Manipulating Voter Decisions in Political Campaigns
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In the realm of literature and cinema, elections have long been a captivating subject, serving as a mirror to reflect the societal and political landscapes of the United States. From the early days of the 1930s to the present, various works have explored the intricacies of presidential campaigns, voter rights, and the impact of elections on society.
One such work is The Purge: Election Year, a horror and thriller movie set in the year 2040. The film follows U.S. Senator Charlene "Charlie" Roan, who runs for President with the promise to end the annual Purge night, a national holiday during which all crime, including murder, becomes legal for a 12-hour period. The episode could be interpreted as foreshadowing the intense polarization in modern U.S. politics.
Another notable work is Of Thee I Sing, a musical first performed in 1931, which tells the story of a candidate for President of the United States who promises to marry the woman chosen for him at a beauty pageant. The show became one of the longest-running shows of the 1930s, sparking multiple revivals and concert performances, and was the first musical to ever win the Pulitzer Prize.
Moving into the realm of fiction, Dewey Defeats Truman is a novel by Thomas Mallon that tells a fictional love triangle story in Dewey's hometown of Owosso, Michigan, mirroring the national election of 1948 between Harry S. Truman and Governor Thomas Dewey. Vote Loki, a satirical four-part series from Marvel Comics, sees the Norse god Loki running for President, with a series centering around a reporter's attempt to prove that Loki's campaign is a lie to the American people.
In the world of non-fiction, The Selling of the President, 1968 by Joe McGinniss provides an in-depth look at Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign, exploring how image-making influenced political campaigning. The Lincoln-Douglas Debates, documented in various historical accounts, detail a series of seven debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas during the Illinois Senate election, highlighting major political issues like slavery and popular sovereignty.
Television has also delved into the world of elections, with The West Wing episode "Hartsfield's Landing" centering around President Bartlett's return from a state visit coinciding with the first presidential primary vote in New Hampshire. In a more humorous vein, Marcia and Greg Brady, characters from The Brady Bunch, run for student body president in Season 1, Episode 11.
Throughout American history, elections have been a fundamental aspect of society, with the right to vote being a hard-fought battle. African American men were allowed to vote in 1869 with the passage of the 15th Amendment, and women were denied the vote until 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed. Voting is one of the most fundamental rights of almost every person in the United States today. As Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, once said, "Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting."
In 2020, the cast of The West Wing reunited to film a staged reading of "Hartsfield's Landing" as a benefit for the nonprofit organization When We All Vote. The series The Kid Who Ran for President, about a 12-year-old boy named Judd Moon who decides to run for President and establishes his own political party, the Lemonade Party, also highlights the importance of voter participation.
From the pages of history to the silver screen, elections have provided a rich source of inspiration for writers and filmmakers. As the United States continues to evolve, it is likely that elections will continue to play a significant role in shaping the nation's narrative.
[1] McGinniss, J. (1969). The Selling of the President, 1968. New York: Simon & Schuster. [4] Schwartz, R. M. (2006). The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
In the realm of fiction, a character named Senator Charlene "Charlie" Roan's presidential campaign in the movie The Purge: Election Year brings together the themes of lifestyle, sports, and entertainment, as she aims to end the annual Purge night. On the other hand, the educational and self-development sector finds its reflection in the non-fiction book The Selling of the President, 1968 by Joe McGinniss, offering insights into the strategies and techniques used in presidential campaigns.
