All Aboard the Green Bus: Mythical Condensation in Electoral Politics

By Cristy De La Cruz

Have you ever wondered how political or marketing campaigns that succeed manage to do so?

This short book gives you the conceptual framing around "campaign mythologies." It helps you understand how we call condense our understandings into the kind of shorthand to make political decisions. Drawing upon firsthand campaign experience and theoretical grounding in semiology, linguistics and neuroscience, Cristy will help you understand how campaigns construct reality. She uses the case study of the late Senator Paul Wellstone and "The Green Bus" as a signifier for the major values and story of the candidate. Through this she unpacks how myths and frameworks influence our thinking, and helps frame a way that women can craft their "campaign myth" to effectively win in the future.

Whether you are a political novice or an avid follower of campaign politics, you will find this short book can open your eyes to what is being "sold" to you as you follow campaigns in the future.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DLC Solutions LLC
• Release date: Nov 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9798985028607

Book preview

To

Christine and Jose De La Cruz

Parents of the highest order

Annie Spargo

Grandmother and earliest political mentor

Wendy De La Cruz

Sister, confidante, and friend

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

I am deeply grateful for the people who have helped me along the journey to my master’s degree. My parents, never pressuring me to get further education but always encouraging my chosen identity as a perpetual student, are wonderful and generous people. I will never have the words to show them how much their support and love has meant to me. My sister understood what a struggle it was for me to write a thesis, and she reassured me I would finish eventually.

I met my advisor, John Wallace, in my first MLS course on Education and Social Transformation. Since then I have used many of the principles we studied to bring about personal and organizational transformation throughout my degree. Professor Wallace not only encouraged me when I felt overwhelmed, but he allowed me to pause from academia when I needed to process what I was learning. His story of the practice-building was one that I will continue to use as I develop further as a writer and political activist.

Professor Jacquelyn Zita gave very generously of her time as the instructor for the final project seminar. I know all six of my classmates were grateful for her kind and persistent nudges toward more clear and focused writing. I am particularly grateful for her understanding of my odd writing methods, where drafts are short and editing yields longer documents.

Fakhri was the one to keep pressure on me to apply for a Master of Liberal Studies degree years ago. He knew my graduate school ambitions and was willing to drag me to the library or to cafés when I often got distracted. I am grateful for his many home-cooked meals while we struggled as students together.

Betsy made sure I got my admissions essay in on time for the MLS program and has always been a supporter and friend. She read my first draft of the purpose statement for this project, asked good questions and helped me clarify the ideas I wanted to present.

Andrew is a long-time friend who witnessed my terrible procrastination habits in college. When I thought I might finish this document a year ago, he graciously provided space in his home for me to write while on a two week sabbatical from Minnesota. When I thought the bank might foreclose on my home while I was finishing this project, he lent me money to see me through a difficult time.

Erik has seen me cope with assembling this project through personal transitions, another election campaign and marginal employment that sometimes kept me awake at night with anxiety. Through it all, he never doubted I could finish this project in a semester. He endured endless discussions of candidate mythology and my