Campaign Mode

Book excerpt: 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.