Campaign Mode
Strategic Vision in Congressional Elections
By (author) Michael John Burton, Daniel M. Shea
Not available to order
Publication date:
04 September 2002Length of book:
224 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersISBN-13: 9780742501409
The pressures of contemporary electioneering force political professionals into 'campaign mode'—a state of mind that merges a visceral drive to win elections with a deep-seated habit of strategic thinking. Wise political professionals know the basic rules of electoral strategy and how to read the political terrain. Campaign Mode examines the strategic histories of five successful congressional candidates—Ohio's Ted Strickland, Georgia's Bob Barr, California's Loretta Sanchez, Tennessee's Harold Ford, Jr., and Pennsylvania's Rick Santorum. The authors—both of whom have advised major political figures—combine original interviews, survey data, historical investigation, and first-hand observation of the candidates to reveal the inner workings of electoral politics. They demonstrate that campaigns do matter and show readers how to think like political professionals.
Campaign Mode does an outstanding job of opening up the world of electoral politics. This thoughtful book systematically analyzes campaign strategy in congressional elections and provides real world examples to illustrate how these strategies develop. It bridges the gap between what political scientists think they know about campaigns and how these campaigns actually unfold.