The Roads to Congress 2008

by Watson, Robert P.; Dewhirst, Robert; Hechler, Ken

• ISBN13: 9780739142097
• ISBN10: 0739142097
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-04-13
• Publisher: Lexington Books

Summary

The Roads to Congress 2008 offers readers straightforward and detailed case studies of the campaigns, candidates, key issues, and outcomes of more than one dozen of the most important and interesting races of 2008. This includes both House and Senate campaigns, contests from all regions of the country, and seats held by Democrats and Republicans, as well as open seats. Every two years the pageantry of American politics unfolds when all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and roughly one-third of those in the U.S. Senate are up for election. These elections provide voters with an opportunity to evaluate their members of Congress and the institution as a whole. They also offer a regular and frequent barometer for the health and practice of American democracy. The 2008 election cycle, in particular, was in many ways one of the most intriguing and pivotal elections in many years and for many reasons, which are explored in this book. Book jacket.

Author Biography

Robert P. Watson is the director of American studies at Lynn University. He is also the author and editor of many books, including The Presidents' Wives, Israel and the Legacy of Harry S. Truman, and America's War on Terror.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xv
Introduction
The 2008 Congressional Elections: The "Other" Democratic Victory of 2008	p. 3
House Elections
Mississippi District 1 Race (Childers v. Davis): Three Elections and a Stunning Upset	p. 17
Missouri District 6 Race (Barns v. Graves): "Change" Comes Up Short against a Negative "Values" Campaign in a Rural District	p. 33
Illinois District 14 Race (Foster v. Oberweis): A National Proxy Fight for a Special Election and a Former Speaker's Seat	p. 53
New York District 13 Race (McMahon v. Straniere): A Congressman's Fall from Grace Turns a Red Seat Blue	p. 73
Texas District 23 Race (Rodriguez v. Larson); A Vulnerable Candidate in a High-Profile Race...Proves to Be Neither	p. 95
California District 26 Race (Warner v. Dreier): Anti-Republican Sentiment Proved No Match for Money and Incumbency	p. 111
Ohio District 16 Race (Boccieri v. Schuring): One of the Nation's Most Competitive Open Seats	p. 127
Florida District 21 Race (Martinez v. L. Diaz-Balart) and Florida District 25 Race (Garcia v. M. Diaz-Balart): The Change in "Little Havana" That Did Not Happen	p. 147
Florida District 13 Race (Jennings v. Buchanan): Rematch-a Clash of Politics and Personalities	p. 169
Senate Elections
Louisiana Senate Race (Landrieu v. Kennedy): History and Incumbency Benefit a Vulnerable Candidate	p. 185
Virginia Senate Race (Warner v. Gilmore): A Presidential Campaign and a New Kind of Democrat Turn the Old Dominion Blue	p. 205
Alaska Senate Race (Begich v. Stevens): Scandal, Upset, and the End of an Era	p. 227
Colorado Senate Race (Udall v. Schaffer): A Campaign of Ideological Differences and a Changed Political Landscape	p. 245
Conclusion
The Legacy of Election 2008	p. 271
Constitutional Requirements for Congress	p. 281
Party Control of Congress	p. 283
Length of Service in Congress	p. 285
Reelection Rates in Congress	p. 287
Margins of Victory in Congressional Elections	p. 289
Voting Turnout in Congressional Elections	p. 291
Index	p. 293
Contributors	p. 301
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