Posted on September 12, 2002 at 3:05 p.m.
BIRMINGHAM, AL — University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) communication studies expert Larry Powell, Ph.D., sums up Alabama’s gubernatorial race like this: “Siegelman’s running the classic incumbent strategy, reminding voters of all his successes as governor. Riley’s using the in-man-out-man strategy, commonly used by challengers to create a negative impression of the incumbent. So far, he’s kept Siegelman on the defensive.”
The art of campaigning is the subject of a new book called Political Campaign Communication: Inside and Out, (2002, Allyn & Bacon Publishing). The book, written by Powell, a pollster and an associate professor of communication studies, and Joseph Cowart, a political consultant, examines the role of campaign communicators — from speechwriters, media consultants and press secretaries to pollsters and phone bank operators. Topics include image development and ethics as well as the factors that influence press coverage and the power of money.
Political Campaign Communication is unique because it’s written from the perspective of campaign consultants and academics with information on the latest research as it relates to how voters develop their political identities. The book also features one-on-one interviews with political consultants and lobbyists from around the nation, including Jack Williams, who was campaign manager for former Alabama Governor Fob James’s successful 1994 bid for office and lobbyist George Clark, executive director of the Alabama Industry and Manufacturers Association.
The 310-page book is designed for students and anyone seeking deeper insight into the communication techniques used in modern day political campaigns.
“The book will give people a different perspective on campaigns in terms of the [tactics] that are used,” Powell said. “We want people to understand how the strategies are used so, if they see something on television, they won’t just simply agree with it, but they will understand what strategies are being used to help make the candidates appealing to different voters.”
One strategy, the in-man-out-man strategy, — which helped former Alabama lieutenant governor Bill Baxley defeat an incumbent attorney general in 1970 — is designed to get people to vote against the incumbent while presenting the challenger as a viable alternative, the authors write. At the same time, the challenger’s campaign consultants strive to inoculate voters against the incumbent’s counter attacks by showing voters the source of the attack messages and the incumbent’s motives for launching the attacks.
Powell warns, however, that campaign consultants should never underestimate the intelligence of the voting public. He gives the example of U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney’s recent defeat, which he blames on her move from the populist message of her earlier campaigns to unpopular stances on issues that didn’t reflect her constituents’ interests.
“Today’s voters are media literate and more adept at filtering political messages than ever before,” he said. “It’s hard to fool the voter. And if they get fooled, they’ll usually fix it at the next election.”