You've all heard former Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill's famous line “all politics is local” – and he was right. As a political staffer for President George W. Bush's presidential campaign and later as a grassroots consultant, I saw firsthand how local factors and opinions play heavily into the political process.
But, in my experience, it's much more than politics that is shaped by local dynamics. As the 2012 campaigns reach their full momentum with national conventions and general election ...