Pt. I. The forces and messages that pervaded the campaign. The economy and the unpopular incumbent ; McSame versus the tax-and-spend liberal ; McCain: out of touch/too old ; Obama: not ready to lead
Pt. II. Shifts in momentum: five periods. Period one:McCain gains energy (June 7-August 22) ; Period two: impact of the vice presidential selections and conventions (August 23-September 9) ; The impact of Sarah Palin and Joseph Biden ; Period three: the campaigns confront the economic collapse (September 10-October 14) ; Period four: the McCain surge (October 15-28) ; Period five: be very, very afraid/be reassured (October 29-November 4)
Pt. III. The new campaign landscape. Absentee and early voting in the 2008 campaign ; Spending differences and the role of microtargeting ; The effect of messages.
