Guiniven Writes Column for News & Record

John Guiniven, associate professor of communications, wrote an opinion column titled, "My fellow consumers, er, I mean citizens," for the July 15 edition of the Greensboro News & Record about the marketing of political candidates. Guiniven says consumers buy or sell politicians, which is why candidates for political office are manufactured, packaged and presented to the public in the most glowing terms.

"An entire industry has developed to bring sophisticated marketing to the electoral process," Guiniven writes. " As with many purchases based on flimsy information and impulse, we are experiencing the political equivalent of buyers' remorse. Polls show both the president and Congress with historically low approval ratings: 26 percent and 25 percent, respectively. We also deserve a rating at least that low: Politicians and marketers didn't lead us to where we are; they followed us."