Bases Loaded

Reviews / Votes

In a fresh and richly informed volume, Panagopoulos examines why campaigns--especially those for president--have increasingly tended to focus on their party's base. Technology is culprit and increased polarization is the result. This book is data crack cocaine for political junkies. * Karl Rove, Campaign Manager for George Bush, 2000 and 2004 * How have US election campaign strategies changed in recent times? Through targeting moves, have the parties been favoring their base voters and leaving centrist voters in the dust? Here is a deft examination of the what's, why's, and so-what's of that topic. * David Mayhew , Sterling Professor of Political Science Emeritus, Yale University * Trump focused his campaign - and his presidency - on appealing to his political base. Instead of winning new converts, he focuses on maintaining enthusiasm in his base. Panagopoulos shows us that Trump's actions are not unique but are the product of the nature of campaigns in the twenty-first century. To do so, Panagopoulos deftly integrates voter opinion and behavior, campaign strategy, and the nature of new media in the age of Big Data. * John Aldrich , Pfizer, Inc./Edmund T. Pratt, Jr. University Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Duke University * Panagopoulos has produced a clear, comprehensive and detailed overview of the dramatic changes in the ways presidential campaigns are conducted in today's era of deep partisan polarization. He explains why modern presidential campaigns focus primarily on identifying and turning out partisans rather than persuading swing voters. This book will be a valuable resource for scholars, students and practitioners of American elections and voting behavior. * Alan Abramowitz , Alben W. Barkley Professor of Political Science, Emory University * Through meticulous research, Panagopoulos helps us understand how the advent of 'Big Data' fundamentally changed the way campaigns relate to voters, as well as the opportunities and threats this presents to our democracy moving forward.A This is the book to read if you actually want to understand how our politics came to be so polarized * Robby Mook , Campaign Manager, Hillary for America, 2016 *