| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 89.1

You have not been recognized as a subscriber to JAH online. About 205 words from this article are provided below; about 374 words remain.

If you are a individual member of the Organization of American Historians, you may:: • login here if you have already registered for online access.; • Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.
• Set up your online account for the first time.
If you are not a member of the Organization of American Historians, you can:: • Join the OAH and receive many member benefits including print and electronic issues of the Journal of American History.
• Purchase a research pass to gain two-hour access to the entire History Cooperative web site. You will have full access to current issues of the Journal of American History (86.1-present). Note: the Research Pass does not provide access to JSTOR's holdings of the Journal of American History.
Instititutions can:: • Subscribe to this journal and receive print and electronic issues.
• Activate your existing subscription so that we recognize your IP number ranges.

| Book Review | The Journal of American History, 89.1 | The History Cooperative

Book Review

The Race Card: Campaign Strategy, Implicit Messages, and the Norm of Equality. By Tali Mendelberg. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2001. xvi, 307 pp. Cloth, $52.50, ISBN 0-691-07070-9. Paper, $17.95, ISBN 0-691-07071-7.)

Race has always been at the heart of American politics. Candidates for all offices have long used race as a central component of their campaigns, especially in the South. In many cases the racial appeals made by candidates have been quite blatant. In other instances, however, candidates' messages may not appear to be about race on the surface but are laced with subtle racial cues. Scholars have accused Republican presidential candidates, including Barry Goldwater, Richard M. Nixon, Ronald Reagan, and George Bush Sr., of implicitly playing on racial fears. 1

It is these implicit racial messages (both verbal and visual) that Tali Mendelberg examines in The Race Card. All too often, scholars assert that implicit racial messages exist and that they work, often without providing any empirical evidence. Mendelberg's study provides compelling support for the effectiveness of implicit racial messages by using a variety of methods, including case studies, content analysis, surveys, and experiments. Her book is an essential read for anyone interested in the role of race in political campaigns. . . .

There are about 374 more words in this article. Please log in (or, if you are not yet an authorized user, please go to the User Setup page) to gain full access rights. Or if you're already logged in register your subscription.