How have the media changed the dynamics of presidential elections?
Remember, a lot of people in 1960 didn’t know who Kennedy was. They saw his name, but they never really saw him against Nixon. And suddenly, this vibrant force comes out, and it changed the feeling about the election enormously. And I think you find this in movies and in everything we do. In your personal life there are certain people who come on stage and you know right away that you’re fascinated by them. It can be a Marlon Brando, and it can be a Kennedy. I think we see it in many elections. People win simply on the strength of there being something about them that attracts the interest of people. Now, the media, being the transmission, are the ones to pick it up. But they can also do bad things — you have to be able to use your tools. And what greater tool than the media is there in present-day America to get people to turn one way or the other? You have to use the media for your purposes. But the media in our country are terribly, terribly important. And they’re not neutral — some
