The Swing Vote

It is estimated that 40 percent of Americans do not strictly identify as either Republican or Democrat but fall somewhere in between. These are the swing voters, who tend to vote according to the candidate rather than the party but are increasingly frustrated with and alienated from the leadership in Washington. Killian (senior scholar, Woodrow Wilson International Ctr. for Scholars; The Freshmen: What Happened to the Republican Revolution?), a columnist for a number of publications, provides an excellent introduction to the swing states that become important battlegrounds during presidential elections. She covers the concerns of the moderate middle, whose representation in Washington has nearly disappeared amid extreme partisanship. Killian argues that without this middle ground, little can be achieved by way of bipartisan cooperation. She provides further information on political groups, such as NoLabels.org and the Coffee Party, who are trying to locate ways to work cooperatively.