"The 2024 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective builds on a successful series of edited volumes on each presidential election campaign since 1992, offering an overview of all aspects of political campaign communication. Going beyond quantitative facts, electoral counts, and poll results, each chapter focuses on a specific area of political campaign communication: the early campaign period, the nomination process and conventions, candidate strategies, presidential debates, political advertising, the use of digital and social media, and news coverage. Bringing together contributions from accomplished scholars of political communication and political science, The 2024 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective provides the most comprehensive analysis of the role, function, strategies and innovation of new communication technologies than similar post-election titles available on the market. This book will be put on a fast-track schedule to ensure timely publication in the Spring following the November 2024 election"--
A comprehensive communication analysis of the 2024 presidential campaign
Presidential campaigns are more than elections, they are cultural touchstones that shape national identity and political discourse. The 2024 presidential campaign was a defining moment in American history, marked by political polarization and cultural turns. In The 2024 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective Robert E. Denton, Jr. and a team of esteemed scholars offer an incisive look at the strategies, narratives, and media that influenced this landmark election.
Examining all key areas of the 2024 election through the lens of communication, this timely volume delves into critical facets of campaign messaging, including political advertising and established news media. Discussions of recent developments such as AI-generated content and the expansion of alternative media provide a deeper understanding of how rapid technological advancement impacts both presidential campaigns and American democracy. Each chapter provides unique insights, connecting communication theory to real-world electoral phenomena.
- Presents in-depth analyses of televised debates, social media strategies, and advertising
- Explores the use of humor in computer-generated images and political cartoons
- Includes chapters on candidate branding and political party conventions
- Addresses the impact of campaign finance on electoral outcomes
- Offers the latest insights into digital and mediated campaign practices
- Provides a unique perspective on cultural and generational shifts in U.S. politics
The 2024 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective is essential reading for scholars and students in Political Science, Journalism, and Communication, particularly those studying presidential campaigns, media and politics, and the presidency. Ideal for upper-level undergraduate and graduate courses, it is also a valuable resource for professionals in political campaign management.
About the Contributors xv
Acknowledgments xxi
Preface xxiii
Section 1: Political Campaign Communication In the 2024 Presidential
Campaign 1
Chapter 1: Setting the Stage for 2024: A Tale of Three Incumbencies 3
Craig Allen Smith Copyrighted Material
Presumption and Incumbency 4
Incumbency in 2024 6
Biden: The Actual Incumbent 7
Trump: The Challenging Incumbent 12
Harris: The Heir Incumbent 16
Conclusions 26
End Notes 28
Chapter 2: Getting on Stage: Surfacing for 2024 35
Craig Allen Smith
Surfacing in the Early Years 36
Surfacing Since the 1970s: Binding Primaries 38
The Surfacing Landscape Evolves: 1972 versus 2024 41
Trents Theory of Surfacing 43
Establishing Expectations of Candidates 44
Determining Front Runners or Serious Contenders 44
Important Issues or Themes Emerge 45
Surfacing Metrics 46
The Aspiring Democrats 48
The Aspiring Republicans 51
The Trump Critics 52
The Newbies 52
The Contenders 53
The Republican Debates 55
The First Republican Debate 56
The Second Republican Debate 59
The Final Three Debates 60
Summary 61
Issue Surfacing for 2024 62
Conclusions 63
End Notes 65
Chapter 3: The 2024 Political Party Conventions: Contexts, Rhetoric, and
Curiosities 71
Theodore F. Sheckels
The Death of a Genre 73
Media Reversal 77
Agenda 79
The Republicans 80
The Democrats 82
Late Twists 85
Curiosities 87
Republicans 87
Democrats 88
Both Parties 89
The Vice- Presidential Nomination Acceptance Speeches 89
The Candidates Families 90
The Music 91
Conclusion 92
End Notes 96
Chapter 4: Presidential Debates 2024 101
Benjamin Voth
Presidential Debates and Election 2020 102
CNN 2023 Town Hall with Trump 104
Republican Presidential Primary Debates 2024 105
The Critical June 27th Debate 107
The Harris and Trump Debate 111
October 1st Vice- Presidential Debate 114
Did the Debates Matter for the Result of the Election? 115
The Future of Presidential Debates in 2028 116
End Notes 119
Chapter 5: Televised Political Advertising in the 2024 Presidential Election
125
Scott W. Dunn and John C. Tedesco
Advertising and Spending 128
Harris and Democratic Ads 132
Biden Ads 132
Harris Ads 134
Contrasts between Trump and Harris 134
Issue Ads: Abortion and the Economy 136
Ads from Outside Groups/Super PACs 138
Trump and Republican Ads 139
Comparisons between Trump and Harris and Harris and Biden 140
Issue Ads: Immigration, Inflation, and Taxation 142
Ads from Outside Groups/Super PACs 144
Conclusion 148
End Notes 149
Chapter 6: The 2024 Presidential Media Campaign 157
Dan Schill and John Allen Hendricks
The 2024 Media and Politics Ecosystem 162
Digital and Social Media Platforms 167
X/Twitter 170
Facebook and Threads 171
YouTube 171
TikTok 172
Podcasts 173
Snapchat 175
The Influence of Celebrities, Influencers, and Pop Culture 175
Communication Technology, Misinformation, and Artificial Intelligence 178
The 2024 Kamala Harris Social Media Campaign 181
X 183
Facebook, Instagram, and Threads 184
Snapchat 185
YouTube 186
TikTok 187
Podcasts 187
Traditional Media 190
The 2024 Donald Trump Social Media Campaign 192
Truth Social 198
Facebook 199
TikTok 200
Podcasts 201
Conclusion 202
End Notes 203
Chapter 7: From Party Conventions to Election Day: Campaign 2024 in
Editorial Cartoons 219
Natalia Mielczarek
Editorial Cartoons and American Politics 221
Cartoon Dataset, Themes, and Visual Rhetoric 224
Visual Themes in Campaign 2024 at a Glance 225
Visual Construction of the Evil, Hateful and Dangerous Donald Trump Theme
227
Visual Construction of the Dumb, Harmful and Indecisive Kamala Harris
Theme 233
Visual Construction of Four Episodic Themes 237
Excitement over Kamala Harriss Candidacy Theme 237
JD Vance as a Dangerous VP Choice Theme 239
Joe Biden Pushed Out of the Presidential Race 241
Tim Walz as a Weak VP Pick 243
Visual Rhetoric, Narrative Arcs, and Campaign 2024 245
Falling Action, Election Day, and Resolution 248
End Notes 250
Section 2: Studies of Communication in The 2024 Presidential Campaign 255
Chapter 8: Impact of Crisis on Candidate Branding in the 2024 Presidential
Election 257
Lisa M. Burns and Hilary Fussell Sisco
Political Branding 258
Crisis Management and Rebranding 263
Campaign Chaos 265
Impact of Crisis on Harris Brand 268
Impact of Crisis on Trumps Brand 274
Conclusion 279
End Notes 281
Chapter 9: AI- Generated Imagery in the 2024 Presidential Election:
Misinformation, Disinformation, and Potential to Foster Positive Engagement
in Future Elections 291
Bingbing Zhang and David D. Perlmutter
Definition of AI- Generated Imagery 293
The Role of AI- Generated Imagery in Presidential Elections: An Overview
294
Impact of AI- Generated Imagery on Voters Perceptions 295
Ways to Combat AI- Generated Misinformation/Disinformation 296
Its Not All Bad: Broader Context and Future Prospects for Research and
Practice 297
Conclusion 299
End Notes 300
Chapter 10: The Tangled Webs They Weave: An Exploration of
Interorganizational Connections in the Most Unprecedented Presidential
Campaign in History 307
Michele Rees Edwards
An Unprecedented Campaign 309
Interorganizational Communication Theory 311
Organizations Involved in a Presidential Election 313
Governmental Organizations 314
Governmental Organizations with Legally Defined Roles in Campaigns and
Elections 314
Governmental Organizations That Are Headed by Presidential Appointees 315
Nongovernmental Organizations 316
For-Profit Organizations with Connections to Politics 318
Interorganizational Connections in the 2024 Presidential Campaign 319
Connections Involving Media 319
Connections Involving the Two Assassination Attempts 323
July 13, 2024 323
September 15, 2024 325
Connections Involving Former Democrats Who Endorsed Trump 327
Conclusion 331
End Notes 332
Chapter 11: Saturday Night Live and Political Humor as Argument in
Presidential Campaign 2024 337
Benjamin Voth
The History of SNL 340
SNL in Election 2024 344
The Al Smith Dinner on October 17, 2024 345
The Comic Conclusion of Presidential Election 2024 346
End Notes 348
Chapter 12: Campaign Finance and Its Impact on the 2024 Presidential
Campaign 351
Cayce Myers
Campaign Finances and Their Impact on Presidential Elections 354
Democratic Fundraising Pre- Convention: From Biden to Harris 360
Pre- general Republican Fundraising: A Trump Resurgence 363
Trump versus Harris: Campaign Fundraising Post- Convention 366
Does Money Matter in Campaigns? Three Lessons from Election 2024 370
End Notes 371
Index 375
Robert E. Denton, Jr. is the W. Thomas Rice Chair Emeritus and Professor Emeritus of Communication at Virginia Tech University, where he previously served as the Founding Director of the School of Communication and of the Rice Center for Leader Development. Denton has authored or edited 33 books, many in multiple editions, focusing on political communication and leadership.
