Whistle-Stop Politics

Foreword by Jules Witcover, veteran Washington correspondent, award-winning reporter, former political columnist for the Baltimore Sun, and author of 85 Days: The Last Campaign of Robert Kennedy.Discover the entertaining story of how campaigning by train shaped American politics, elections, journalism, and culture in Whistle-Stop Politics.Memories of the pivotal role campaign trains played in American elections fade with the passing of each generation. Also forgotten are the stories documented by the reporters who traveled with hundreds of whistle-stopping politicians, including Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan.The trains were the backdrop of political drama, intrigue, humor, and triumph for more than 185 years. Campaign trains were an American invention that enabled politicians to connect with as many voters as possible in the country's largest cities and smallest towns.Filled with engaging anecdotes and striking images,this book is an exciting journey back into America's political past, opening new windows into the personalities and political campaigns that shaped our history.