!!!ObamaPluralismSpectacle: Barack Obama, the Power Elite and Media Spectacle

Abstract

I argue that the presidency of the Bush-Cheney administration (2000-2008) followed the logic of power elite theory, but that the victory in the 2008 presidential election by Barack Obama points to a new political logic governed by the rise of media spectacle and a pluralization of U.S. politics. I discuss Obamas success through his mastery of media spectacle and mobilization of new media and social networking, but also argue that his policies have confronted traditional power elites during his turn as President. Hence, I conclude that contemporary U.S. politics can be explained by a combination of power elite theory and more postmodern pluralist theories of power.