Includes bibliographical references (pages 193-199).
Introduction : political campaigns as conversation -- How I got into this -- Doorstep conversations -- Media messages -- Dollars and private promises -- Abortive dialogue -- Countdown, recount, and retrospect -- Conclusion : door-knocking democracy.
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The famous Tip O'Neill axiom "all politics is local" comes alive in this chronicle of Democrat James H. Read's hard-fought but unsuccessful--by 98 votes--bid for state legislature in the socially conservative communities of Stearns and Morrison Counties, Minnesota. Read door-knocked 7,500 households during his campaign, visiting with voters and engaging in genuine dialogue on doorsteps from St. Anthony to St. Joseph. At once a memoir of a hard-fought contest and a meditation on the state of American democracy, Read's work contrasts the modern media-driven political campaign, where candidates gle.