Ohio's Kingmaker: Mark Hanna, Man and MythOhio University Press, 2010 M03 16 - 367 pages For a decade straddling the turn of the twentieth century, Mark Hanna was one of the most famous men in America. Portrayed as the puppet master controlling the weak-willed William McKinley, Hanna was loved by most Republicans and reviled by Democrats, in large part because of the way he was portrayed by the media of the day. Newspapers and other media outlets that supported McKinley reported positively about Hanna, but those sympathetic to William Jennings Bryan, the Democrats’ presidential nominee in 1896 and 1900, attacked Hanna far more aggressively than they attacked McKinley himself. Their portrayal of Hanna was wrong, but powerful, and this negative image of him survives to this day. In this study of Mark Hanna’s career in presidential politics, William T. Horner demonstrates the flaws inherent in the way the news media cover politics. He deconstructs the myths that surround Hanna and demonstrates the dangerous and long-lasting effect that inaccurate reporting can have on our understanding of politics. When Karl Rove emerged as the political adviser to George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns, reporters quickly began to compare Rove to Hanna even a century after Hanna’s death. The two men played vastly different roles for the presidents they served, but modern reporters consistently described Rove as the second coming of Mark Hanna, another political Svengali. Ohio’s Kingmaker is a compelling story about a fascinating character in American politics and serves to remind us of the power of (mis)perceptions. |
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administration Alfred Henry Lewis biographer Blaine boss Bush Bush's campaign of 1896 candidate career Charles Dawes Chicago Cleveland Congress convention coverage Cowles criticism Croly wrote currency Dawes Papers Dawes wrote Dawes's Days of McKinley delegates Democratic efforts Election of 1896 fact felt Foraker Foraker's friends Garfield George George W Gould governor Hanna and McKinley Hanna wrote Hanna-McCormick Papers Harrison Herald historians Homer Davenport Ibid Illinois important issue J. B. Morrow James journalists Karl Rove Koenig Kohlsaat labor Leader majority Marcus Alonzo Hanna Margaret Leech Mark Hanna McKin McKinley and Hanna McKinley campaign McKinley Papers McKinley's McKisson newspapers nomination Ohio organization paign politician president presidential reel reelection reported Republican Party role Roosevelt Rove's secretary Senate Sherman silver speech Statement story tariffs Theodore Burton Timmons tion vote voters wanted White House William Jennings Bryan William McKinley William Randolph Hearst York Journal