Bozeman Magazine

MSU Wonderlust will host its annual fall reception online via Webex featuring a keynote address by Raymond D. Strother, a nationally known political consultant. Strother’s keynote, “Those Annoying Political Television Commercials: The Evolution of Political Television,” will be followed by brief presentations, a Q&A session with fall instructors, highlights of the upcoming side trip speaker series and door prizes. The reception is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register, visit www.montana.edu/wonderlust/register/. Upon registration participants will receive an email with the Webex link and instructions how to join. In his keynote address, Strother will address the evolution of the campaign message from President Dwight. D. Eisenhower to former Vice President and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, including how the political message is crafted to solve problems and to position a candidate. According to Strother, it is impossible this time of year to turn on a television and not be inundated by repetitious, annoying television commercials. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent promoting or trying to destroy candidates. All the commercials look the same, but are they? The first commercials recorded for reuse were used in the Eisenhower-Adlai Stevenson campaigns of 1952. Eisenhower hired Madison Avenue advertising specialists who used jingles and animation to win Eisenhower’s election. This simple use of television has evolved an industry of political consultants, media buyers, pollsters, targeters, fundraisers and other specialists who control the campaign message. The political consulting industry now has a trade association of thousands of members. Strother argues that consultants are so important that they have replaced smoke-filled rooms and political bosses. They have changed the way Democrats and Republicans are selected and elected. The political machine has rusted and been left on the side of the road and replaced by digits and video, Strother said. Strother is a retired lifelong political consultant who has worked on presidential, vice presidential, senatorial and gubernatorial campaigns across the country. He is the president of the consulting firm Strother-Duffy-Strother. His clients have included presidential candidates Gary Hart and Albert Gore and U.S. Sens. Max Baucus, Lloyd Bentsen, John Stennis and Mary Landrieu. Wonderlust is a lifelong learning program of MSU Academic Technology and Outreach offering a variety of noncredit classes, lectures, book discussions, workshops and other activities for the intellectually curious. All Wonderlust programs are open to the public. Wonderlust members receive course discounts and free entry to side trips, which are two-hour lectures on selected topics. To purchase a Wonderlust membership or to register for fall programs, visit www.montana.edu/wonderlust/.