
Originally Posted by
Rasselas
You could buy it used or borrow from your local library.
In 1900, McKinley's campaign manager Mark Hanna basically invented the modern political campaign. The typical 19th century campaign involved speeches by local candidates at big forums in October and parades on separate days by the supporters of the different parties, but the president generally sat at home, not traveling or seeing very many people. While McKinley's opponent barnstormed across the country, speaking from the back of the train he rode, McKinley gave almost daily speeches from his front porch. His audience was brought to him from various communities across the country; low-level political types (local postmasters and politicians, ardent loyalists among private citizens, and even the occasional neutral opinion leader) were brought in by train and fed lunch (a sandwich and a beer--coffee for visitors from dry states and localities). They had a garden party and heard from/shook hands with McKinley. Then they went forth to organize locally, at an individual voter level.
To one extent or another, this is the model we use today. (I haven't read Rove's book. What I know comes from a dissertation about Hanna and McKinley I read once.)