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. ( )

David Plouffe is a good writer and even though I followed this election pretty closely, I enjoyed hearing the events strung together into a narrative from his perspective. It's an exciting read (despite knowing the outcome!) and, as always, Obama's an inspiring guy. ( )

What a great reminder of Obama's thoughtful deliberation and level-headed reasoning with those that disagree. This book gave me more patience for Obama's long-term vision for our country.
It is well written and humorous at times. The audio book is 18 hours of detail about the campaign in nearly every state. ( )

I'm not sure how to rate this. It delivered on everything I expected: an inside look at Obama's campaign, especially the revolutionary volunteer network and use of technology. Plouffe is a total political history nerd and sometimes he's so confident in his readers' knowledge that he neglects to mention campaign results and percentages, so much so that I occasionally had to consult Google to get a fuller picture. It was fun recounting the highs and lows of the campaign, winning Iowa, Sarah Palin's ascendancy, Rev. Wright, though the book wasn't focused on telling these stories. The best bits were the unexpected insights into Obama's character. It made me more appreciative and trusting of our president, an especially welcome reaction in such a difficult political climate.

This is the ultimate (yet for obvious reasons biased) inside account of the successful Barack Obama presidential campaign of 2008, written by his campaign manager.
The campaign distinguished itself by a) leading a relative outsider to the highest office of the USA and b) managing to mobilize and leverage a significant share of the general public in a successful grassroots campaign. The book therefore offers a valuable insight and lessons on how to motivate people and bring them on board. These lessons and the background account itself are interesting not only from a politics perspective, but also looking for ingredients for successful leadership.
Especially in an election year this book makes a compelling and captivating read. ( )