Like it or not, most Americans take it for granted that deception is entrenched in the highest levels of government. Up until now most of the arguments about lying have been moral. But in this groundbreak- ing and closely reasoned book, bestselling political commentator Eric Alterman lays bare the disastrous practical consequences of presidential duplicity since World War II.
In Dirty Politics, campaign analyst Kathleen Hall Jamieson provides an eye-opening look at political ads and speeches, showing us how to read, listen to, and watch political campaigns. Jamieson provides a sophisticated (and often humorous) analysis of advertising technique, describing how television ads use soft focus, slow motion, lyrical or patriotic music (Reagan used "I'm Proud to be an Ame…