Leone Baxter: The First Lady of Political Consulting

(Hardback)

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Set against the changing and turbulent politics of California from the 1930s through the 1950s,
Campaigns Inc.: Leone Baxter, Clem Whitaker, and the Invention of Political Consulting examines the life and work of Leone Baxter and her husband Clem Whitaker. During this era, Baxter and Whitaker invented and refined the field of campaign consulting, a form of public relations practice that manages reputation, image, and communication during a political campaign. This book details their work and the development of their successful political consulting firm Campaigns Inc. They worked for mainly conservative and Republican clients, and it was through this work that Campaigns Inc. set the standard for how campaigns would be structured and run through the next century. The book begins with an overview of Baxter and Whitaker's core philosophy of communication, campaigns, and politics. Cayce Myers details their early work in California's Central Valley and their first big campaign against Democratic nominee Upton Sinclair who ran for California Governor in 1934. The book then examines Baxter and Whitaker's campaign for the successful 1942 Gubernatorial candidacy of Earl Warren. The Warren campaign served as a template for building a campaign around a candidate and not a party. Following that election, Baxter and Whitaker's work transformed to focus on defeating compulsory health insurance reforms. They successfully defeated healthcare reform initiatives by California Governor Earl Warren and later President Harry Truman by shaping public sentiment against the specter of "socialized medicine."

Reviews

Campaigns Inc.: Leone Baxter, Clem Whitaker, and the Invention of Political Consulting is as much a story about the colorful and dynamic social and political history of California from the 1930s to 1950s as it is the successful careers of Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, partners in life and work credited with revolutionizing political campaigning. Baxter and Whitaker understood how voters thought, and they used a willing media to target voters with messaging designed to impact at an emotionalif not always entirely factual or ethicallevel. Myers book is a must read for scholars and students of politics and public relations. -- Lisa M. Parcell * Betty and Oliver Elliott Professor of Communication, Wichita State University, USA *
Married couple Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker, pioneers of political consulting, created practices still common in public relations and campaign communication today; but they also crossed ethical lines with controversial tactics. Through extensive archival research and with an engaging writing style, Myers brings their story to lifefrom their California gubernatorial campaigns against Sinclair Lewis and for Earl Warren to their discrediting of socialized medicinedetailing their lasting contributions to political communication and public relations. -- Lisa M. Burns * Quinnipiac University, Canada *
This fabulous book expands the historiography of political consulting and public relations in America by examining the couple who defined campaigns in the 1930s through the 1950s. Leone Baxter and Clem Whitaker were provocative pioneers whose imprint can still be felt in 21st Century campaigns. One of the greatest contributions of this work is that it elevates Leone Baxter to her rightful place in history, and sheds light on a female practitioner who has been somewhat muted due to the sexism of her day. Cayce Myers deserves credit for bringing her to life. -- Pam Parry * Southeast Missouri State University, USA *

Author Bio

Cayce Myers is professor at the School of Communication at Virginia Tech, specializing in the history legal, regulatory, and ethical aspects of public relations.