Dirty Politics: Deception, Distraction, and Democracy

Jamieson exposes the methods and meaning of today's attack campaigns, exploring the subtle and devious techniques of recent political ads. and suggesting ways in which the impact of deception can be minimised.

Highlighting controversial tactics such as the 1988 Willie Horton ad., Jamieson argues that debates about "negative campaigning" are fundamentally misdirected. Attacking opponents' weaknesses is a legitimate part of political discourse, and barefaced lies have a long tradition in American politicking. New is the surge of powerful ads that invite false inferences about the facts or that covertly pander to prejudice, evoking anti-black, anti-feminist, and anti-gay responses. At the same time, modern media coverage is reinforcing instead of undercutting campaign deception, while PAC-sponsored ads eliminate the candidates' accountability for their attacks.

Building on Jamieson's compelling studies of political advertising, speechmaking, and debates, this book will be a timely companion to the 1992 elections, helping to make sense of the debates over what's fair and what's foul in today's political campaigns.