Every Vote Counts A Practical Guide To Choosing The Next President

I. UNDERSTANDING THE CAMPAIGN. 1. Every Vote Counts: The Electoral College, Hanging Chads, and Why Your Vote Matters. Democracy, Hanging by a Chad. Why Bother? Voter Apathy and Its Causes. Undecided and Unimpressed. We Know What We Want. One Measly Vote. Graduating from the Electoral College. Gush Versus Bore. Clouds of Doubt in the Sunshine State. Approaching Democracy. 2. Conventions. Enter Stage Left (or Right): Launching the Campaign at the Conventions. From Smoke-Filled Rooms to Corporate Junkets. Front-Loaded and Out of Our Control. Pre-Packaged Enthusiasm. What's Love Got to Do with It? Conventional Wisdom. Like Clockwork. Timing the Bounce. Priming the Pump. Analyzing a Rubber Stamp. 3. The Battleground: SwingState Campaign Strategy and How It Affects Your Vote. Shaping a Battle Plan. Do the Math. Kerry Goes Big. Bush Plays Small Ball. The Sunbelt Factor. Tactical Maneuvers. Is Kerry a Flip-Flopper? Who's John Kerry? Shifting Sands. A Volatile Mix. 4. Where's the Beef?Deciphering Positions Behind the Media Sound Bites. Short Attention-Span Theater. Late-Night Laughs. Earned Airtime. Caught in the Crossfire. Sound Bite Savvy. Abortion. Economy. Iraq/Terrorism. Education. Gay Marriage. The Art of the Sound Bite. 5. And the Survey Says…How Your Opinion Can Shape Positions on the Issues. Start with a Benchmark. Focus on the Intangibles. Shape the Outcome. Leadership Versus Followership. A Leader for Uncertain Times. Steady or Stubborn? Bush Can Morph Too. Making Your Opinion Count. Against the Odds. Take Charge. 6. Wallowing in the Mud: Obscuring the Issues by Going Negative. Bring Out the Hammer and Tongs. Attack Early and Often. Negative Ads or Deceptive Ads? Ready, Aim, Attack! Bush Ads. Kerry Ads. Political Action Committee Ads. Let Me Count the Ways. 7. A QKatsaropoulos, Chris is the author of 'Every Vote Counts A Practical Guide To Choosing The Next President', published 2004 under ISBN 9780789732842 and ISBN 078973284X.