Slingshot

"This is a book that needed to be written. Eric Cantor’s defeat was not only shocking but it runs against everything we teach in our election courses. By extracting the lessons from Cantor’s defeat, Slingshot helps to inform our more general understanding of campaigns & elections."
-Professor Kirby GoidelTexas A&M University

Incumbents don′t lose. So how did nationally prominent House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lose a primary battle to college professor David Brat, an unknown political rookie? InSlingshot: The Defeat of Eric Cantor, authors Lauren Cohen Bell, David Elliot Meyer and Ronald Keith Gaddie take advantage of exceptional behind-the-scenes access to the Brat campaign to explain the challenger’s victory. They examine the essential need for elected officials to maintain strong support in their home districts and just how Cantor’s focus on climbing the party ranks in Washington contributed to his loss. They also show how local "rules of the game" —particularly voter mobilization in this case—affect elections, and they explore the continuing impact of the Tea Party and its role in the factionalism of current Southern politics.  

Chapter 1: The Cantor Case in Context
Journalists versus Political Scientists
Placing Cantor’s Defeat Into Context
Incumbent Defeats
Summary
Chapter 2: Eric Cantor and the Giant Slayer
June 10, 2014—Primary Election Night in Virginia
When Leaders Lose
Virginia and the South
The Virginia 7th & Redistricting
The Cast of Characters
Summary
Chapter 3: David and Goliath
Eric Cantor
David Brat
Summary
Chapter 4: Lost Between DC and Richmond
Life on Capitol Hill
The Three Phases of a Career
Cantor’s Early Years (2001-04)
Cantor’s mid-career years (2005-2010)
Cantor’s final two terms (2011-2014)
The Importance of Money
Summary
Chapter 5: The Primary Contest
Cantor’s Missteps
The Brat Campaign
Election Day
Summary
Chapter 6: The Aftermath
The Media (And Everyone Else) Missed the Signs
It’s (not) Immigration, Stupid
Will He or Won’t He?
The Majority Leader Steps Down
Cantor’s Resignation
The Consequences
Summary
Chapter 7: Conclusions
Lesson #1: Homestyles Matter
Lesson #2: The Inadequacy of First Impressions
Lesson #3: The Other Candidate Can Be Strategic
Lesson #4: The New Southern Factionalism
Lesson #5: Campaigns Matter
Lesson #6: The Big Sort and the Danger of the New Homogeneity
Lesson #7: The Tea Party is Not Monolithic
Lesson #8: Leadership and Risk
Lesson #9: Lessons for Political Scientists and the Pundit Class
Parting Thoughts
Epilogue: The 2014 General Election and a Look Toward 2016
Brat vs. Trammell
Brat’s Early Career in Congress
A Look Ahead to 2016
Parting Thoughts