Dancing without Partners

How Candidates, Parties, and Interest Groups Interact in the Presidential Campaign

David B. Magleby, Quin J. Monson, Kelly D. Patterson

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Year: 2006
• eBook ISBN: 9780742576193
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Politics & International Relations
• Subtopic: Political Campaigns & Elections
• Index: Politics & International Relations

Political parties, interest groups, and candidate campaigns all pursue similar goals in presidential elections: each entity attempts to mobilize voters. However, the regulatory environment often prevents these groups from coordinating their efforts. With participants playing by new rules mandated by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, the 2004 presidential election included previously unseen configurations and alliances between political actors. In some campaign situations, the resulting "dance" was carefully choreographed. In others, dancers stepped on each other's toes. In still others, participants could only eye each other across the floor.

Dancing without Partners intensively analyzes the relationships among candidates, political parties, and interest groups under the BCRA's new regulations in the 2004 election cycle in five battleground states. The chapters assess the ways in which the rules of the game have changed the game itself-and also how they haven't. The result is a book that will be invaluable to researchers and students of presidential elections.

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1 - Introduction
• 2 - Something to Prove The Florida Presidential Campaign of 2004
• 3 - The Impact of BCRA on the Presidential Nomination Process The 2004 Iowa Caucuses
• 4 - Taking It to the Streets The Iowa Presidential Campaign of 2004
• 5 - The Candidates Depart but the Dance Goes On The 2004 Presidential Race in Missouri
• 6 - The Battle for Five Electoral Votes The New Mexico Presidential Campaign of 2004
• 7 - The Battle for Ohio The 2004 Presidential Campaign
• 8 - The Morning After The Lingering Effects of a Night Spent Dancing
• Appendix - Interviews by CSED Researchers
• Index
• About the Editors and Contributors