"Like we say in Louisiana, it is time to start ripping some bark off the tree. And poor Max Parker isn't going to know what hit him." With these words from Sammy Black, a ruthless political consultant, a war for power begins. An assassination attempt, a scandalous affair and the politics of personal destruction take center stage in a bitter Presidential campaign. This fight revolves around three men; one, the incumbent President; another, his politcal ally and heir apparent; and the third, the President's disloyal Vice President and political enemy. In a world where the only rule is that there are no rules, these three men and their allies wage a desperate fight for power, with their party's nomination, and the Presidency itself, as their ultimate prize. This fight exposes the blood sport that is American politics, where strength means survival and where weakness and scandal drip like blood in shark-infested water. From the splendid majesty of the Oval Office to the passionate frenzy of a political convention hall, this road to victory is littered with secret deals, scandal and betrayal, climaxing in one long, heart-pounding summer night in Indianapolis where only the politically fit can survive.