ABSTRACT
Though we know a great deal about the electoral process and the details of various presidential campaigns, surprisingly little analysis has been conducted about how presidents actually prepare for the forthcoming campaign. Cynical observers, like journalist Sidney Blumenthal and former Johnson aide, Jack Valenti, frequently accuse the president of spending the entire first term preparing and campaigning for reelection.1 This judgment, however, trivializes the activities of the president by failing to recognize the fact that presidents often care about governing despite electoral considerations.
