Dykman knew that Managing Editor Stengel was especially interested in stories on Americans’ political views. “Almost every [ Time ] story has to have some kind of politics component,” says Stengel. “That’s so important to… who we are as a magazine.” Since taking over as managing editor, Stengel had already produced numerous political cover stories—on congressional malfeasance, on Senator Hillary Clinton’s presidential ambitions, on the politics of stem cell research.

The 2006 congressional midterm elections were scheduled for November 7, about two weeks after Dykman expected his piece to be published. A portrait of American politics could explain the political landscape, state by state, and offer a sense of the upcoming election’s importance.