Tyler Conway, a student at the University of Southern California, has yet to line up work for the summer before his senior year. At the suggestion of a family friend, Tyler begins interning for Kevin Maxley, a former city councilman turned real estate developer running as a moderate Republican in a swing district in the Inland Empire.

Running against Maxley is Dick Mullhill, a Democrat and former banker backed by the Democratic Party establishment. As Tyler learns all of the ropes of campaign life, he comes across conspiracy theory-prone voters, a congressman's zealously flirtatious sister, and a group of hard-partying college Republicans. Tyler soon learns of rumors of misbehavior and corruption in both campaigns, and that the car accident death of a former coworker of his father's may not have been all that it seemed. As election night 2012 rolls around, Tyler figures it all out, for better or worse.