The New Prince

Who better than the political guru castigated as both amoral (for his willingness to advise both Democrats and Republicans) and immoral (for his tryst with a prostitute on the eve of the 1996 election) to take up the mantle of Machiavelli? For three years, after the Republicans took control of Congress in the 1994 midterm election, Morris plotted President Clinton's political course, steering him to the middle of the political spectrum and propelling the word triangulation into the nation's vocabulary. In this sharply written book, Morris draws on 20 years of work in the political trenches to produce a candid how-to guide for politicians. In chapters like ""How to Raise Money and Keep Your Virtue"" and ""The Irrelevance of the Undecided Voter,"" Morris describes what candidates need to do to win elections and govern successfully. Morris tells politicians when they should start campaigning (""Early. Very early. Today, for example""), how they can win independent voters (""Transcend party and appeal to the middle"") and why they should ignore special-interest groups (""It's good for the soul and not all that bad for winning voter support""). His approach is surprisingly devoid of cynicism. Morris bases his arguments on a simple but radical premise: the American people are smart. They dislike scandal, partisanship and negativity; they want substance, not style. Lest this sound like a Dick Morris that no one has ever heard of, readers will find that he also advocates incessant polling and constant focus groups to maintain what he calls a ""daily majority."" Such tactics are not pandering to the electorate, Morris believes: they are simply good politics. Regardless of whether readers agree with every point Morris makes, they will find him an entertaining and highly instructive guide to the mechanics of modern political life. (June)