| Leading Men
Presidential Campaigns and the Politics of Manhood
Jackson Katz
published 2012 • 6" x 9" • 288 pages
ISBN 9781566569033 • paperback • $20.00 •
“If only men would read Katz's book, it could serve as a potent form of male consciousness-raising.”
—Publishers Weekly on "The Macho Paradox"
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The decisive re-election of Barack Obama in 2012 exposed a startling development in contemporary American politics: Obama lost the white male vote by a landslide of 27 points—but nonetheless still managed to win the election with the strong backing of women and voters of color. What does this tell us not only about shifting electoral demographics, but about the gender and racial transformations under way in American society over the past few decades?
In Leading Men, Jackson Katz puts forth the original and highly provocative thesis that presidential campaigns have become the center stage of an ongoing national debate about manhood, a kind of quadrennial referendum on what type of man—or one day, woman—embodies not only our ideological beliefs, but our very identity as a nation. Of course this debate has enormous implications for women—both as potential candidates for the presidency and as citizens.
Written in an engaging style that will appeal to general readers, political experts, and activists alike, Katz explores some of the major political developments, news events and campaign strategies in key elections in recent history. Ranging from the election of the former Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan in 1980 through the re-election of Barack Obama, Katz zeroes in on how the very notion of what it means to be “presidential” is linked closely with evolving ideas about manhood.
Whether he is examining right-wing talk radio’s relentless attacks on the masculinity of Democratic candidates, how fears of appearing weak and vulnerable end up shaping candidates’ actual policy positions, the groundbreaking quality of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 run or her potential candidacy in 2016, Katz offers a new way to understand the role of identity politics in presidential campaigns. In the end, Leading Men offers nothing less than a paradigm-shifting way to understand the very nature of the American presidency. Jackson Katz is a pioneer in the fields of gender violence prevention education and critical media literacy. He is the creator of the award-winning educational video Tough Guise and author of The Macho Paradox: Why Some Men Hurt Women and How All Men Can Help. He blogs for The Huffington Post and lectures widely in the U.S. and around the world on violence, media and masculinities. Interlink Books
“In Leading Men Jackson Katz draws from and builds on recent scholarly work about women and the presidency, but his goal is to push presidential studies toward a more explicit engagement with feminist ideas about men and the presidency. Katz’s book manages to be both intellectually exhilarating and highly accessible even as it greatly advances our understanding of presidential politics. It should be widely read by students, scholars, pundits and political junkies.”
—Dr. Caroline Heldman, Chair, Department of Politics, Occidental College, co-editor of Rethinking Madam President: Are We Ready for a Woman in the White House? and Fox News Commentator “For years, scholar and activist Jackson Katz has been providing crucial insights into the relationship between cultural representations of manhood and the actual social and economic circumstances of men’s lives. In Leading Men, Katz brings his formidable critical skills to bear on modern American politics and the U.S. presidency, offering a fresh and fascinating new take on men’s voting patterns and the cultural politics of manhood. Whether he’s looking at how candidates go to extremes to position themselves as tough on crime and strong on defense, or at how Republican political operatives have mastered the art of winning white working-class men’s votes by attacking the masculinity of their Democratic opponents, Katz makes a powerful case that presidential elections in the modern era have been fundamentally shaped by competing visions of American manhood. This is first-rate social and political commentary, a valuable resource for political activists, political junkies, and armchair pundits alike.”
—Sut Jhally, Ph.D., Professor of Communication, UMass-Amherst, Founder-Director, Media Education Foundation
Praise for The Macho Paradox “This profound and vitally important book illuminates the roots of men's violence against women and makes it clear that men must get involved in stopping it... Jackson Katz is a true revolutionary and a national treasure.”
—Jean Kilbourne, author of Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel “Men need to read this book. Not only because it will make the world safer for women, but because it will free men to be their true selves.”
—Eve Ensler, author of the Vagina Monologues “Jackson Katz is one of the most important voices of our generation.”
—Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes “Jackson Katz is an American hero! With integrity and courage, he has taken his message—that the epidemic of violence against women is a men's issue—into athletic terms, the military and frat houses across the country. His book explains carefully and convincingly why—and how—men can become part of the solution, and work with women to build a world in which everyone is safer.”
—Michael Kimmel, author of Manhood in America, spokesperson, National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS)
“If only men would read Katz's book, it could serve as a potent form of male consciousness-raising.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This book leaves no man behind when it comes to taking violence against women personally... After reading this book you can see how important it is to be a stand-up guy and not a stand-by guy, no matter what race or culture you come from.”
—Alfred L. McMichael, 14th Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps and now serving as the Sergeant Major of NATO
“A candid look at the cultural factors that lend themselves to tolerance of abuse and violence against women.”
—Booklist
“These pages will empower both men and women to end the scourge of male violence and abuse. Katz knows how to cut to the core of the issues, demonstrating undeniably that stopping the degradation of women should be every man's priority.”
—Lundy Bancroft, author of Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men
“An honest, intellectually rigorous and insightful work that challenges readers to truly engage in a political discourse that can change lives, communities and nations.”
—Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees and Wannabes "From Ronald Reagan's establishment of himself as a strong father figure, to Michael Dukakis' infamous ride in an M1 tank, this work explores how the resulting voter perception of candidate's masculinity can help swing an election. Katz, a well-known speaker who is responsible for creating the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) model, touches first upon the role of the 1972 election in establishing masculinity as a hallmark of the Republican Party. Then the next five chapters trace its role in presidential politics from 1972 until 2008."
—Book News "The author's concern is with presidential elections and the way that perceptions of masculinity affect the outcomes of those elections. They have become, Katz argues, almost purely referenda on the candidates' 'manhood,' as defined by political spin and media campaigns."—ForeWord
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