ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the Republican presidential advantage. The major thesis is that as the role of partisanship in shaping political attitudes has greatly diminished, unified party support has become more crucial than ever to a presidential election victory. Partisan splits have figured prominently in electoral outcomes at various times throughout US history. Party activists who invest their efforts in losing campaigns for the nomination are often reluctant to continue their campaign involvement during the general election. By the 1980s, party leaders were delighted to see the other party's candidates debating on television. As presidential primaries proliferated and their results became decisive, the incentive for openly criticizing one's opponents increased dramatically. Although the electorate's focus has clearly been on the candidate and not the party, it has been the harmony of the party that has been the key to presidential victories since 1964.
