For the last thirty years, Douglas E. 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. Now, as the upcoming presidential elections focus attention on the campaign process, this consummate insider draws back the curtain on how modern elections have been transformed in the past quarter-century—and how those changes have changed politics, in America and around the world.

Widely recognized as the coinventor of the overnight poll, Doug Schoen has spent his career ushering politics into the modern age, fusing the latest technology with refined political strategy, while in constant pursuit of the public's hearts and minds. In The Power of the Vote, he offers a revealing glimpse inside his most pivotal campaigns and provides an essential primer for understanding elections of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. From the legendary New York City mayoral race of 1977 where he helped Ed Koch claim the throne of New York to Bill Clinton's reelection campaign in 1996 to Jon Corzine's stunning victory in the 2000 New Jersey Senate race, Schoen explains his rise to electoral success, examining how his efforts with voter polling revolutionized the practice of democracy in America.

But Schoen's contributions are not merely domestic, and here he also details his decade-long struggle to unseat Slobodan Milosevic, not with cluster bombs and air power but through diligent campaign strategy and sophisticated polling. Providing an intimate, firsthand account of the ten-year struggle in Serbia, he demonstrates that much of the conflict could have been avoided through American support of the Serbian political process. Illustrating that the most effective nation building occurs at the ballot box, Schoen uses his recent involvement with winning campaigns in Ukraine and the Dominican Republic, as well as an ill-fated effort in Venezuela, to show how exit polls—not military force—are frequently the most effective way to achieve regime change around the globe.

Despite these victories, 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 sweeping Republican victories during the 1994 midterm elections, Schoen assisted Clinton in molding his positions anew, giving him a second life as a centrist Democrat and ensuring his reelection in 1996.

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 respected personalities.

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.

Douglas E. Schoen has been a Democratic campaign consultant for more than thirty years with his firm Penn, Schoen, and Berland. He lives in New York City.