This brings us to Rove, the most prominent of the three strategists under discussion.
Its booming economy has enhanced its commercial attraction, and the Confederation of Indian Industry's publicity campaign at this year's World Economic Forum in Davos has achieved the aim implicit in its slogan: "India everywhere".It is, moreover, a friendly democracy sitting between the two places American strategists worry about most: China and the Middle East.
"The goal of the party convention is that people leave with a clear idea of what the choices are between the two candidates and two political parties," said Anita Dunn, a senior strategist for Mr. Obama.
Underlying much of the rivalry between the two camps were aides who openly feuded, most notably Karl Rove and John Weaver, two Texas strategists who had a falling out over money during a 1988 campaign that left them bitter enemies.
The standoff over the Homeland Security budget has helped heighten the contrast between the two parties on immigration issues, much to the chagrin of some Republican strategists.
As Richard Cookson, a strategist at HSBC, points out the gap between the two has grown significantly over the past decade.
The similarities -- and differences -- between the two re-election efforts are a regular topic of conversation and debate among strategists in both parties.
"This has been, in many ways, a personal conversation between the two of them carried out in public without spokesmen," said a senior Democratic strategist, who asked for anonymity to discuss the president's public appearances.
David Axelrod, Obama's former chief strategist, told me that Rubio "seems to be able to build bridges between the two factions of the Republican Party".
Three veteran Republican strategists with ties to Mr. Romney's brain trust will be the primary conduits between the two operations, officials said.
