ABSTRACT
In this volume of tribute to Bob Abelson , who has made so many significant contributions to political psychology, I look for a political metaphor to characterize the mentoring he provided during my graduate education . The experience of working with Bob was something that political candidates would envy: the freedom to set an agenda with no PAC (political action committee) strings attached-only resources. Bob never pushed me to follow his interests, but he always generously provided me with support for my own. As social psychologists , we know that this kind of working environment, with few extrinsic constraints, is the most conducive to creativity, and whatever creativity is to be found in my work owes much to Bob . Although a consequence of Bob's men to ring style is that my research has taken a very different path from his own, it seems fitting that in this volume I should try to apply my own work to an area that has been of great concern to him-the political domain.
