The Power of the Vote: Electing Presidents, Overthrowing Dictators, and Promoting Democracy Around the World

By Douglas E. Schoen

Book Overview

For the last thirty years, Doug Schoen has been one of the most innovative people in Democratic politics, working behind the scenes as a political strategist for some of the world's most influential and respected politicians. In The Power of the Vote, Schoen offers a never-before-seen glimpse inside his most pivotal campaigns, illustrating how a kid whose political career began leafleting on New York's Upper West Side became a force that revolutionized the American political process. From the legendary New York City mayoral race of 1977 where he helped Ed Koch claim the throne of New York to his twenty years efforts to modernize Israeli politics to Bill Clinton's reelection campaign in 1996, Schoen takes the reader through the international political landscape of the last thirty years, demonstrating how politics have evolved and how he has utilized the latest technology to help candidates win the hearts and minds of the public. In addition, Schoen also details his valiant, decade-long struggle to unseat Slobodan Milosevic not with cluster bombs and air power but through diligent campaign strategy and sophisticated polling. Revealing intimate, firsthand details about the ten-year struggle in Serbia, he demonstrates that much of the conflict could have been avoided through United States support of the Serbian political process, while discussing how the most effective nation building comes not with bombs but with ballot boxes. Despite these successes, it is in his efforts with President Bill Clinton during the mid-1990s that Schoen finds his most important and ultimately successful work. Helping to reshape President Clinton's image in the wake of the Republican victories in the 1994 mid-term elections, Schoen molds the Clinton's positions anew, giving him a second life as a centrist Democrat, ensuring his reelection in 1996, and placing President Clinton within the pantheon of Democratic greats. Complete with a discussion of the strategies and tactics that will lead the Democrats back to the White House in 2008, The Power of the Vote is a true insider's tale from one of Washington's most successful and cherished personalities.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061231886
• ISBN13: 9780061231889
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Smart, challenging, and controversial

How can Democrats win the Presidency? From the middle? From the left? Doug Schoen, who is as smart as they come, stakes out his position and takes on all comers. Great read.

Great read and tought provoking

Not only did the book offer incredible insights into the country's political process, it brought to life many of the moments in history that I grew up with, and particapted in. A great book!

A must-read in this political year!!!

Not often do you get to go behind the scenes with one of the top political strategists and pollsters. But in 'The Power of the Vote', Doug Schoen takes you on his journey through the politcal world that he lives in. He does this with insight, rigor, and an easy writing style. It doesn't matter if you're from a Red state or a Blue state; you'll come away with a deeper and broader perspective of the political process.

Taking the White House

Shoen's memoir reveals his life long love of politics but also gives an in-depth account of the political process at home and abroad. Passionate about the Democratic process, The Power of the Vote is also testament to his commitment to the Democratic party. A must read for anyone who wants to see a Dem in the White House!

The Secret to Winning the 2008 Election as Revealed by a Top Political Strategist

Even at 367 pages, I found this book to be a fun and relatively quick read. The stories are very entertaining and what I liked most was being able to go behind the scenes and see many of the campaigns from the eyes of a true political expert. Doug Schoen wasn't always the expert, but you can tell by his early year stories that he always loved politics. I think anyone who has ridden a New York subway will love the story of him posting flyers on the D train at 16 years old (and then getting caught). I found this book extremely valuable to understanding why polling is critical in a democratic society, and more importantly, as a community and business leader, why it is imperative that I listen to my fellow citizens and customers. Since most people read non-fiction books for the benefit they bring (rather than pure enjoyment), I've identified a few points that might help you. Here are a couple of my favorite strategies Doug has learned over the years and which have brought him and his clients great wealth, recognition, the power to win elections. ** The absolute best secret to winning elections (and winning customers) is to actively listen. The modern polling process, which Doug and his partners created, has become an essential part of American and International politics. They started with a homemade PC and literally rocked the world by speeding up the process and targeting the right people. This process, properly administered, has even toppled dictators. Now that is proactive power! ** Knowing how to ask the right questions, is knowing who will win the election. There is a universal principle that says "what you ask for, you will receive." Similarly, in polling it is very important to know the right questions to ask and who to ask them to. Very often it is the "swing" voters that determine an election, so it is critical that you know who they are don't ignore them. Doug reveals who he thinks they will be in 2008. ** If you understand how politics really work, you'll be able to know which candidates are genuine and who you can trust. The right kind of polling can cut through all of the clutter and the back-stabbing politics and find out what candidates really believe. Media polling can leave you in the dark sometimes, give you the wrong bias; however the modern method Doug recommends will empower us. I interviewed this author on Inside Success Radio for three reasons: 1) I believe that speaking with an author is the best way to know a book is genuine, 2) it gives the author an opportunity to summarize the main points, which creates a type of "Readers Digest" version of the book, and 3) during an interview you often get additional "golden nuggets" that aren't found in the book. Here is a golden nugget that heightened my respect and admiration for Doug Schoen even more. When I asked Doug if there were any Inside Success Secrets to winning elections, this was his answer. ** Doug Schoen's Voice: "I think there are a couple