ABSTRACT
Practices of magic, from folkloric accounts and theories to modern performances of illusion and mentalism, are socially formative. Magic differentiates notions of truth and falsehood, faith and superstition, modernity and primitivism, knowledge and ignorance. In these binary formations, one does not negate the other, but both exist as possibilities on a spectrum and in dialogic combination. The presidential campaign is an exhibition of these intricacies. Through theories of magic drawn from folklore, anthropology, and cultural studies, “Campaign as Magic” relates practices and effects from the campaign to practices of magic. This includes illusion, trickery, and cons, along with self-deception, magical thinking, speaking worlds into existence, and pure entertainment. The ear is a key receptacle of this, as audition is a primary locus of conviction, from religious murmurs to shamanic world creation to half-truths and outright lies.
