Doorstep Democracy : Face-to-Face Politics in the Heartland
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Description
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 in Minnesota. Read door-knocked 7500 households during his campaign, visiting 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, Doorstep Democracy shows the power and importance of kitchen-table politics-people sitting down together to tackle the issues that affect us-and proves that voters and candidates can be convinced to change their minds. Read ultimately demonstrates how conversations between citizens concerned about their communities can get us beyond the television ads, mass mailings, and sound bites to rejuvenate American democracy.
ISBN
9780816656790 9780816656806
Publication Date
2008
Publisher
University of Minnesota Press
City
Minneapolis, MN
Disciplines
American Politics | Political Science
Recommended Citation
Read, James H. 2008. Doorstep democracy: face-to-face politics in the heartland. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.