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Acknowledgments The idea for this book came out of several discussions about the icons, symbols , and cultural dynamics of the 2008 election—an election that paid more attention to gender than had any previous presidential election. We were both intrigued by many of the perspectives offered throughout the long election season , particularly those that we found unexpected, taking debates and images much further in some cases and not far enough in other cases. In all, the 2008 election was much more than the total of votes at the end of the night on election November 4, 2008. The question of feminism came up in numerous contexts and made its way to the forefront of policy discussions in ways that had not been seen for quite some time. Although the term and ownership of what feminism might mean remain contested, having a national conversation on a number of levels about the role of women in public life, as they ran for the highest office in the land and as they were nominated for the vice presidential position, was an opening to bring forward many of these unresolved issues that continue to dominate the lives of many Americans. Many celebrated, and rightly so, the facts that Hillary Clinton went further in pursuing the Democratic nomination for president than had any woman previously and that Sarah Palin did the same as the first female on the Republican ticket as the vice presidential candidate. We were particularly intrigued by the way that conversations about these women and their electoral fortunes unfolded in unexpected arenas: on Oprah’s couch, in fashion magazines, on late-night comedy shows, and across the changing media landscape. However, though both Clinton and Palin broke through certain glass ceilings, neither of them achieved the ultimate goal of winning their respective election. As a result—and perhaps partly as an explanation, too—the role, presentation, consumption, and experience of women and American politics in its highest echelon remain contested—especially in the realm of popular culture. As we began to see links between otherwise seemingly disconnected spheres of the public discourse, we were prompted to delve into the intersections of gender, presidential politics, and popular culture and to see what we and a number of our colleagues might 287 288 Acknowledgments have to say about the ongoing dynamics of these phenomena. The result of these investigations is this volume. Along the way, we have had help and assistance from a host of individuals, all of whom deserve our gratitude. We would like to thank first our generous contributors, who have worked with us over a number of years revising and refining their work and responding to our many e-mails and edits. We thank them for taking this intellectual journey with us. We have learned a great deal from their research and writing, all of which has made this book diverse and engaging. We also would like to thank our respective universities—Cleveland State University, where Justin worked throughout the course of this project, and Carroll University, where Lilly has worked since 2005—for supporting our efforts through travel grants so that we could attend a variety of conferences where many of these chapters were initially presented. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the individuals who have stood by us as we worked on writing, assembling, editing, and all the other aspects of construction that go into moving a project from an idea to a completed manuscript . We particularly thank the diligent and gracious staff at the University Press of Kentucky. Anne Dean Watkins, Bailey Johnson, Steve Wrinn, and Mack McCormick have been constantly supportive of this project and have worked with us every step of the way. It is a pleasure to work with such a wonderful editorial and marketing staff. Lilly needs to specifically mention some of the individuals who were particularly vital to this project. From her earliest days door-knocking to driving around on election nights, checking vote tallies at local precincts, her father, Ralph Goren, has instilled in her not only an interest in politics, but also a profound love of our country, warts and all. She also wants to dedicate this book to thememoryofawomanwhoenjoyedpopularculture,tookherpoliticsseriously, and inspired her and whose memory continues to inspire her, her wonderful aunt Verna Dee Goren. Along with Ralph and Verna Dee, Lilly would like to dedicate this book to Benjamin, who made a lot of noise when he first showed up, but she can’t imagine what life would...

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