Jockeying for the American Presidency: The Political Opportunism ...

Robert Maranto, William G. Mayer, Victoria A. Farrar-Myers, Garrison Nelson, Zim Nwokora, Arthur C. Paulson, Andrew C. Rudalevige, Brian F. Schaffner, Colleen Sheehan, Wayne P. Steger, Justin Vaughn, Charles E. Walcott, Shirley Anne Warshaw, Stephen J. Wayne, and J. Mark Wrighton. Under their guidance and with their criticism, I have grown.

Of course, none of this work would have been possible without the institutional support and my colleagues at three universities. At Villanova University, in addition to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Department of Political Science, and the Matthew J. Ryan Center, I would like to specifically acknowledge David M. Barrett, Peter B. Busch, Rev. David Cregan, John A. Doody, Rev. Kail C. Ellis, Rev. Joseph L. Farrell, Lowell Gustafson, Beth Hassel, John Johannes, Robert Langran, Hezekiah L. Lewis III, Christine Kelleher Palus, Colleen Sheehan, Thomas W. Smith, David J. Thunder, Craig M. Wheeland, and Catherine E. Wilson. I would also like to thank my research assistants, Ellen Meeker and Kiku Huckle, for their dedication to my interests. At California State University, Channel Islands, I am grateful to Scott A. Frisch. At University of California, Los Angeles, Scott C. James, John B. Londregan (now at Princeton University), John R. Petrocik (now at the University of Missouri), David O. Sears and Thomas Schwartz educated, motivated, and disciplined (a difficult task) my intellect. More than professors, they were like academic “gurus” and I am still appreciative of all their advice.

Both inside and outside of academia, I have been blessed to have good friends and great parents who because they are strewn across the country (California, Arizona, Arkansas, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.) provide me with a “safety net.” And fortunately, they have caught my many falls. My genuine thanks to Derek Albert, David Gray Adler, John Bailey, Barbara Bowman, Potoula Chresomales, Mark Davidson, John DeGrummond, Thomas DeLorenzo, Jorge Flores, Joseph Giammo, Lori Cox-Han, Caroline Heldman, Diane J. Heith, Pete Hernandez, Brendan Huffman, Patricia Katsky, Nancy Kassop, Christopher S. Kelley, Dale Leibach, Sonia Lopes, Ana Ma, Stephen Martin, Jane McNeil, Heather Mortimer, Leigh Murray, Andrew Rotherham,