The sport and spin of presidential politicking

Pennsylvania and Delaware voters go to the polls April 26.

Garden State residents wait until June 7 to weigh in on the presidential primaries. It may be all over  but the shouting at that juncture.

Newsworks Tonight host Dave Heller is joined by presidential historian David Greenberg of Rutgers University to dig into the presidential primaries.

Greenberg’s new book, “Republic of Spin: An Inside History of the American Presidency,” follows how once the people were given more power to elect with the primaries, the way candidates communicated their message changed as well.

And how has the modern day changed how politicians communicate with the nation? According to Greenberg, the rise of Twitter, Facebook, and the scores of television stations delivering the news have created a wider, more “cacophonous” journalistic landscape than ever before.

In fact, the act of stumping and talking directly with the people is a newer aspect of the presidential campaign. Before the 20th century, it was unheard of for candidates to go town to town, kissing babies and shaking hands.

The ball didn’t start rolling until Theodore Roosevelt traveled the country as William McKinley’s vice presidential nominee, giving speeches.