David Plouffe

5503. The Audacity to Win The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory, by David Plouffe (read 2 Oct 2017) I know, I should have read this when it came out in 2009 but since I did not I am glad I read it now. There was some advantage in reading it now rather than in 2009 since as I was reading I kept thinking the author should not be telling all things he was setting out since I thought it would be helpful to the Republicans. But reading it now I took solace in the fact that Obama was re-elected in 2012 so things the book told did not prevent the excellent result of the 2012 election. The author was the manager of Obama's campaign in 2008 and the book sets out the trials and triumphs of 2008, including an account of the grueling contest with Hillary. In 2008 Obama was not my first choice for the Democratic nomination but I supported him in the Iowa caucus that year because I feared that Hillary could not be elected and I felt it was essential that the Democrats regain the White House. The book tells of the 2008 campaign and shows that the author was indeed crucial to the victory of Obama. I am not a political scientist and this book would probably be better appreciated by a political scientist, but I was impressed by what a strenuous job running a presidential campaign is and how intense the pressure is for all the time that the process is proceeding.… (mais)