Strategic blunders by Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign gave Obama the opening he needed to steal the nomination from her. And to a significant extent, history repeated itself in Obama's run for the White House. Senate seat in large part because Obama's opponents in both the 2004 primary and general election self-destructed. 'We should work for the candidate with no chance, no money, and the funny name?' 'Īxelrod's long-shot client won his U.S. ' 'Let me get this straight,' summed up one of our colleagues. Yet as David Plouffe, an Axelrod partner, recalls in his new book 'The Audacity to Win,' not everybody was persuaded. At a meeting at his firm, Axelrod made his case for taking on Obama as a client. He would be up against seemingly prohibitive favorites, one who would have the backing of the party's establishment, the other with a personal fortune to spend.īut David Axelrod, a prominent Democratic political consultant, thought somebody like Obama - 'bright, principled, skilled legislatively' - ought to be in the U.S. In late 2002, an obscure Illinois state senator, Barack Obama, was eyeing a run in the 2004 Democratic Party primary for a U.S. In this extraordinary book, David Plouffe unfolds one of the most important political stories of our time, one whose lessons are not limited to politics, but reach to the greatest heights of what we dream about for our country and ourselves.By David Plouffe (Viking 390 pages $27.95) The Audacity to Win chronicles the arrival of a new moment in American life at the convergence of digital technology and grassroots organization, and the exciting possibilities revealed by a campaign that in many ways functioned as a $1 billion start-up with laser-like focus and discipline.

Moving from the deliberations about whether to run at all, through the epic primary battle with Hillary Clinton and the general election against John McCain, Plouffe showcases the high-wire gamesmanship that fascinated pundits and the drama and intrigue that captivated a nation. His is the ultimate insider’s tale, revealing both the strategies that delivered Obama to office and how the candidate and campaign handled moments of great challenge and opportunity. The Audacity to Win is his story of that groundbreaking achievement, taking readers inside the remarkable campaign that led to the election of the first African American president.įor two years Plouffe worked side by side with Obama, charting the course of the campaign. Watch David Plouffe discuss The Audacity to Win on 'Meet the Press'ĭavid Plouffe not only led the effort that put Barack Obama in the White House, but he also changed the face of politics forever and reenergized the idea of democracy itself. Enter The Audacity to Win Book Club Discussion Contest

The Audacity to Win by David Plouffe