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A Backstage Look at Political Stagecraft

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George W. Bush with his Mission Accomplished banner.

During Connecticut's 2014 gubernatorial election, Republican candidate Tom Foley chose a failing paper mill in Sprague as the "stage" upon which he'd blame the Malloy administration's economic policies on the mill's demise. 

The stage was set with attention to every detail -- a sunny day, a crowd surrounding the candidate, camera's poised to capture the perfect shot -- except for the one Foley's handlers couldn't control: the unscripted words of Cathy Osten, First Selectwoman and State Senator of Sprague, accusing the candidate of never reaching out to any of the leaders of Sprague to ask about their story.  

Embarrassing moments in a political campaign can quickly ruin a candidate's chances - despite the best efforts of campaign staffers to control message at a time when social media resists control. As a result, politicians are increasingly cautious of what they say, how they look, and how they interact with the public. 

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Colin McEnroe, Chion Wolf, and Greg Hill contributed to this show. 

Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.