reach of a broad range of information and communications technologies and processes. Routledge Studies in Global Information, Politics and Society celebratesand embracesthis depth and breadth. To completely understand communication, it must be studied in concert with many factors, since, most often, it is the foundational principle on which other subjects rest. This series provides a publishing space for scholarship in the expansive, yet intersecting, categories of communication and information processes and other disciplines.
1 Relational, Networked and Collaborative Approaches to Public Diplomacy
The Connective Mindshift
Edited by R. S. Zaharna, Amelia Arsenault, and Ali Fisher
2 Reporting at the Southern Borders
Journalism and Public Debates on Immigration in the US and the EU
Edited by Giovanna DellOrto and Vicki L. Birchfield
3 Strategic Narratives
Communication Power and the New World Order
Alister Miskimmon, Ben OLoughlin, and Laura Roselle
4 Talk Show Campaigns
Presidential Candidates on Daytime and Late Night Television
Michael Parkin
Talk Show Campaigns
Presidential Candidates on Daytime and Late Night Television
Michael Parkin
First published 2014
by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
2014 Taylor & Francis
The right of Michael Parkin to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now Known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parkin, Michael.
Talk show campaigns: presidential candidates on daytime and late night television / Michael Parkin.
pages cm. (Routledge studies in global information, politics and society)
1. PresidentsUnited StatesElection. 2. Presidential candidates United States. 3. Political campaignsUnited States. 4. Communication in politicsUnited States. 5. Television talk showsUnited States. 6. Television and politicsUnited States. 7. United StatesPolitics and government. I. Title.
JK524.P35 2014
324.70973dc23
2013039266
ISBN: 978-0-415-82336-4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-203-55175-2 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
For my parents and Sue
Contents
Many people have played an integral part in making this book a reality. For their comments and advice on my early work in this area, I thank Angie Bos, Alison Dagnes, Jamie Druckman, Martin Kifer, Kevin Parsneau, Bas van Doorn, and Justin Wedeking. Thanks also to Darcy Bullock and Natalja Mortensen at Routledge, the series editors, Ken Rogerson and Laura Roselle, and the anonymous reviewer for their great advice along the way.
I also owe an enormous debt of gratitude to the talented research assistants who worked tirelessly on various aspects of this project. They are Zohra Ansari-Thomas, Robin Baird, Julia Beebe, Arianne Bennett, Rachel Berkot, Rachel Brender, Jack Brewer, Anna Brown, Robin Chakrabarti, Julie Chen, Leann Dameron, Hannah Diamond, Connor Donahue, Josh Exler, Eric Fischer, Ben Godlove, Sophie Harari, Ben Hillengas, Shannon Ikebe, Saksham Khosla, Nina Khoury, Nick Kuipers, Iris Kunert, Tommy La Voy, Shane MacDonald, Caroline Meister, Babaak Parcham, Kalind Parish, Nell Peyser, Carson Reid, Jennifer Rivera, Juli Ruoff, Sergio Sanchez, Bronwen Schumacher, Hannah Scott, Mariah Shafir-Volk, Katherine Sicienski, Laura Vernon, Ariane Walder, Andrew Watiker, Rachel Welsh, Michelle Zanni, and Frances Zlotnick. I also thank the Oberlin College Office of Sponsored Programs for their support, and my colleagues in the Department of Politics for their encouragement and advice.
