The 2008 presidential election, perhaps more so than the typical quadrennial race, will undoubtedly spawn an abundance of scholarly inquiry. The confluence of historic and peculiar features associated with the 2008 contest distinguishes it from modern campaign cycles in significant ways that provide researchers a rare opportunity to reflect on a plethora of topics. These studies are certain to provide detailed knowledge about the 2008 election in particular, and, more generally, to inform our understanding of contemporary electoral politics.

The selections in this volume probe specific facets of the 2008 contest to provide in-depth analyses of key developments with respect to strategy, money and technology in the election cycle. The contributors are keen analysts of American elections and campaigns. The insights they provide grapple with key questions about the 2008 election and help to demystify aspects of the historic race.

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Political Marketing.