Is Politics A Politician - 4068 Words

Retail politics can best be described as gaining support or backing for an individual through direct personal connection and networking. This type of politics is incredibly important because it creates a more intimate and special kind of deal that makes that person more willing to support a particular politician. Not to mention it can help on a personal level by moving up social and trust levels, which is a huge part of politics. This kind of politics is different than wholesale politics which targets a large audience rather than an individual person. A congressional cloakroom is a communal meeting place that can be compared to the kitchen or water jug in a typical office. It serves as an informal meeting place where politicians can meet†¦show more content†¦While retail politics is an amazing tool, it does have its limitations. For because the process requires intimate human connection, it can not really be scaled past a small group of people. Essentially, it can not real ly only be implemented locally and not nationally. However those connections made locally can help on the federal level. Today, retail politics is still very important but not as important as it was in the 1950’s. This is because nowadays the public is swayed by large scale news articles, debates and television ads which all falls under the category of wholesale politics. Yet retail politics is still important today for a politician to stay in good standing with his/her staff and potentially move up the ladder of power. Chapter 2 The phrase â€Å"all politics is local† means that politicians are only successful if they do what is best for the district or area they serve. Or in other words, they serve the people they are representing. For if a politician loses touch with his/her people and they no longer feel represented, the politician will not only lose votes, but most likely be ousted by another. An example from this chapter is when Congressman Edward J. Patten used a newspaper article displaying his opponents West End Avenue address. As the book says the race was won right then and there because Eddie Pattern showed his opponent not truly being a â€Å"local† person. Another example from the book is when the powerful Al Ullman