The making of a public in a political campaign
A participant observation study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12409287 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Steve M Barkin (University of Maryland, College Park, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1984 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 251-262 |
| Publication date | 1984-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Political Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1058-4609 • E-ISSN: 1091-7675 |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10584609.1984.9962764 |
| OpenAlex | W2089505651 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 4 |
The author served as a press assistant in the 1978 gubernatorial campaign of Ohio Lieutenant Governor Richard F. Celeste. This article examines the evolution of campaign strategy in the 1978 Democratic primary. Faced with token opposition, Celeste used the primary to introduce policies and establish themes for his general election campaign against incumbent James E. Rhodes. This study focuses on the Celeste campaign's efforts to identify and reach a particular constituency within the Ohio electorate. The “making of a public,” influenced by demographics and the results of opinion surveys, became a tentative, reactive process. The candidate's public identity and strategy were negotiated during the course of the primary campaign. Pressed by events and criticism from the press, the candidate eventually deemphasized the specifics of issues as he sought to redefine himself for a public of voters
Aesthetics · Art · Criticism · Democracy · Demographics · Governor · Identity (music · Media studies · Opposition (politics · Participant observation · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Engineering · Law · Public Administration · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Media and Politics
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |