David B. Magleby - Battle for Congress: Iraq, Scandal, and Campaign Finance in the 2006 Election

The Battle for Congress

Iraq, Scandal, and Campaign Finance in the 2006 Election

Edited by
David B. Magleby, Kelly D. Patterson

First published 2008 by Paradigm Publishers

Published 2016 by Routledge
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Copyright 2008, Taylor & Francis.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 13 : 978-1-59451-555-2 (hbk)

ISBN 13 : 978-1-59451-556-9 (pbk)

Contents

Figures and Tables

It is not easy to monitor noncandidate electioneering activities. The amount of data from such a wide array of sources can overwhelm even the most determined researcher. The effort to collect these data also needs to connect with the elites who manage these noncandidate electioneering activities. To be effective, elections must communicate with voters; thus, our methodology also systematically gathers campaign communications of many types to document who is attempting to influence the outcome of an election. In 2006 we observed congressional campaigns in twelve competitive congressional races. This book builds on similar studies organized by the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy (CSED) in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. Across the five election cycles we have now collected data on all forms of campaign communication in 95 contests. Our research on the 2006 cycle, as well as all of the earlier cycles, was funded by grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts, whose support in funding original research in the areas of campaign conduct and campaign finance is extraordinary. We express appreciation to Pew program officer Michael Caudell-Feagan and Pew president Rebecca Rimel for their continued trust and confidence in our work.

This research would not be possible without the outstanding skills, persistence, and insights of the academics who systematically monitor their congressional races. Our association with them is one of the most rewarding aspects of this research. We gratefully acknowledge the outstanding work of Kyle L. Saunders and Robert J. Duffy (Colorado State University); Marjorie Randon Hershey and Nicholas J. Clark (Indiana University); William H. Flanigan and Kathryn Pearson (University of Minnesota) and Nancy H. Zingale (University of St. Thomas); Craig Wilson (Montana State University, Billings); Lonna Rae Atkeson and Lorraine Tafoya (University of New Mexico); Stephen Brooks, David B. Cohen, Daniel Coffey, Anne C. Hanson, and John C. Green (University of Akron), Michael John Burton (Ohio University), and Stephen T. Mockabee (University of Cincinnati); Robin Kolodny (Temple University), Kyle Kreider (Wilkes University), Stephen Medvic (Franklin and Marshall College), and Daniel Shea (Allegheny College). The initial version of the case studies contained in this book was published in a monograph that can be found at http://csed.byu.edu.

To supplement our data collection directly from broadcast and cable stations, we acquired the Campaign Media Analysis Group (CMAG) data on broadcast television ads when it was available for media markets in our sample races. As in previous cycles, we contacted members of the League of Women Voters and Common Cause as well as Brigham Young University alumni in each of the contests we monitored. Our academic partners further expanded this reconnaissance network with alumni from their own universities and others with a broad reach of interests and contacts. We express appreciation to Lloyd Leonard and Betsy Lawson of the League of Women Voters and Ed Davis of Common Cause for their assistance in this effort.

Our sample selection process identifies competitive contests in which outside groups and party committees are likely to mount campaigns. To help identify these races we use data provided by Charles Cook and Stuart Rothenberg. In addition, we acknowledge the candid advice of party and interest group leaders and political reporters, who often spoke with us multiple times before, during, and after the campaign. We have also been fortunate to have access to many political professionals in the party committees, interest groups, and political consulting firms. The appendix provides a list of all of those interviewed by CSED researchers in the 2006 study. We are grateful that so many leaders of these organizations made time available for us to interview them. A more complete explanation of the methodology used in this study can be found at http://csed.byu.edu.

Steve Rabinowitz of Rabinowitz Communications has always provided steady and insightful advice. We sincerely thank him for his assistance in organizing our Washington, D.C., press events and with media relations generally.

We are most appreciative of the careful attention and professionalism provided by Jennifer Knerr, Jessica Priest, Melanie Stafford, and the staff at Paradigm Publishers. We also thank the anonymous reviewer at Paradigm who provided insightful comments on the manuscript.

We acknowledge the assistance of John Baxter Oliphant, Nisha Riggs, and Dustin Nephi Slade, who have worked as research associates on this project. Their work in arranging for interviews, managing data, and assisting the academics whose work is presented in this volume is greatly appreciated. Stephanie Curtis again showed her mastery of statistics and FEC data in her work on this volume. We express appreciation to Paul Clark and Bob Biersack of the FEC for their assistance. Scott C. Cameron provided editorial assistance. A superb group of undergraduate students also assisted along the way: Aaron Mondell Anderson, Marcus Gorham Anderson, David Spencer Lassen, Virginia Janette Maynes, Lindsay Nielson, Steven A. Snell, Timothy J. Taylor, David M. Trichler, Jacob F. Wirth, and graduate student Kara Lanette Chatterton. Lindsay later joined the project as a research associate and helped wonderfully in the final stages of manuscript preparation. Professor J. Quin Monson at BYU also provided advice and support on this project.