ABSTRACT

Prisoners of the White House looks at the isolation experienced by presidents of the United States in the White House, a habitat almost guaranteed to keep America's commander in chief far removed from everyday life. The authors look at how this is emerging as one of the most serious dilemmas facing the American presidency. As presidents have become more isolated, the role of the presidential pollster has grown. Ken Walsh has been given exclusive access to the polls and confidential memos received by presidents over the years, and has interviewed presidential pollsters directly to gain their unique perspective. Prisoners of the White House gets inside the bubble and punctures the mythology surrounding the presidency.

chapter |14 pages

Introduction

Trapped in “The Bubble”

part I|48 pages

Four who Lost the People

chapter 1|16 pages

From Outreach to Isolation

chapter 2|12 pages

In the Bunker

chapter 3|8 pages

Good Intentions, Bad Outcomes

chapter 4|10 pages

Missing the Obvious

part II

Two Defiant Princes

part III|83 pages

Five Who Stayed Connected

chapter 7|9 pages

Connected to Everyman

chapter 8|18 pages

Middle-Class Roots

chapter 9|17 pages

Escapes from Disaster

chapter 10|21 pages

Beyond the Beltway

part IV|48 pages

From Wizards to Chicken Peddlers

chapter 11|36 pages

The Wizards of the White House

chapter 12|10 pages

Breaking out of the Bubble