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Warning if you are not a political junkie, do not read this book. But if you are…

you may want to consider adding it to your reading list of books that should be read before the end of the year.

Doug Schoen’s The Power of the Vote is the author’s memoir as it relates to his place in the arena of recent (the last thirty years) political affairs. The book follows Schoen’s involvement in politics starting with his interaction as a teen with a Dick Morris-run campaign for New York City Council. The author winds us through a career that includes directing former New York City mayor Ed Koch’s polling (in which Schoen and partner Mark Penn developed the “overnight poll”) to international consultation and providing Bill Clinton with the information necessary to rebound from the 1994 mid-term elections and win in 1996. The book concludes with Schoen’s prescription for how the Democrats can regain the White House in 2008.

As is typical with many books written by non-writers, the story’s language and craft are often found lacking. This was not a book that read well, the sentences did not flow and it’s choppiness made for a less-than enjoyable reading experience. Because grammatical aesthetics are not why someone would want to read this book, the author gets a pass for his deliverance.

I was motivated to read The Power of the Vote because I was interested on Schoen’s take on the importance of polling in the world of modern politics. The author’s descriptions of how data he collected helped shape not only the campaigns and policies of American politicians, but those overseas was a fascinating takeaway for this reader. In addition, Schoen talks about how exit polling can serve as a check and balance on corrupt governments working to steal elections. Perhaps the most interesting insight in the book is how Bill Clinton used Schoen and his expertise to assist foreign leaders and promote American policy in places like Israel, North Korea and the Balkans. This revelation only solidified for me that foreign interests play huge roles in elections here and abroad.

Like most political animals, Schoen cannot resist offering his two cents about how his party (the

Democrats) can win in the next national election. Ironically, Schoen is less enthusiastic about his party’s chances than most Democratic strategists. He contends that the special interest fragmentation that has plagued his party since the 1980’s remains and may have a devastating effect on the party’s future. He also believes that the Republicans are less fatigued by its own divisions and could be preparing to use it’s philosophy of focusing on the priorities of its base to again win a thin electoral majority, but he says that the GOP does so at its own long term peril. The author believes that future political victory will be gained at the center of th political spectrum and not at the fringes of either party.

Overall, I think this book is worth reading. Schoen’s centrist approach to the game of politics resonated with my own philosophies and made me a willing audience. I’ve put the book on the shelf next to the dog-eared collection of political volumes that I re-read on an ongoing basis.

Douglas E. Schoen has been one of the most influential Democratic campaign consultants for over thirty years. Widely recognized as one of the co-inventors of overnight polling, Schoen has been revolutionizing the American voter polling process with his firm Penn, Schoen, and Berland for his entire career. The Power of the Vote is available now at fine booksellers everywhere and online here. To learn more more about Doug Schoen, visit his website here.