{"product_id":"the-gospel-according-to-the-fix-isbn-9780307987099","title":"The Gospel According to the Fix","description":"\u003cb\u003eA divine guide to deciphering the sinful world of American politics, from the author of the Washington Post's The Fix\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe political world is full of acronyms, shortcuts, and lingoes that stand as a barrier to entry for anyone not in the business. The onset of social media has only made that barrier higher, as insiders tweet furiously to one another in a language most of us can't even understand. Everyday Americans and even political junkies need a how-to manual for understanding what words matter in this arena and why. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEnter Brother Chris Cillizza and \u003ci\u003eThe Gospel According to the Fix\u003c\/i\u003e--an essential guide to the wonderfully odd religion of politics. Based on his highly popular blog, \u003ci\u003eThe Gospel According to the Fix\u003c\/i\u003e will teach you something new about politics, no matter who you are and whom you know. In our torturous political climate, this \u003ci\u003eGospel\u003c\/i\u003e is the one true source for comprehending what the heck is going on in DC. Chapter and verse, this political Gospel will include parables the likes of: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Why Ron Paul’s candidacy is a lot like the TV show\u003ci\u003e Friday Night Lights\u003cbr\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003eWhat it takes to be Richard Ben Cramer and write the political classic\u003ci\u003e What It Takes\u003cbr\u003e• \u003c\/i\u003eThe top ten negative campaign ads of all time\u003cbr\u003e• The top ten issues candidates should be discussing but aren’t because of the economy\u003cbr\u003e• The dos and don’ts of surviving a political sex scandal\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e“The Gospel According to the Fix \u003c\/i\u003eis a great read and guide for both amateur and professional political junkies alike.” \u003cb\u003e—Chuck Todd, \u003c\/b\u003echief White House correspondent, NBC\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “This is a smart, funny road map through the maze of presidential politics, replete with Chris Cillizza’s trademark insights and keen wit. If you have time for one guide to politics, \u003ci\u003eThe Gospel According to the Fix \u003c\/i\u003eis it.” \u003cb\u003e—Andrea Mitchell, \u003c\/b\u003echief foreign affairs correspondent, NBC\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Gospel According to the Fix\u003c\/i\u003e hits its stride in several ambitious explorations of various aspects of the political scene….The speed, volume and reach of [Cillizza’s] take on matters not only chronicles the daily grind but influences it, too: Consultants read him, and their candidates react.” –\u003cb\u003eKen Kurson, Wall Street Journal\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCHRIS CILLIZZA writes \u003ci\u003eThe Fix\u003c\/i\u003e for the Washington Post. He is an MSNBC contributor and political analyst who appears regularly on the network in addition to NBC, PBS, and NPR’s \u003ci\u003eDiane Rehm\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eShow. \u003c\/i\u003eChris has worked for \u003ci\u003eRoll Call, \u003c\/i\u003ethe \u003ci\u003eCook Political Report, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eCongress Daily. \u003c\/i\u003eHis freelance work has appeared in a variety of publications, including \u003ci\u003eThe Atlantic, Washingtonian, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eSlate.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eChapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmes Straw Poll\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(Born August 1979, Died 8\/13\/2011)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Ames Straw Poll died a quiet death in the summer of 2011, although the patient didn’t realize it was all over until five months later.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor the better part of three decades, the straw poll, held on the campus of Iowa State University, amounted to a must-attend event. Though it was nothing more than a fund-raiser for the Iowa Republican Party, it transformed itself—with a major assist from the mainstream media (shakes fist)—into an early indicator of who might wind up winning the first-in-the-nation caucuses in the Hawkeye State.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn 1979, 1987, and 1999 the straw poll winner went on to win the caucuses. In 2007, former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee—remember him?—came in a surprising second at Ames and went on to win in Iowa the following year.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs the supposed importance of Ames as organizational litmus test grew, so too did the pageantry surrounding it. By the time George W. Bush and Steve Forbes faced off in 1999, it had become a full-blown carnival.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a parking lot outside of the Hilton Coliseum—where Cyclone hoops greats like Fred “The Mayor” Hoiberg and Marcus “Huge NBA Bust” Fizer (OK, that wasn’t his nickname) once roamed, the Iowa GOP auctioned off the various parcels around the voting site to the aspirants. In 1999, Bush, who was practically bathing in cash, dropped $40,000 just to have the best and biggest space in the Coliseum parking lot. In 2011, Texas representative Ron Paul was the highest bidder—spending $31,000 for his plot.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnce their piece of land—concrete, actually—was secured, the real spending began. Elaborate tents and stages were built, caterers were hired to feed the masses, dunking booths were set up, tickets were bought for attendees. (Yes, one of the great\/terrible things about Ames is that the candidates paid for their “supporters” to attend.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd the media swarmed. And I do mean swarmed. More than eight hundred press credentials were issued for the 2011 version of Ames, which amounted to more votes than either former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney or former House speaker Newt Gingrich received at the event itself. Reporters from Japan, Germany, and every American news outlet you have ever heard of—and many you haven’t heard of—circled those few days in mid-August as a must-do for campaign coverage.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith reporters literally everywhere, political hangers-on were drawn to Ames like flies to a carcass. (And, yes, I am aware I just compared the media—of which I am a member—to an insect that vomits its own food.) National Rifle Association supporters paraded around Ames wearing orange hats. Men dressed like Uncle Sam and women dressed like Lady Liberty were a dime a dozen. And everywhere, everywhere were people pushing pet causes that ranged from the mildly credible to the demonstrably insane.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver the years, reporters covering Ames grew ever more cynical about the event—and what it told us about the Republican race. After all, no more than 23,000 people had ever voted at Ames—in 2007 just 14,000 did so—and the idea of it as must-stop for political candidates was fading rapidly. But cover it they did—and did, and did, and did.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe 2011 Ames straw poll changed all that. First, Romney, who had been the favorite since it became clear he was running for president again (and that became clear about five minutes after he dropped out of the 2008 race), bowed out—insisting that any straw polls were a waste of time and energy for his campaign.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut Romney isn’t the one who, ultimately, stuck the dagger in the heart of Ames. That honor goes to Minnesota representative Michele Bachmann.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd it’s beyond ironic—in that Alanis Morissette way—that it was Bachmann who killed the straw poll. After all, Bachmann rode to prominence in Iowa by touting the fact that she was born in Waterloo and, therefore, understood the hopes, dreams, and problems of the state’s residents better than the outsiders trying to hone in on their votes.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt worked—for a while. Bachmann surged over the summer months, and when straw poll day—August 13, 2011—came it was clear that she was the favorite. Her tent was the largest of any on the grounds, and there was a steady stream of people angling to get inside for the chance to glimpse the candidate herself. (Oddly, once you made it inside the tent, which had all its flaps down to keep in the air-conditioning, it wasn’t all-so-spectacular. Between the cool temperatures and the darkness it reminded me more of a cave than anything else.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNo one was surprised then when the straw poll results were announced and Bachmann had won—albeit it very narrowly over Paul. (Much more about Paul—and the cultlike following he has developed—later.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat few people realized at the time was that Ames marked not the beginning of the beginning of Bachmann’s run as a top-tier candidate but instead the beginning of the end. Even as the straw poll results were being read, Texas governor Rick Perry was announcing his decision to enter the race—and it only got worse from there for Bachmann.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe following day, at a Lincoln Day Dinner in Blackhawk County—yes, that is really the name of the county—Bachmann and Perry were both scheduled to speak. The Bachmann forces saw it as a chance to engage Perry on their terms—after all, they were just coming off of a huge straw poll victory, and the Texas governor was just now entering the race. Instead it turned into a symbol of everything that was to go wrong for Bachmann as summer turned to fall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile Perry worked the room, displaying the sort of natural charm that voters saw too little of in the campaign, Bachmann’s famous\/infamous campaign bus was circling the venue. The candidate refused to enter the dinner until Perry had cleared out. When she did, finally, speak, she was “horrible,” according to a former adviser to the candidate. The practical effect of her circling the target was that Perry had already won the room and the media coverage of the event. rick perry schools michele backmann in waterloo read the headline from a Politico story on the event.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThings went from bad to worse for Bachmann. Perry having stolen her thunder, Bachmann watched her support erode badly—both in Iowa and nationally. She kept up a brave face. Try to find a picture from those months where she isn’t smiling. Seriously. We dare you. And to her credit, she did well in her increasingly limited role in the dozen (or so) debates during the fall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy the time Iowans voted—a whole three days into 2012!—Bachmann’s political obituary and that of the Ames straw poll had already been written. Bachmann won 4,823 votes in the Ames straw poll. One hundred forty-four days later, she got just 6,046 votes in the actual Iowa caucuses—good (that may not be the right word) for sixth place. It’s actually even worse than it sounds. Only six candidates were actively competing in Iowa; former Utah governor Jon Huntsman skipped the state entirely but managed 739 votes. (Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvania senator who won the Iowa caucuses, finished fourth at the straw poll with 9 percent.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBachmann’s first-to-worst performance ends the Ames straw poll as a barometer of much of anything in Iowa Republican politics. Yes, it will continue. And, yes, defenders of the straw poll will insist the Bachmann victory\/collapse was the exception, not the rule. And, triple yes, the media will almost certainly continue to cover it as though it means something.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut smart politicos—and I am nominating myself for this category—now should know better. Ames was always, at root, a fund-raiser masked as an actual contest; after all, in what other election do you buy people tickets to attend and vote for you? Bachmann’s victory laid bare the utter meaninglessness of the Ames straw poll as a predictive or productive exercise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmes died that day in mid-August 2011 at the hands of one of its own—Michele Bachmann. Let’s hope it stays dead.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAnd in its place? (The Fix is all about solutions, after all.) How about an American Idol–like competition in which each week the candidates are tested on various skills they’ll need to make it in the presidential race.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThink about it. One week they could do the “major aspirational\/inspirational speech.” Another week it could be working a rope line. Or dealing with the fallout from a scandal in your campaign. Or kissing babies. Or dealing with a hostile audience. How about a mock debate? I mean, the possibilities are literally endless.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the end of every week, America would vote on who did it the best. I mean, this is a democracy after all. The lowest vote-getter would get a chance to argue for his political life in front of a three-person panel of judges—me, Katie Couric, and Bill Clinton (like he wouldn’t totally want to participate)—and then would have judgment rendered. You get kicked off, you drop out. And so it goes until we get down to a final four candidates, at which point we begin the traditional nominating contest.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIs there any question that the level of interest in politics would shoot through the roof? With the public voting every week there would be a genuine engagement well beyond what we currently see in the early days of a primary race. It would also take money out of the process—at least at the start. Rather than spending the lion’s share of their time trolling for cash, the candidates would dedicate themselves to perfecting skills they actually would need if\/when they managed to be elected president.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlus, is allowing the public to choose their final four candidates via a Political Idol competition any more arbitrary than the way we currently do it? No way.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Best Political Blogroll—Anywhere\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeople always ask me what I read on a daily basis. Answer: not all that much. I skim. So, then, what do I skim? That’s easier. Below is the most comprehensive blogroll I—plus some of my smarty-pants friends—could think of. Rip these pages out of the book and put them next to (or in) your computer. You’ll need them this fall.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Right\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJim Geraghty, Campaign Spot: http:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/campaign-spot\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHot Air: http:\/\/hotair.com\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAmerican Spectator blog: http:\/\/spectator.org\/blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichael Dougherty: http:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/author\/michael-brendan-dougherty\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDown the Middle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNate Silver: http:\/\/fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com\/ (or is he center?)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ehttp:\/\/gop12.thehill.com\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom the Left\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSteve Benen: http:\/\/maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJonathan Bernstein, Plain Blog: http:\/\/plainblogaboutpolitics.blogspot.com\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Monkey Cage: http:\/\/themonkeycage.org\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThinkProgress: http:\/\/thinkprogress.org\/\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEzra Klein, Wonkblog: http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/ezra-klein\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreg Sargent, The Plum Line: http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/blogs\/plum-line\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Best State Political Blogroll—Anywhere\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNational blogs may get all the attention (present company included), but for the true political junkie (present company included), there’s a whole other level of terrific blogging going on at the state level.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe’ve collected out favorite(s) from each of the fifty states. Bookmark them. There’s no better way to follow Senate, governor, and House races than through these state-specific blogs.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlabama\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDoc’s Political Parlor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeft in Alabama\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWanted Alabama Democrats\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlaska\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Mudflats\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArizona\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArizona Eagletarian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEspresso Pundit\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArkansas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eArkansas Blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTolbert Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCalifornia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCalbuzz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCalifornia Majority Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCalifornia’s Capitol\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol Alert\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCarla Marinucci\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFox and Hounds Daily\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRough \u0026amp; Tumble\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eColorado\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eColorado Peak Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eColorado Pols\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eComplete Colorado\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeoples Press Collective\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spot\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSquare State\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConnecticut\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCT Capitol Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy Left Nutmeg\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelaware\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelaware Grapevine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDelaware Liberal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlorida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSayfie Review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBizpacreview\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Buzz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlorida Progressive Coalition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNaked Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitical Pulse\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSaintPetersBlog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Spencerian\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSunshine State News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGeorgia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeach Pundit\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitical Insider\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHawaii\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll Hawaii News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIdaho\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e43rd State Blues\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHuckleberries Online\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIdaho Reporter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIllinois\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol Fax\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChicago Current\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIllinois Review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIndiana\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol \u0026amp; Washington\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHoosier Access\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIndiana Barrister\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIowa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Bean Walker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBleeding Heartland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIowa Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIowa Republican\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJohn Deeth\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnder the Golden Dome\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKansas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDome on the Range\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHawver’s News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKentucky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBarefoot and Progressive\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBluegrass Bulletin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHillbilly Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePage One Kentucky\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLouisiana\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBetween the Lines\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDaily Kingfish\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Hayride\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDirigo Blue\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaine Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePine Tree Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaryland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaryland Reporter\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRed Maryland\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMassachusetts\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Mass Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitical Intelligence\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTalking Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMichigan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlogging for Michigan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJack Lessenberry\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRight Michigan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMinnesota\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBluestem Prairie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol View\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDump Bachmann\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHot Dish Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMinnesota Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMinnPotus\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMN Progressive Project\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSmart Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTrue North\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMississippi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCotton Mouth Blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMajority in Mississippi\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eY’all Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMissouri\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFired up Missouri\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePoliticmo\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eShow Me Progress\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMontana\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntelligent Discontent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMontana Cowgirl\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNebraska\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeavenworth Street\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew Nebraska\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWinterized\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNevada\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDesert Beacon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the Sausage Factory\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInside Nevada Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLas Vegas Gleaner\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Nevada View\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNevada News Bureau\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSlash Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRalston Flash\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew Hampshire\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Hampshire\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNH Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWMUR Political Scoop\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew Jersey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Jersey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitickerNJ\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSave Jersey\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew Mexico\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDemocracy for New Mexico\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHeath Haussamen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJoe Monahan\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNew York\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Albany Project\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol Confidential\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Daily Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eState of Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNorth Carolina\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCape Fear Watchdogs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapital Beat\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCivitas Review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNCCapitol\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTalking About Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnder the Dome\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNorth Dakota\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFlickertales from the Hill\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNorth Decoder\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSay Anything\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOhio\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlunderbund\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOhio Daily Blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Sidney Independent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThird Base Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOklahoma\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBatesLine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe McCarville Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuskogee Politico\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOregon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Oregon\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol Watch\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJeff Mapes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOregon Catalyst\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePennsylvania\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitics PA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCapitol Ideas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEarly Returns\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e2 Political Junkies\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRhode Island\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn Politics\/WRNI\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNesi’s Notes\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSouth Carolina\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFITS News\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitical Briefing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSouth Dakota\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMadville Times\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSouth Dakota War College\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTennessee\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCamp4U\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHumphrey on the Hill\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eKnox Views\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePostPolitics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTexas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTexas Tribune\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBurka Blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBurnt Orange Report\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUtah\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOut of Context\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUtah Policy\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVermont\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGreen Mountain Daily\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVermont Daily Briefing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVTdigger\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVirginia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBearing Drift\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Virginia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNot Larry Sabato\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWashington\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNPI Advocate\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNW Daily Marker\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePetri Dish\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitical Buzz\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePolitics Northwest\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSlog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStrange Bedfellows\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWest Virginia\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWest Virginia Blue\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWisconsin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlogging Blue\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBlue Cheddar\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDane 101\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn Politics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUppity Wisconsin\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWisPolitics\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWyoming\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHummingbirdminds\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Pitch\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWyoming Capitol Journal\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Not Top Ten—the Ten Issues You Won’t Hear About This Fall\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“It’s the economy, stupid.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTruer political words were never spoken. James Carville and George Stephanopoulos made that phrase famous during Bill Clinton’s 1992 run for president, but it matters as much today as it did twenty years ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe economy is the only issue on voters’ minds. More than six in ten Floridians, South Carolinians, and New Hampshire-ites told exit pollsters that the economy was the most important issue to them. Every national poll conducted over the past three years has shown something very similar.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou would have to be a real dummy—and given that you have bought this book you obviously are not—to miss that the 2012 election will be decided by the state of the economy.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf the economy is sucking up every ounce of oxygen in the political room—bad (and extended!) metaphor alert—then what other issues are being suffocated? What would we—and the candidates—be talking about if they weren’t talking about the economy all the damn time?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn honor of SportsCenter—aka the show that Mrs. Fix demands be turned off when I am watching it straight through for the second consecutive hour—we give you the Not Top Ten Issues of 2012.","brand":"Crown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46299902738661,"sku":"NP9780307987099","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780307987099.jpg?v=1767739604","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-gospel-according-to-the-fix-isbn-9780307987099","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}