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. This volume 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 interviews, survey data, historical investigation and observation of the candidates to reveal the inner workings of electoral politics. They seek to demonstrate that campaigns do matter and show readers how to think like political professionals.

Author Biography

Michael John Burton is assistant professor of political science at Ohio University. Daniel M. Shea is associate professor of political science at Allegheny College.