The Suburban Mall: America's New Town Square?

"FDR had the fireside. Truman had the back of the train. And when Schwarzenegger needs a place to assert his political legitimacy and replenish his reservoir of public support, California's governor has the shopping mall...The mall allows the governor to achieve in one place his conflicting political needs for both wide-open publicity and tight-fisted control.At malls, Schwarzenegger can reaffirm his populist credentials...by creating TV pictures of himself speaking to large crowds in a public space. At the same time, malls are legally private property, which allows his political team to control the look and feel of events — and keep protesters off camera."

Thanks to Miguel A. Vazquez