ABSTRACT
As a prelude to one person’s “What are they like?” explorations, it might be asked of the explorer, “What is he like?” and “What is it like?”—the experience of exploration. If the author is to be the lens through which readers will look at some U.S. politicians, what ought we know about the author—and about life “on the road”? I am often asked questions about my incentives, perspectives, preferences, loyalties, and methods—for the reason, I suspect, that so few political scientists have committed as much time and energy to on-site constituency exploration.
