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

by Douglas E. Schoen

Book Overview

In The Power of the Vote , Douglas E. Schoen--one of the premier strategists in the history of Democratic politics--offers a never-before-seen glimpse inside the most pivotal campaigns of his storied... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061231886
• ISBN13: 9780061231889
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.1"

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