Hired Gun: A Political Odyssey

by Alex Ray

Overview

While much is known about the frontline of politics, little is revealed about the professionals who labor in secret to make the system work. Hired Gun: A Political Odyssey examines how political parties function and how elections are won or lost. This book follows the adventures of one man's behind-the-scenes political consulting career from local, to state, to national politics.

As a political practice, the democratic system remains the most successful form of government in the history of civilization. However, as a profession, politics is still in its youth and riddled with flaws. By offering readers an insider's perspective, Alex Ray challenges us to draw our own conclusion as to whether or not this country's method of selecting leaders is current or fair.

In today's political campaigns few decisions are ever as simple as black and white. Hired Gun is an exclusive look at what goes on in the grey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761840596
Publisher:	University Press of America
Publication date:	06/09/2008
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Alex Ray is President of Chesapeake Media, a political consulting and strategic advertising firm in Maryland with clients nationwide. Ray had been involved in 27 successful congressional races, three gubernatorial contests, one lieutenant gubernatorial race and numerous county and legislative campaigns as either a political strategist or a producer of television and radio ads.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Acknowledgements
Chapter 3 Introduction
Chapter 4 Chapter 1: Seduced by Politics
Chapter 5 Chapter 2: My Mentor
Chapter 6 Chapter 3: Learning and Growing
Chapter 7 Chapter 4: Becoming a Professional
Chapter 8 Chapter 5: Maine
Chapter 9 Chapter 6: Moving to Vermont
Chapter 10 Chapter 7: Heading South
Chapter 11 Chapter 8: National Politics
Chapter 12 Chapter 9: The Brock Era
Chapter 13 Chapter 10: The Reagan Campaign
Chapter 14 Chapter 11: The October Surprise
Chapter 15 Chapter 12: Chesapeake Media
Chapter 16 Chapter 13: 1982 Disaster
Chapter 17 Chapter 14: Returning to Philadelphia
Chapter 18 Chapter 15: Morning in America
Chapter 19 Chapter 16: Doing Business with "The Mob"
Chapter 20 Chapter 17: War Stories
Chapter 21 Chapter 18: Foreign Politics
Chapter 22 Chapter 19: The Future

Editorial Reviews

Loaded with anecdotes about famous and infamous politicians Ray has had for clients or has dealt with in other ways, is a treat for political junkies. As a primer for would-be political consultants, it contains its fair share of advice, from how to put a client's best foot forward to how to keep it out of his mouth long enough to get him elected. Political science graduates who pick up the book will soon sense that a real political campaign has little or no relevance to what they may have been taught in the college classroom.

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