Political campaigns
The 'Weaponization' Of Social Media — And Its Real-World Consequences
P.W. Singer and Emerson Brooking say social media has been manipulated to fuel popular uprisings and affect the course of military and political campaigns. Their new book is LikeWar.
John Kerry Reflects On Smear Campaigns And Not Taking Anything For Granted
Former Secretary of State John Kerry says that partisan politics are harming America — and they have been for a while. In fact, when he ran for president in 2004, Kerry, then a Democratic senator from Massachusetts, contemplated naming Republican Sen. John McCain as his running mate.
Campaign Expert Neil Oxman Talks About How He Makes Political Ads
Campaign Expert Neil Oxman Talks About How He Makes Political Ads
Assessing The State Of The (Republican) Nation
Washington Post reporter Dan Balz sizes up the state of the Republican party — including how the GOP is preparing for 2012 and how it has been affected by recent sex scandals.
'The Audacity To Win' The Presidency
As Barack Obama's presidential campaign manager, David Plouffe was responsible for constructing an unprecedented grass-roots campaign. In his new book, The Audacity To Win: The Insside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, Plouffe presents a behind-the-scenes look at a historic campaign.
A 'Boogie Man' With A Legacy Of Complicated Moves
Stefan Forbes' documentary looks at the life and controversial career of Lee Atwater, the political operative who ran George H.W. Bush's 1988 campaign — and introduced the nation to Willie Horton.
HBO's 'Recount,' Recapping the 2000 Election
Fresh Air's TV critic reviews HBO's Recount, about the uncertain and still-controversial aftermath of the U.S. presidential election. The movie stars Kevin Spacey, Laura Dern and Tom Wilkinson.
Exploring the History of Presidential Ads
David Schwartz, chief curator of film at the American Museum of the Moving Image, talks about the history of political commercials, from their inception in 1952 to the present.
Schwartz is the organizer of the exhibit "The Living Room Candidate: Presidential Campaign Commercials 1952-2004." (This interview was first broadcast on July 29, 2004.)
New Uses for an Old Word: Entrepreneur
Stanford linguist and author of Going Nucular Geoff Nunberg discusses the word entrepreneur.
'Bush's Brain,' The Influence of Karl Rove
Journalist Wayne Slater is the co-author of Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential. The book, now in paperback, looks at the impact of White House senior adviser Karl Rove on President Bush. There's a new documentary based on the book.