To the Point

'The Lie Factory' and How Politics Became a Business

From the local school board to the presidency of the United States, it's become a cliché that political campaigning never ends. What's less often acknowledged is that political consultants don't just run campaigns, they run governments, too.

By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

From the local school board to the presidency of the United States, it's become a cliché that political campaigning never ends. What's less often acknowledged is that political consultants don't just run campaigns, they run governments, too. It all started in California back in 1933 with a company that a defeated candidate for governor labeled "the Lie Factory." Between 1933 and 1955, Clem Whitaker and Leone Baxter "shaped the history of California, and of the country. Campaigns, Inc. is shaping American politics still." That's according to Harvard historian Jill Lepore in the New Yorker magazine.

Warren Olney
former KCRW broadcaster
Frances Anderton
architecture critic and author
Evan George
Director of Content, News
Anna Scott
Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter
Jill Lepore
professor of history at Harvard University, staff writer at the New Yorker, and host of the podcasts “The Last Archive” and “Elon Musk: The Evening Rocket.”

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To the Point

'The Lie Factory' and How Politics Became a Business

From the local school board to the presidency of the United States, it's become a cliché that political campaigning never ends. What's less often acknowledged is that political consultants don't just run campaigns, they run governments, too.

Share

To the Point

'The Lie Factory' and How Politics Became a Business

From the local school board to the presidency of the United States, it's become a cliché that political campaigning never ends. What's less often acknowledged is that political consultants don't just run campaigns, they run governments, too.

Share