our election year: all articles

Todd Gitin’s acute, informed, acerbic “Our election year” weekly column has been an openDemocracy highlight of 2004. He discusses the lessons of a tumultuous political year in American politics with Solana Larsen.

No less than the life of the republic itself depends on the election of 2 November 2004, says Todd Gitlin.

With just over a week to go before the presidential election, the paramedia decibels are soaring and the mobilisation intensifying. Todd Gitlin on the curious convulsions and fabulous flavours of this crucial campaign.

For four years, President Bush has been shielded from the public and protected from contrary opinion. The three crucial TV presidential debates have revealed the true man. Advantage John Kerry.

The Dick Cheney-John Edwards Vice-Presidential debate revealed some strange social-psychological truths, notes Todd Gitlin.

John Kerry not just clearly won the first televised debate with George W Bush – he opened up a huge strategic difference over the future of United States policy in Iraq, says Todd Gitlin.

Democracy eschews the private man. Candidates for political office must publicly display their inner man. American voters must choose between a shy John Kerry and a smooth George Bush.

The spirit of “Don’t mourn, organize” is sweeping across Democratic America, says Todd Gitlin. The political is personal. This election is all turn-on and turn-out.

As the media give Bush a wide lead over his rival John Kerry, Todd Gitlin cautions not to call the fight before the final bell.

George W Bush’s closing speech at the Republican convention in New York celebrated the march of freedom, but Todd Gitlin reads its deeper message: endless war.

In a search for truth amongst the fear and smear of the 2004 US Presidential campaigns, Todd Gitlin introduces the full text of John Kerry’s testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971. Essential reading.

The Bush camp is making out a subversive Kerry is somehow to blame for Vietnam and Iraq. A vast right-wing conspiracy or politics as usual? Todd Gitlin bends his mind.

Twisted stats, contorted figures, false leaks, and baby bounces. As post-convention Kerry and the Democrats hit the road, Todd Gitlin searches for some hot stuff.

“John Kerry’s acceptance speech was the most cogent, most stirring in memory.” Todd Gitlin on the week the patriotic Democrats formally nominated their Presidential candidate, and the media carried “Extreme Makeover”.

Todd Gitlin on the irresistible rise of quick, dirty, heavy–breathing media.

Todd Gitlin goes door–to–door in suburban Philadelphia to gauge the mood of America’s swing voters. Beneath the surface ripples of the televised campaign, he finds a variable, febrile, hard–to–read reality. But people are thinking.

Republicans are crowing at John Kerry’s selection of “Über-liberal” John Edwards as his running-mate. But are Bush’s people really so cocky? Todd Gitlin eyes an “equal-opportunity heart-throb”.

America’s corroded politics, benighted democracy, scandalous history and pliant media, have created a monster. Todd Gitlin on ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ and Michael Moore, “the master demagogue an age of demagoguery made”.

George W. Bush pretends to have the ear of God, while only 7% of Americans feel that John Kerry is a man of strong religious faith. Todd Gitlin on the battle for sacred votes.

As Ron Reagan Jr. berates politicians who use religion for their own ends, George Bush Jr. tries to enlist the Pope in his crusade for reelection. Todd Gitlin on how the President is consciously dividing America.