Harrison, narrowly defeated President Martin Van Buren, and all that had gone before changed. For the first time in United States history, political power had changed hands decisively. It was the birth of the two-party system we know today. The "Hard Cider and Log Cabin Campaign" allowed the Whigs to gain mass support and compete seriously in the North and the South, in the old East and the new West (Shulman, M1).
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
In studying this question - at least as regards the media in the United States - it is necessary to provide some historical depth so that one can see how this relates to the Taiwan elections. A useful election to look at is that of Ronald Reagan in 1984, since that election consolidated the power of a political ideology which was in very great opposition to the traditional liberal ideology of the Democrats, which extended back to the administrations of Franklin D. Roosevelt. The media did have a role in changing people's perceptions of the role and value of government, which is what the elections was about.
THE ROLE OF THE MEDIA IN POLITICAL CHANGE
In a nation where our children spend more time watching television and listening to the radio than they do going to school, they readily believe what they see and hear in the media. These children grow up to become adults who, for the most part, still base their opinions and beliefs on what they see and hear in the media. Although it is true that the media is not effective in telling people what to think, it possesses great power in influencing what people think about. Perhaps the greatest power of the media lies in its ability to set the political agenda. The media wields an extreme amount of power when it comes to deciding what issues need to be addressed by the government. The news media, especially at the national level, are able to help set the political agenda by virtue of what they decide to report. A direct li...