At the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, California governor Robert Long got robbed.

It's a tight race between Long and Senator Salmon Stanley for the Democratic nomination for president. When Stanley triumphs, Long's delegates walk out, the media has a field day, and Long and his team — including ace political strategist Jay Noble — pack their bags and go home, knowing that whether Stanley fought fair or not, it's the end of the line.

Unless...Would Long consider running as an independent? Independent campaigns of the past, such as those of Ross Perot and Ralph Nader, have been more gesture than genuine threat — but how might the Internet and modern communications technology change that? And are the American people so disgusted at the partisanship and gridlock of the two-party system — in particular, is the right wing so fed up with the Republican Party — that they would vote for an independent? Would Long even be able to get on the ballot in all fifty states?

A lively cast of characters struggles with issues of their own:

• Michael Kaplan, Senator Stanley's consigliere and alter ego, is a shrewd and ruthless campaigner — but this time, has he gone too far? Can he avoid being indicted as scandal consumes the campaign?

• Harrison Flaherty is the incumbent vice president and the Republican nominee for president. He is confident of victory, but there remain major obstacles to his inauguration — some that he is aware of, some that he cannot foresee...and some that can kill.

• Dr. A ndrew S tanton is a mega-church pastor and religious broadcaster whose millions of listeners (and their financial support) give him great influence in Washington. Vice President Flaherty wants and expects Stanton's support...but will Flaherty get it?

• Rassem el Zafarshan is in the United States with a band of terrorists, unlimited financing, and only one goal: to create an act of terrorism so horrific that it will make Americans forget about September 11, 2001 — and bring about war between the United States and Iran. And in this election year, he knows just how to do it.

• Claire L ong, the wife of the governor, wants revenge against her husband's enemies, so she supports his presidential candidacy without question. But she has just one slight problem...

• Jay Noble has met a beautiful young woman who loves him, and he gets a second shot at winning a presidential campaign, one more chance to go out on top. But as the campaign grinds on, he has to wonder: Did he pick the right horse? And is the woman just too good to be true?

Author Ralph Reed's many years of political involvement at the highest levels have prepared him to identify and portray in fiction some of the most glaring problems in our current political system — and to tell that story with characters so true to life that they could well be subjects of a news story.

A well-financed terrorist leads a dedicated band of followers in an attempt to inflict damage on the United States severe enough to make 9/11 look like a minor event — and in this election year, he knows just how to do it.

The first African-American presidential nominee in history is badly hobbled by a conservative revolt led by a politically savvy religious broadcaster.

A conflict looms with a newly nuclear Iran, and the lame-duck President plans a military strike against that nation.

A sex scandal on the eve of the election sends the campaign into chaos.

As the election nears, the potential seems large for a cliff-hanger finish in which no candidate wins a majority of the electoral vote. Will the election be thrown into the House of Representatives, where a shrewd and devious Speaker is torn between his voracious ambition and his constitutional duty?

Created by a veteran of seven presidential campaigns with a quarter century of experience as a political strategist, Dark Horse sizzles with authenticity and reads truer than non-fiction. Offering a looking-glass into presidential politics on the eve of the 2008 election, Dark Horse contains characters, plot twists, and rare insight relevant to the real-life presidential campaign now underway.

The campaign ends in a cliff-hanger finish, with the outcome in several states too close to call. As a result, the election is thrown into the House of Representatives. The shrewd and devious Speaker of the House, torn between his own voracious ambition and his constitutional duty, presides over this constitutional crisis. All this takes place against the backdrop of the war on terrorism and a looming conflict with a newly nuclear Iran. The lame-duck President, seeking to avenge the murder of the late Vice President, plans a military strike against Iran, but stops short when the government grinds to a halt while the House chooses his successor. Described by a veteran of seven presidential campaigns with a quarter century of experience as a political strategist, Dark Horse sizzles with authenticity and reads truer than non-fiction. Offering a looking-glass into presidential politics on the eve of the 2008 election, Dark Horse contains characters, plot twists, and rare insight that will no doubt be relevant to the real-life presidential campaign now underway.