<DIV>A witty, insightful, and provocative look at the inside world of political marketing and its impact on democracy<BR><BR>Inside the political backrooms of Ottawa, the Mad Men of Canadian politics are planning their next consumer-friendly pitch. Where once politics was seen as a public service, increasingly it’s seen as a business, and citizens are considered customers. But its unadvertised products are voter apathy and gutless public policy.<BR><BR>Ottawa insider <B>Susan Delacourt</B> takes readers onto the world of Canada’s top political marketers, explaining how parties slice and dice their platforms according to what polls say voters’ priorities are in each constituency, and how parties control the media.Provocative, incisive and entertaining, Checked Out is <I>The Age of Persuasion</I> meets <I>The Armageddon Factor</I>.<br></DIV>