Politics of Popular Culture

Days after the 9/11 attacks George W. Bush sought to reassure the American public that Osama bin Laden would be brought to justice, quipping that "there''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ''Wanted: Dead or Alive.''" Bush''s invocation of Wild West mythology was neither novel nor unusual - elected officials frequently tap into popular culture in order to mobilize public support for ...