The Book Page: 2008 Post-Election
This pages shows books about the 2008 presidential campaign that came out after Nov. 4, 2008.  They are organized very roughly into three groupings: general interest/journalistic accounts, academic accounts (frequently edited collections), and visual accounts.  last updated April 10, 2011
GENERAL INTEREST/JOURNALISTIC  |  ACADEMIC  |  PHOTO/VISUAL      see also BOOKS FROM THE CAMPAIGN PERIOD

 





ABC News and USA TODAY.  Nov. 7, 2008.  AMERICA SPEAKS: The Historic 2008 Election.  Chicago: Triumph Books.
Triumph Books has joined forces with ABC News and USA TODAY to create a commemorative volume that will be on the wish list of every voter — America Speaks, a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute wrap-up of the historic 2008 presidential election. Packed with gorgeous color photographs and buoyed by the insightful journalism of two of the world’s news giants, this must-have book will examine every aspect of the riveting campaign. Readers will also travel through “50 States in 50 Days” on the historic joint ABC News/USA TODAY tour of the nation, which captures the voices of the voters as they weigh the merits of the candidates and the challenges being faced by the nation.  America Speaks also includes a companion DVD introduced by Charles Gibson of ABC News.

Calvin Trillin.  Nov. 25, 2008.  DECIDING THE NEXT DECIDER: The 2008 Presidential Race in Rhyme.  New York: Random House.
"
Displaying the form that made bestsellers of Obliviously On He Sails and A Heckuva Job, tales of the Bush Administration in rhyme, Calvin Trillin trains his verse on the 2008 race for the presidency.
  Deciding the Next Decider is an ongoing campaign narrative in verse interrupted regularly by other poems, such as a country tune about John Edwards called 'Yes, I Know He’s a Mill Worker’s Son, But There’s Hollywood in That Hair' and a Sarah Palin song about her foreign policy credentials: 'On a Clear Day, I See Vladivostok.'"

Samuel Wurzelbacher with Thomas Tabback.  Dec. 15, 2008.  JOE THE PLUMBER: Fighting for the American Dream.  Austin, TX: PearlGate Publishing, LLC.
Joe The Plumber - Fighting for the American Dream follows Joe’s adventures in the media and along the campaign trail up to the 2008 Presidential Election.  Discover the Real Story that hasn’t been told about his rendezvous with Obama, the real and personal impact of the illegal invasion of his privacy by Ohio State officials, his eye-opening experience with Governor Sarah Palin, and the tough question he asked John McCain while on his Straight Talk Express.

Chuck Todd and Sheldon Gawiser.  Jan. 6, 2009.  HOW BARACK OBAMA WON: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election.  New York: Vintage Books.  [Random House]
How Barack Obama Won
—by one of the most lauded political journalists of our time, and one of the most respected pollsters in the business—gives us not only the inside state-by-state guide to how Obama achieved his victory, but also the essential toolbox for understanding the political implications of the 2008 presidential election—where the country stands vis-à-vis Red and Blue states, where it currently is and is headed politically, and whether a political realignment has taken place... The book is divided into four parts, each of which proceeds alphabetically state by state: Battleground States (e.g., Colorado, Florida, Idaho); Emerging Battleground States (e.g., Arizona, Georgia, Montana); Receding Battleground States (e.g., Michigan, Pennsylvania); Red and Blue States (e.g., Idaho and Mississippi, California and New York).


Evan Thomas and the Staff of Newsweek.  Jan. 12, 2009.  A LONG TIME COMING: The Inspiring, Combative 2008 Campaign and the Historic Election of Barack Obama.  New York: PublicAffairs.
"Since 1984, Newsweek has been renowned for its vivid, in-depth special election coverage of the ordeal of running for the presidency. A year before the election, Newsweek assigns reporters to get inside the campaigns of the Republican and Democratic candidates. Newsweek promises not to publish any information until after the votes are cast, and in exchange, the reporters receive remarkable access. They travel with the candidates, are there at crucial turning points and confidential meetings, and uncover stories not covered in day-to-day reporting...  The reporters on the election project team are Eleanor Clift, one of Washington's best-known political reporters and a regular on The McLaughlin Group, Washington correspondent Darren Briscoe, Mike Hastings, Nick Summers, and Katie Connolly."

Greg Mitchell
.  week of Jan. 24, 2009.  WHY OBAMA WON: The Making of a President 2008.  Charleston, SC: BookSurge Publishing.
"It's here, the first book exploring the 2008 campaign from a "progressive" perspective: Why Obama Won: The Making of a President 2008 (Sinclair Books).  The book, my ninth, focuses on new media vs. old media, grassroots vs. GOP, and all of the controversies and conflicts, from Jeremiah the Preacher to Joe the Plumber.  They're all here: Hill and Bill, Mitt and Huck, Katie and Keith, Jon and Stephen.  I wrote about the campaign almost daily at Huffington Post, Daily Kos or as the editor of Editor & Publisher."

Bernard Goldberg.  Jan. 26, 2009.  A SLOBBERING LOVE AFFAIR: The True (And Pathetic) Story of the Torrid Romance Between Barack Obama and the Mainstream Media.  Washington, DC: Regnery Publishing.
In his most provocative book yet, A Slobbering Love Affair, Goldberg shows how the mainstream media's hopelessly one-sided coverage of President Obama has shredded America's trust in journalism and endangered our free society.  Highlighting the media's laughable coverage and shameless hypocrisy, Goldberg exposes how liberal reporters ignored important issues, focused on trivial matters, and attacked those who dared to question "The One." Goldberg also argues that the media's blatant disregard for their traditional role as the fourth estate and government watchdog has endangered America and eroded the notion of a free and fair press.

Niall Stanage.  March 12, 2009.  REDEMPTION SONG: An Irish Reporter Inside the Obama Campaign.  Dublin, Ireland: Liberties Press.
"...the first Irish-published title on Barack Obama’s extraordinary rise to the American presidency. Redemption Song by Niall Stanage is a unique insider’s account of Obama’s journey from fledgling politician in Chicago through his acrimonious tussle with Hillary Clinton and culminating in his momentous victory over John McCain. Stanage also examines this amazing tale from a global perspective. He enjoyed unparalleled access to Obama, including being the only Irish journalist to travel on the candidate’s plane."

Kate Kaye.  March 23, 2009.  CAMPAIGN '08: A Turning Point for Digital MediaCreateSpace/On-Demand Publishing LLC.
"If most media outlets covering the presidential campaigns had anything to say about it, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and other social media phenomena would get all the credit for making 2008 the most digital election ever.  But that's only half the Web story. Many of the campaigns used a far more measurable online campaign tactic: paid online advertising.  Throughout the election season, Campaign '08 author Kate Kaye closely followed the paid efforts of the campaigns, observing their display and search advertising, how they bought online media, where they targeted their ads, what the goals were, and how much they spent. Coupling her extensive research with information gleaned from campaign insiders, Kaye tells the story of the most advanced political digital marketing campaigns in history."

Rahaf Harfoush.  May 20, 2009.  YES WE DID: An Inside Look at How Social Media Built the Obama Brand.  Berkeley: New Riders.  [Peachpit]
"In Yes We Did, new media strategist and campaign headquarters volunteer Rahaf Harfoush gives us a behind the-scenes look at the campaign’s use of technology, from its earliest days through election night. She reveals strategic insights organizations can apply to their own brands. Discover how unwavering strategic vision and collaborative technologies–email, blogs, social networks, Twitter, and SMS messaging–empowered a formidable online community to help elect the world’s first 'digital' President. "


Eric Boehlert.  May 2009.  THE BLOGGERS ON THE BUS: How the Internet Changed Politics and the Press in 2008.  New York: Free Press.  [Simon & Schuster]
"Using the 2008 presidential race as a dramatic backdrop, Boehlert details the myriad ways the[se] bloggers influenced both the candidates and their campaigns, while also chronicling the bitter blogger civil war that erupted during the contentious Democratic primary season. Offering unprecedented portraits of these new power brokers, Bloggers on the Bus goes behind the scenes to chronicle a media and political rebellion in the making."


Richard Wolffe.  June 2, 2009.  RENEGADE: The Making of a President.  New York: Crown.  [Random House]
"This book is the previously untold and epic story of how a political newcomer with no money and an alien name grew into the world’s most powerful leader. But it is also a uniquely intimate portrait of the person behind the iconic posters and the Secret Service code name Renegade. Drawing on a dozen unplugged interviews with the candidate and president, as well as twenty-one months covering his campaign as it traveled from coast to coast, Richard Wolffe answers the simple yet enduring question about Barack Obama: Who is he?"

Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson.  Aug. 4, 2009.  THE BATTLE FOR AMERICA 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election.  New York: Viking Adult.  [Penguin Group]
"Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson followed this campaign from the candidates’ first forays into Iowa and New Hampshire to the historic night of Obama’s victory celebration...  Exclusive interviews with the candidates and their top strategists produce intimate portraits of Obama, Clinton, and McCain under stress throughout the longest and most expensive presidential campaign in American history. Balz and Johnson also move far off the campaign trail to listen to voters in battleground states express their deep anxieties about the darkening economic climate and the challenges facing the United States. This book is a riveting account of how this election not only marked a new era in American politics but also offered a test of historic proportions at a watershed moment for our nation."

Stump Connolly.  Aug. 11, 2009.  THE LONG SLOG: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House.  Chicago: Dead Tree Press.
"Stump Connolly is at it again, careening down the campaign trail in pursuit of the candidates, the cash and the real stories behind Campaign ‘08. Read his first hand reports from New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Ohio, see how he sneaks into the Republican and Democratic conventions, and join him for Barack Obama’s triumphant Election Night rally in Chicago." 

Charles M. Madigan.  Oct. 28, 2009.  DESTINY CALLING: How the People Elected Barack Obama.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
"Emphasizing the revealing experiences of representative Americans from around the country, who tell how the previous eight years of failed policies shaped their personal fate and prompted them to vote for a newcomer blazing the banner of change, Destiny Calling traces a political campaign that fulfilled Lincoln's promise even as it illuminated for the world—anew —America's commitment of hope and freedom. Charles Madigan avoids the "inside politics" tack and the redundancy of most contemporary political coverage. Instead he taps an unheard–from–until–now range of American voters—the most important sources of all, the people who made the decision to send Obama to the White House."

Hendrik Hertzberg.  Oct. 29. 2009.  ¡OBÁMANOS!  The Rise of a New Political Era.  New York: The Penguin Press.
"Celebrated political analyst for The New Yorker Hendrik Hertzberg watches the long presidential campaign of 2007 and 2008 as it unfolds to reveal the transformation of the Democratic Party, the meteoric rise of Barack Obama, and other seismic shifts in our national political consciousness. Hertbzerg wrote about the events that culminated in the victory of Barack Obama in two venues, one Olympian and one immediate: his “Comments” for “The Talk of the Town” and the informal blog he began keeping on the magazine’s Web site fifteen months before the election. ¡OBÁMANOS! is adapted from both and framed by a new introductory essay."

David Plouffe.  Nov. 3, 2009.  THE AUDACITY TO WIN: The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory.  New York: Viking Adult.  [Penguin Group]
The book
"will share the story of the Obama for president campaign, written by the man who led it from day one through its triumphant victory.  From the deliberations about whether to run against long odds, the epic primary battle with Hillary Clinton, the drama of the general election campaign against John McCain and the strategic roads taken - and not taken throughout - this book will provide the only insider account of the two year campaign that led to Barack Obama being elected the nation's 44th president."
 

Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe.  Nov. 3, 2009.  SARAH FROM ALASKA: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar.  New York: Public Affairs. [Perseus Books Group]
"In Sarah from Alaska, Scott Conroy and Shushannah Walshe draw on exclusive interviews with former McCain/Palin staffers, top political minds, friends and foes in Alaska to tell the remarkable behind-the-scenes story of Palin's 2008 campaign, which proved to be as dysfunctional as it was secretive. They explore how the campaign rippled unexpectedly in Republican circles and beyond; and highlight Palin's key endeavors, in her new role as America's new superstar governor, to apply the lessons of her triumphs and missteps to build a vibrant political future."

Matthew Continetti.  Nov. 12, 2009.  THE PERSECUTION OF SARAH PALIN: How the Elite Media Tried to Bring Down a Rising Star.  New York: Sentinel [Penguin].
"...Far beyond the normal bounds of tough questions and challenges, Palin's enemies decided that nothing was too personal to attack-including her marriage, her children, her faith, and her ward­robe. The media distorted Palin's positions and beliefs beyond recognition. And almost every word out of her mouth was spun as a 'flub.'...  Weekly Standard writer Matthew Continetti reveals the true story of the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee and her persecution by the elites who tried to hide their bias with solemn declarations of objectivity. Continetti offers fresh examples of malicious spin and deceit and shows how liberal snobbery has become a driving force in American politics." 

Sarah Palin.  Nov. 17, 2009.  GOING ROGUE: An American Life.  New York: HarperCollins.
"In this eagerly anticipated memoir, Palin paints an intimate portrait of growing up in the wilds of Alaska; meeting her lifelong love; her decision to enter politics; the importance of faith and family; and the unique joys and trials of life as a high-profile working mother. She also opens up for the first time about the 2008 presidential race, providing a rare, mom’s-eye view of high-stakes national politics—from patriots dedicated to 'Country First' to slick politicos bent on winning at any cost."
  Note: In a May 12, 2009 interview with the Associated Press, then Gov. Palin announced a deal with HarperCollins to write a memoir due out in Spring 2010 under the Harper and Zondervan imprints.  Release was scheduled for March 2010; in Sept. 2009 the AP reported the date had been moved up.

Anne Kornblut.  Dec. 29, 2009.  NOTES FROM THE CRACKED GLASS CEILING:  New York: Crown [Random House].
"In a probing analysis sure to ignite controversy, acclaimed White House correspondent Anne Kornblut argues that the optimists are blind to formidable obstacles that still stand in the way of any woman who aims for America’s highest political offices. And she makes clear exactly which strategies and common assumptions will need to change if a woman intends to break through the 'highest, hardest glass ceiling' of all...Notes from the Cracked Ceiling reveals that the highly touted new era of gender-equal politics never got as far as was commonly perceived and is now in full retreat. It is essential reading for anyone who cares about politics and the limits for women that persist."

Mark Halperin and John Heilemann.  Jan. 12, 2010.  GAME CHANGE: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime.  New York: HarperCollins.
"In Game Change, John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, two of the country's leading political reporters, use their unrivaled access to pull back the curtain on the Obama, Clinton, McCain, and Palin campaigns...Based on hundreds of interviews with the people who lived the story, Game Change is a reportorial tour de force that reads like a fast-paced novel. Character driven and dialogue rich, replete with extravagantly detailed scenes, this is the occasionally shocking, often hilarious, ultimately definitive account of the campaign of a lifetime."

Andrew Young.  Feb. 2, 2010.  THE POLITICIAN: An Insider's Account of John Edwards' Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down.  New York: Thomas Dunne Books (Macmillan).
"Young had been the senator’s closest aide and most trusted friend.  He believed that John Edwards could be a great president, and was assured throughout the cover-up that his boss and friend would ultimately step forward to both tell the truth and protect his aide’s career. Neither promise was kept.  Not only a moving personal account of Andrew Young’s political education, THE POLITICIAN offers a look at the trajectory which made John Edwards the ideal Democratic candidate for president, and the hubris which brought him down, leaving his career, his marriage and his dreams in ashes."

Rebecca Traister.  Sept. 2010.  BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY: The Election that Changed Everything for American WomenFree Press [Simon & Schuster].
"Rebecca Traister, whose coverage of the 2008 presidential election for Salon confirmed her to be a gifted cultural observer, offers a startling appraisal of what the campaign meant for all of us. Though the election didn't give us our first woman president or vice president, the exhilarating campaign was nonetheless transformative for American women and for the nation. In Big Girls Don't Cry, her electrifying, incisive and highly entertaining first book, Traister tells a terrific story and makes sense of a moment in American history that changed the country's narrative in ways that no one anticipated."

Meghan McCain.  Aug. 5, 2010.  DIRTY SEXY POLITICS.  New York: Hyperion Books.
"In this witty, candid, and boisterous book, Meghan takes us deep behind the scenes of the campaign trail. She steals campaign signs in New Hampshire, tastes the nightlife in Nashville, and has a strange encounter with Laura and Jenna Bush at the White House. Along the way, she falls in love with America, while seeing how far the Republican Party has veered from its core values of freedom, honesty, and individuality. In Dirty Sexy Politics, Meghan McCain gives us a true insider's account of life on a campaign trail."

The Washington Post's "Reliable Source" reported on May 29, 2009 that former Clinton campaign manager Patty Solis Doyle has signed a deal with Hyperion for a book due out in 2011.




Academic Accounts



Michael Nelson, ed.  March 1, 2009.  THE ELECTIONS OF 2008.  Washington, DC: CQ Press.
"Michael Nelson once again brings together top-notch scholars to analyze all aspects of the 2008 elections. Available mere months after the November 4th elections, this volume provides an insightful look at the contests, their outcomes, and their implications for the future.  With original, first-rate analysis, chapter authors capture the drama as well as critique the importance of particular races—all the while giving perspective to the larger trends and effects of the election results. An invaluable and incredibly current resource when imparting the significance of voting and elections in the classroom, instructors can count on The Elections of 2008 to pique students’ interest while providing a fascinating read and unsurpassed analysis."

James W. Ceaser, Andrew E. Busch, and John J. Pitney, Jr..  March 28, 2009.  EPIC JOURNEY: The 2008 Elections and American Politics.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.

"Noted campaign scholars James W. Ceaser, Andrew E. Busch, and John J. Pitney, Jr., take readers along on the longest, most expensive, and in many ways most dramatic presidential campaign in American history. Drawing on their extensive knowledge of political history and deep resources of current political science, the authors capture the astonishing twists of fate, uncanny detours, and remarkable surprises that made the 2008 election truly historic...  As they have every four years since 1992, James W. Ceaser and Andrew E. Busch once again provide the most comprehensive and authoritative account of the presidential election. Joined on this book by John J. Pitney, Jr., the authors chronicle the epic journey—culminating in the election of the first African-American president—of a group of extraordinary candidates and a nation."

Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier and Steven E. Schier, eds.  March 2009.  THE AMERICAN ELECTIONS OF 2008.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
The American Elections of 2008 assembles leading political scientists and journalists to explain the election results and their implications for America's future. Topics include financing the elections, religion's influence, the media, and how the George W. Bush legacy affected the outcome. The book also explores Congressional behavior in the twenty-first century and discusses how it affected election results in 2008.

Larry J. Sabato, ed.  April 2009.  THE YEAR OF OBAMA: How Barack Obama Won the White House.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Longman.
"This revealing new book by Larry Sabato and his team of experts contains exciting coverage and trenchant commentary on the most stunning election of our time.  Peeling back the layers of the political, social, and demographic trends that helped thrust Barack Obama into the Oval Office, the authors of this book toss aside conventional wisdom about 2008 and substitute thoughtful, deeper - and until now, ignored - interpretations of the events and environment that elected our new president."


William J. Crotty, ed.  April 2009.  WINNING THE PRESIDENCY 2008.  Boulder, CO: Paradigm Publishers.
"A distinguished cast of contributors enlightens students, scholars, and serious political readers about the intricacies of the most memorable presidential election in history. Characterized by diversity, liveliness, and data-informed analysis, this new book captures the drama of 2008, looking ahead as well as to its antecedents.
"

Frank Newport, Ph.D., Lydia Saad, Jeffrey M. Jones, Alec M. Gallup, and, Fred L. Israel, Ph.D.. WINNING THE WHITE HOUSE 2008: The Gallup Poll, Public Opinion, and the Presidency.  New York: Infobase Publishing.  [Facts on File]
"Providing a gripping, month-by-month narrative of the 2008 election and culminating with Barack Obama's historic win in November, Winning the White House 2008: The Gallup Poll, Public Opinion, and the Presidency recounts this fascinating presidential campaign. The book features more than 1,000 polls taken throughout the campaign by Gallup, the oldest and most respected polling company in the world...  Featuring expert commentary on the candidates, issues, and public opinion polls as well as photographs, tables, and monthly chronologies, this authoritative new reference is the definitive account of one of the most critical and transformative elections in American history."

Dennis W. Johnson, ed.  April 30, 2009.  CAMPAIGNING FOR PRESIDENT 2008: Strategy and Tactics, New Voices and New Techniques.  London: Routledge[Taylor & Francis]
"In this important and timely volume, Dennis W. Johnson has assembled an outstanding team of political science and political journalism scholars and veteran campaign consultants to examine the most exciting presidential campaign in memory. Campaigning for President 2008 focuses on the strategies and tactics used by the presidential candidates, the new voices and new techniques used to generate support and persuade voters, and the activities of outside interests trying to influence the outcome."

Steven S. Smith and Melanie J. Springer, eds..  REFORMING THE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION PROCESS.  Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press.
"This timely book synthesizes new analysis by premier political scientists into a cohesive look at the presidential nomination process -- the ways in which it is broken and how it might be fixed...  The contributors to Reforming the Presidential Nomination Process address different facets of the selection process
... "

Institute of Politics, ed.  July 28, 2009.  CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT: The Managers Look at 2008.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
Every four years following the presidential election, the Institute of Politics at Harvard University convenes a distinguished gathering of campaign managers, media commentators, and interested political observers to reflect on presidential campaign strategies from the earliest primaries through Election Day. The result is a book, and the 2008 election edition is published for general audiences as well as college classrooms and campaign and media professionals. >

Robert E. Denton, ed.  July 28, 2009.  THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: A Communication PerspectiveLanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
"Here, political communication specialists break down the historic 2008 presidential campaign and go beyond the quantitative facts, electoral counts, and poll results of the election. Factoring in everything from the campaign in popular culture, political cartoons, and the effect of celebrity, the authors look at the early campaign period, the nomination process and conventions, the social and political context, the debates, the role of candidate spouses, candidate strategies, political advertising, and the use of the Internet. This enlightening book shows why more technology doesn't always mean more effective communication and how, as we attempt to make sense of our environment, we collect "political bits" of communication that comprise our voting choices, worldviews, and legislative desires."

Jack Citrin and David Karol, eds..  July 28, 2009.  NOMINATING THE PRESIDENT: Evolution and Revolution in 2008 and Beyond.  Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
The 2008 presidential nominations were unprecedented in many ways. Marking another step in the democratization of the selection process and a surprising loss of control by party elites, the contests in both parties were unusually competitive and the outcomes belied the predictions of experts. This book offers a fresh look at the role of parties, the constraints of campaign finance, the status of front-runners, and the significance of rules, race and gender in the post-reform era. In this volume, leading scholars assess the state of the process with original research about money, scheduling, superdelegates, and the role of race and gender in voting.


Nicola D. Gutgold.  July 28, 2009. 
ALMOST MADAME PRESIDENT: Why Hillary Clinton "Won" in 2008.  Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.  [Rowman & Littlefield]
"Almost Madam President: Why Hillary Clinton 'Won' in 2008 argues that Hillary Clinton gained more than she lost in her bid for the presidency.  This book takes the reader on a rhetorical journey through Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign, focusing on Clinton's sophisticated "You Tube" style announcement speech, the debates, and the many notable stump speeches and media events on the campaign trail. Along the way Gutgold examines the obstacles and opportunities of women as presidential candidates."


Kevin J. McMahon, David M. Rankin, Donald W. Beachler, and John Kenneth White.  Sept. 1, 2009.  WINNING THE WHITE HOUSE, 2008.  New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
"In Winning the White House, 2008, the authors explore the historical and emerging voting patterns shaping this transformative election.  After examining the selection of the Republican and Democratic nominees, they address the most compelling economic, social, and foreign policy concerns facing the electorate during the general election campaign. Surveying the electoral map, they then analyze how control of the White House and Congress hinged on the developing trends across the nation’s four main regions. Within regions, special attention is paid to the battleground states, voters, and issues that were central to Barack Obama’s victory over John McCain."


Joe Feagin and Adia Wingfield Harvey.  Sept. 9, 2009.  YES WE CAN?: White Racial Framing and the 2008 Presidential Campaign.  London: Routledge.  [Taylor & Francis]
"This book offers one of the first sociological analyses of Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign for the presidency of the United States. Elaborating on the concept of the white racial frame, Harvey Wingfield and Feagin assess the ways racial framing was deployed by principal characters in the 2008 election. This book counters many commonsense assumptions about race, politics, and society, particularly the idea that Obama’s election ushered in a post-racial era. Readers will find this book uniquely valuable because it relies on sound sociological analysis to assess numerous events and aspects of this historic campaign."

Theodore F. Sheckels, ed.  Sept. 28, 2009.  CRACKED BUT NOT SHATTERED: Hillary Rodham Clinton's Unsuccessful Campaign for the Presidency.  Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.  [Rowman & Littlefield]
"Cracked But Not Shattered: Hillary Rodham Clinton's Unsuccessful Campaign for the Presidency thoroughly analyzes Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination with an eye to identifying what went wrong-why, as the frontrunner, she ended up not breaking "the glass ceiling." The volume's contributors examine multiple issues in attempt to answer this question, from usual campaign communication topics such as Clinton's rhetoric, debate performance, and advertising to the ways in which she was treated by the media."

Erik Jones and Salvatore Vassallo, eds.  Oct. 27, 2009.  THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: A Story in Four Acts.  New York: Palgrave MacMillan.
"Written by a mix of scholars and practitioners, the chapters cover the entire electoral process from the start of the primaries to the new administration.  They also analyze what Obama’s victory suggests about the development of America, socially, economically, and in its foreign relations...   The purpose of this volume is two fold. First, and most important, we explain the 2008 U.S. Presidential elections to a European audience from the selection of the candidates to the shaping of the national campaign, and from choices made at the ballot box to the constitution and platform of the incoming administration...  A second purpose is to give an American audience some sense of why these elections are so closely followed outside the United States – and why so many Europeans complain that they should have a vote."

Regina G. Lawrence and Melody Rose.  Oct. 30, 2009.  HILLARY CLINTON'S RACE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE: Gender Politics and the Media on the Campaign Trail.  Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
"In this compelling look at Clinton’s historic candidacy, Regina Lawrence and Melody Rose explore how she came so close to breaking the ultimate glass ceiling in US politics, why she fell short, and what her experience portends for future female candidates in the media-saturated game of presidential politics... The result is more than just a postmortem of the Clinton campaign. Lawrence and Rose craft a sophisticated argument about the complex mix of gender stereotypes, media routines, and the particulars of individual character and electoral context that will shape the prospects of any woman who competes in the presidential arena."
 
Branwell DuBose Kapeluck, Laurence W. Moreland, and Robert P. Steed, eds. Dec. 2009.  A PALER SHADE OF RED: The 2008 Presidential Election in the South.  Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press.
"The scholars included in A Paler Shade of Red cover the 2008 presidential election with detailed, state-by-state analyses of how the presidential election, from the nomination struggle through the casting of votes in November, played out in the South. The book also includes examinations of important elections other than for president, and in addition to the single-state perspectives, there are three chapters that look at the region as a whole."

Matthias Maass, ed.  Dec. 8, 2009.  THE WORLD VIEWS OF THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.  New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
"The 2008 US presidential election was a ‘global event.’ Across the world, countries felt they had a major stake in this election. This study investigates the perception of the candidates, the issues, and the importance of the 2008 election from abroad. It does so by looking at selected countries in detail. What emerges are not only significant differences in perception, but also themes that were common to many countries’ views. In fact, these shared perceptions amount to a ‘world view’ of the US election. The world saw the US election in the context of their own national priorities and as a vote on a different type of US leadership in the world."


John Allen Hendricks and Robert E. Denton, Jr., eds..  Dec. 2009. 
COMMUNICATOR-IN-CHIEF: How Barack Obama Used New Media Technology to Win the White House Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
"The contributors to this volume masterfully demonstrate how the Internet is to President Barack Obama what television was to President John Kennedy, thus making Obama a truly twenty-first century communicator and politician. Furthermore, Communicator-in-Chief argues that Obama's 2008 campaign strategies established a model that all future campaigns must follow to achieve any measure of success. The Barack Obama campaign team astutely discovered how to communicate and motivate not only the general electorate but also the technology-addicted Millennial Generation - a generational voting block that will be a juggernaut in future elections."

Corwin Smidt, Kevin den Dulk, Bryan Froehle, James Penning, Stephen Monsma and Douglas Koopman.  Jan. 2010. 
THE DISAPPEARING GOD GAP: Religion in the 2010 Presidential Election.  New York: Oxford University Press.
"In this book, a team of well-regarded scholars digs deeper to examine the role religion played in the 2008 campaign. They take a long view, placing the election in historical context and looking at the campaign as a whole, from the primaries through all the way through election day. At the heart of their analysis is data gleaned from a national survey conducted by the authors, in which voters were interviewed in the spring of 2008 and then re-interviewed after the election."


Robert E. Denton, Jr., ed.  May 2010.  STUDIES OF IDENTITY IN THE 2008 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.  Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
"Studies of Identity in the 2008 Presidential Campaign explores issues of identity politics and the presidential election. Investigating all aspects of race, gender or ageism, the contributors to this volume address the role and function of "identity politics" in political campaigns, and highlight challenges of "identity politics" in contemporary political campaigns."

Kate Kenski, Bruce W. Hardy and Kathleen Hall Jamieson.  June 2010.  THE OBAMA VICTORY: How Media, Money, and Message Shaped the 2008 Election.  New York: Oxford University Press.
"In The Obama Victory , Kate Kenski, Bruce Hardy, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson draw upon the best voter data available, The National Annenberg Election Survey, as well as interviews with key advisors to each campaign, to illuminate how media, money, and messages shaped the 2008 election. They explain how both sides worked the media to reinforce or combat images of McCain as too old and Obama as not ready; how Obama used a very effective rough-and-tumble radio and cable campaign that was largely unnoticed by the mainstream media; how the Vice Presidential nominees impacted the campaign; how McCain's age and Obama's race affected the final vote, and much more."


Beverly Guy-Sheftall and Johnnetta Betsch Cole, eds.  August 2010.  WHO SHOULD BE FIRST: Feminists Speak Out on the 2008 Presidential Campaign.  Albany: State University of New York Press.
"With Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as frontrunners, the 2008 Democratic primary campaign was a watershed moment in U.S. history. Offering the choice of an African American man or a white woman as the next Democratic candidate for president, the primary marked an unprecedented moment—but one that painfully echoed previous struggles for progressive change that pitted race and gender against each other. Who Should Be First? collects key feminist voices that challenge the instances of racism and sexism during the presidential campaign season, offer personal reflections on this historic moment, and trace the historic legacy of opposing issues of race and gender that informed debates and media representations of the 2008 Democratic primary. Over thirty leading feminists contribute to the book..."

Heather E. Harris, Kimberly R. Moffitt, and Catherine R. Squires, eds.  September 2010.  THE OBAMA EFFECT: Multidisciplinary Renderings of the 2008 Campaign.  Albany: State University of New York Press.
"This collection of essays, all presented at a national conference to discuss the meaning and impact of the nomination of the first presidential candidate of African descent, remind the reader that reaching a point in U.S. history where a biracial man could be deemed “electable” is part of a still-ongoing struggle. It resists the temptation to dismiss the uncertainty, hope, and fear that characterized the events and discourse of the two-year primary and general election cycle and brings together multidisciplinary approaches to assessing “the Obama effect” on public discourse and participation."

Jeffrey C. Alexander.  October 2010.  THE PERFORMANCE OF POLITICS: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power.  New York: Oxford University Press.
"Jeffrey Alexander, a preeminent figure in social theory, offers here a new way of looking at democratic struggles for political power, discussing what happened, and why, during Barack Obama's remarkable run for president. Illustrated with vivid examples drawn from a range of media coverage, participant observation at a Camp Obama, and interviews with leading political journalists, Alexander argues that images, emotion, and performance are the central features of the battle for power. Winning depends on creating images so that candidates can become heroes. Demography, strategy, money, and issues matter, but power goes to the candidate with the most persuasive performances---the one whose carefully constructed heroic image resonates best with the audience of citizens."

E.D. Dover.  October 2010.  ON MESSAGE: Television Advertising by the Presidential Candidates in Election 2008.  Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
"On Message explores how the twelve leading presidential candidates of Election 2008, six in each party, used the major Themes of televised political advertising-images, issues, and attacks-to create campaign narratives justifying their election...  E.D. Dover provides an over view of televised advertising, introductions of candidates, and descriptions of fund raising, polls, advertising expenditures, and election out comes. The book also follows the advertising strategies of the individual candidates, and of each party. It discusses the effectiveness of the individual narratives and analyzes patterns of televised advertising that regularly occurs across a variety of electoral settings."

John Allen Hendricks and Lynda Lee Kaid, eds.  November 8, 2010.  TECHNO POLITICS IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNING: New Voices, New Technologies, and New Voters.  New York: Routledge.
"The 2008 US presidential campaign saw politicians utilizing all types of new media -- Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, e-mail, and cell phone texting – to reach voters of all ages, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and sexual orientations. This volume examines the use of these media and considers the effectiveness of reaching voters through these channels. It explores not only the use of new media and technologies but also the role these tactics played in attracting new voters and communicating with the electorate during the 2008 presidential debates. Chapters focus on how the technologies were used by candidates, the press, and voters."

Mitchell S. McKinney and Mary C. Banwart, eds.  December 1, 2010.  COMMUNICATION IN THE 2008 U.S. ELECTION: Digital Natives Elect a President.  New York: Peter Lang Publishing Group.  "...this book offers a landmark examination of the 2008 election from a global perspective, with emphasis on the wide range of digital media utilized by the campaigners and how campaign communication influenced young citizens. The authors argue that the use of digital technologies in the campaign, and the success of Barack Obama in attracting young voters to his cause, provides an excellent case study - perhaps something of a turning point in campaign communication - for carefully examining the emerging role of digital political media, and a continuing renewal in young citizens' electoral engagement."


Visual Accounts   ...Obama's campaign and the Inauguration inspired an unprecendented number of photo books (note the first three came out before Nov. 4.), a graphic novel, collections of editorial cartoons, and several collections of art inspired by his campaign.  



Pete Souza.  July 2008.  THE RISE OF BARACK OBAMA.  Chicago, IL: Triumph Books.
"Award-winning photojournalist, Pete Souza, documents the meteoric rise of the charismatic Barack Obama from his first day in the U.S. Senate right up to the Pennsylvania presidential primary. More than 80% of these candid and stunning photographs capturing private and political moments have not been seen before. Souza provides extended commentary about each photo to place it in context, and describe the scene and participants. Photo-by-photo the viewer is allowed to examine the senator and candidate’s path to the very cusp of history."

Editors of Life Magazine.  Oct. 7, 2008.  THE AMERICAN JOURNEY OF BARACK OBAMA.  New York: Little, Brown and Company. [Hachette Book Group USA]
"...Just as LIFE once opened up the glittering Kennedy White House, LIFE now focuses its lens on Barack Obama. The American Journey of Barack Obama covers the candidate from his childhood and adolescence to his time as editor of The Harvard Law Review and his Chicago activist years, culminating with the excitement and fervor of the historic 2008 Democratic National Convention....  In addition to a powerful array of photographs that were taken by many of the country's greatest photographers (and some that were snapped, in the quiet moments, by Obama family members themselves), this book also includes a Foreword by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an incisive narrative biography and original essays by some of our finest writers, including Gay Talese, Charles Johnson, Melissa Fay Greene, Andrei Codrescu, Fay Weldon, Richard Norton Smith, Bob Greene and several others."

Deborah Willis and Kevin Merida.  Oct. 28, 2008.  OBAMA: The Historic Campaign in Photographs.  New York: HarperCollins.
"Through 150 striking color photographs, Obama: The Historic Campaign in Photographs charts the road to Barack Obama's nomination as the first African American to lead the presidential ticket of a major party...  This amazing collection of photographs captures the public and private moments of his journey, and offers a unique window into one of the great triumphs in American politics."  A photo historian, curator, and photographer, Deborah Willis is chair and professor of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Department of Photography and Imaging.  Kevin Merida is an associate editor at the Washington Post.


Scout Tufankjian.  Dec. 8, 2008.  YES WE CAN: Barack Obama's History-Making Presidential Campaign.  Brooklyn, NY: powerHouse Books.
"Yes We Can is a comprehensive and intimate portrait of this transformative campaign, ushering a new era in American politics. With more than 200 color photographs by Tufankjian, the book transports readers to each emotional stop on this historical journey, punctuated with highlights from Obama’s most memorable speeches. Tufankjian artfully captures the impact this amazing candidate had with Americans of all stripes...  Scout Tufankjian has had photographs published in every major newspaper and news magazine, including Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, People, The Guardian, ELLE, Esquire, Essence, Rolling Stone, Fortune, The Times of London, Stern, Der Spiegel, and many others. Before covering the Obama campaign, Tufankjian worked photographing the conflict in the Middle East, primarily the Gaza Strip, for four years. She lives in Brooklyn, and has a B.A. in Political Science from Yale."  [Hardcover, 8.375 X 11 inches, 192 pages, 250 full color photographs]

Adi Ignatius.   Dec. 23, 2008.  PRESIDENT OBAMA: The Path to the White HouseNew York: Time, Incorporated Home Entertainment. 
"...combines original material on Obama's journey with a collection of the best reporting and writing from TIME's political team on his rise and historic victory.  And it is overflowing with Callie Shell's incredible and intimate photographs of Obama, selected by photo editor Crary Pullen, many of which have never before been seen in print."

New York Times, Jill Abramson, Bill Keller.  Feb. 16, 2009.  OBAMA: The Historic Journey.  Callaway Arts & Entertainment and The New York Times in collaboration with RiverheadAlso OBAMA: The Historic Journey: Young Reader's Edition.
"This 240-page hardcover book, a collector's item, includes: Introduction by Executive Editor Bill Keller; Managing Editor Jill Abramson's insightful essay on Mr. Obama's life, rise to power, and election; Profiles of important figures in Mr. Obama's life, including Michelle Obama, his daughters, grandmother, mother and father, as well as some of the campaign's controversial figures, including Rev. Jeremiah Wright; Reporting by prominent Times journalists such as Janny Scott, Jodi Kantor and Adam Nagourney among others; Original commentary by Times columnists Frank Rich, Thomas L. Friedman, Roger Cohen and Bob Herbert; Selected essays by Times columnists Paul Krugman, Maureen Dowd, David Brooks and Gail Collins; Excerpts from Mr. Obama's most important speeches, including the full text of his Inaugural Address; More than 200 full-color photographs by New York Times photographers; Maps, charts, and graphics from The Times." >

Washington Post.  Feb. 2009.  THE INAUGURATION OF BARACK OBAMA: A Photographic Journal.  Chicago, IL: Triumph Books.
"The Inauguration of Barack Obama by The Washington Post is the only national book about this historic election from the perspective of those who live and work within the Beltway. More than 100 photographers and reporters from the award-winning staff of The Washington Post worked to cover the inauguration from every angle and point of view. The result is the most comprehensive coverage of President Obama’s beginning as a world leader. One of the most respected names in U.S. journalism history, former Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, wrote the Foreword to this essential keepsake of history..."

Washington Times.  March 6, 2009. 
PRESIDENT OBAMA: The Start of an Era.  Washington, DC: Washington Times Books.
"The reporters and photographers of The Washington Times chronicled Mr. Obama's rise to power from start to finish, from the cold snowy fields of Iowa in January 2007 to the record-setting crowd that transformed the National Mall into a sea of humanity on Inauguration Day 2009.  'President Obama: The Start of an Era' is a compilation of The Times' best coverage, designed to put you, the reader, in a front-row seat for a tour of the historic journey.  It includes a personal essay by Mr. Obama written exclusively for The Washington Times, hundreds of original photos shot by the award-winning photographers on The Times' staff and special messages to America's new president from countries around the globe."

Editors of Essence Magazine.  March 2009. 
THE OBAMAS: Portrait of America's New First Family.  New York: Time Home Entertainment.
"THE OBAMAS: PORTRAIT OF AMERICA'S NEW FIRST FAMILY celebrates the extraordinary triumph of Barack and Michelle Obama and their family in words and pictures. This 112-page hardcover includes exclusive images from the 44th President-elect's spectacular inauguration, never before seen images, and contributions from writers such as New York Times best-seller Marian Wright Edelman and Pulitzer Prize winner Isabel Wilkerson...."

Tom Brokaw, Congressman John Lewis, Douglas Brinkley. 
April 29, 2009.  BARACK OBAMA: The Official Inaugural Book.  Brooklyn, NY: Five Ties Publishing, Inc..
"Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book is the only book commemorating the historic event to be licensed and approved by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  Encompassing 170 color photographs, Barack Obama: The Official Inaugural Book sweepingly chronicles the entire Inaugural week. Its pages highlight moments including Obama's "Whistle Stop" train tour into Washington, the multitudes assembled on the mall to witness his oath of office, behind-the-scenes glimpses of Barack and Michelle Obama, the elegant inaugural balls, and the first few hours of the new administration."


Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt.  May 21, 2009.  THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE: World History in the Making. Sausalito, CA: Against All Odds Productions.
"THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE, an exquisitely produced landscape format book measuring 26 inches across when open, is designed to showcase one of the most
important presidential races in American history through the eyes of more than 140 of the world's top photographers...  Spanning a three-year period from the tumultuous campaign through Obama’s first 100 days, this fascinating book captures the challenges and opportunities facing America’s 44th president as he takes his place on the world stage.  Unlike any book ever produced before, THE OBAMA TIME CAPSULE offers readers a unique feature: by answering a few questions and uploading their own
photos to the project website, each copy of the book integrates each reader’s photos and stories into an historic and collectible time capsule. Each copy of the book is printed one at a time and each copy is unique."

Front Pages
Poynter Institute.  Dec. 16, 2008.  PRESIDENT OBAMA ELECTION 2008: A Collection of Newspaper Front Pages Selected by the Poynter InstituteAndrews McMeel Publishing.
"Produced in partnership with dozens of U.S. and international newspapers, this exclusive collection of 75 front pages features an introduction by "Doonesbury" creator Garry Trudeau.  Participating papers include: Anchorage Daily News, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, Detroit Free Press, Rocky Mountain News, St. Petersburg Times, Staten Island Advance, Boston Globe, (Raleigh) News & Observer, Philadelphia Tribune, Times-Picayune, USA Today, college papers, ethnic press, and international publications.  Profits from the book will help subsidize Poynter training.  Available just before Christmas, this 9 x 12 inch book will be a historic keepsake for anyone who cares about journalism and democracy."

David Elliot Cohen and Mark Greenberg introduction by Howard Dodson.  Feb. 3, 2009.  OBAMA: The Historic Front Pages.  New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc..
"Now, everyone can own a piece of history, thanks to this gorgeous commemorative album of front pages that capture Barack Obama’s extraordinary journey to the White House. Featuring newspapers both domestic and foreign, and depicting all the landmarks in this groundbreaking campaign—including the inauguration—Obama is a stunning keepsake for all who experienced this remarkable moment…and future generations, too."

Cartoon/Drawing
Sara Thaves and Matt Wuerker, eds.  Nov. 2008.  THE CARTOONIST GROUP INKS CAMPAIGN '08.  Seattle, WA: The Cartoonist Group. >>
"Chronicles the historic presidential election from beginning to end. 167 cartoons from sixteen top cartoonists, including eight winners of the Pulitzer Prize, are included. Organized into fourteen chapters, the book begins with an election prologue and follows the campaign trail to Obama's victory and a prologue for the 2012 election."

Michael Crowley and Dan Goldman.  Jan. 27, 2009.  08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail.  New York: Three Rivers Press/Crown Publishing Group.  [Random House]
"Taking its cue from campaign classics like Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72 and The Making of the President series, 08 brings politico journalism into the graphic novel form.  Reflect on all the single-issue candidates, the pundits, the meltdowns, the awkward missteps, and the ruthless maneuvers of the scorched-earth campaign trail as they knit themselves into a political tale of the present-day battle for the future of America."

Art
Hal Elliott Wert.  Sept. 15, 2009.  HOPE: A Collection of Obama Prints and Posters.  Osceola, WI: Zenith Press.

"This book offers a striking and comprehensive visual chronology of posters created for Obama's run for the presidency. Most have been seen only by a limited number of viewers in the primary states. Others have rarely been seen outside the urban core or the art gallery world. An exception is the Shepard Fairey poster "Hope" that has been seen by millions as has his design for the cover of
Time magazine's Man-of-the-Year edition. Importantly, there has been nothing like this outpouring of quality prints and posters in past campaigns."


Shepard Fairey and Jennifer Gross, eds.  Oct. 2009.  ART FOR OBAMA.  New York: Abrams Books.
"Comprised of collages, paintings, photo composites, prints, and computer-generated pieces, Art for Obama showcases the well-known images of the campaign as well as less famous but equally creative pieces from around the globe. This is a volume for design and art aficionados, as well as supporters of the 44th President of the United States who want a keepsake as uncommon as his extraordinary campaign."


Scott Thomas, ed.  Nov. 2009.  DESIGNING OBAMA.  Chicago, IL: KickStarter (2).
"The Design Director of the Obama campaign, Scott Thomas, has collaborated with artists and designers to create Designing Obama, a chronicle of the art from the historic campaign. Get the inside story on how design was used by the campaign, and scope out the pieces, created unofficially, by grassroots supporters.  The 360-page book is full-color and hardbound, highly crafted with an embossed sleeve. Forewords written by Steven Heller and Michael Bierut."

Spike Lee and Aaron Perry-Zucker, eds.  Essay by Steven Heller.  DESIGN FOR OBAMA.  Posters for Change: A Grassroots Anthology Köln, Germany: Taschen Books (2).
"Edited by designforobama.org founder Aaron Perry-Zucker and filmmaker Spike Lee, this collection showcases over 200 of the best pro-Obama posters. Contributors range from prominent graphic and street artists to young up-and-comers. With essays by Spike Lee, Perry-Zucker, and design historian Steven Heller, this outstanding collection serves as a matchless historical document of the widespread visual creativity that helped spur Obama to victory."

Carolyn L. Mazloomi.  April 5, 2010.  JOURNEY OF HOPE: Quilts Inspired by President Barack Obama.  Osceola, WI: Voyageur Press.  [Quayside Publishing Group]
"Journey of Hope is a gallery of 100 vibrant, moving quilts inspired by Barack Obama and his path to the White House. Stitched by women and men from all walks of life, each quilt has a story to tell and is accompanied by an illuminating artists statement. The quilts in this book are part of a prestigious traveling exhibit curated by the author, which begins in Japan, moves to the National Afro-American Museum, and then begins a tour of the United States. Filled with the spirit of hope and change that inspired Barack Obama's campaign, Journey of Hope is a testament to the American dream and the quilters' art."


Film
Amy Rice and Alicia Sams, directors.  Nov. 3, 2009 on HBOBY THE PEOPLE: The Election of Barack ObamaClass 5 Films (Edward Norton).
"Inspired by the freshman senator's dynamism, potential and star-making speech at the Democratic Convention in 2004, Rice initiated the idea of a documentary tracking his experience in politics in early 2006. Shortly thereafter, Class 5 agreed to produce the project and Sams joined to co-direct. Norton then approached Senator Obama and his staff months prior to his decision to run for President and outlined the idea. Senator Obama agreed to grant the team access and Rice and Sams began shooting shortly thereafter, including traveling with the Senator on his trip to Africa in summer of 2006. When the Senator announced his bid for the presidency in 2007, Rice and Sams were there and over the last two and a half years have documented the race with unprecedented access to Obama, his senior campaign staff, family, friends, and volunteers. Shooting will continue through the inauguration in preparation for a 2009 premiere."


HBO Films, with Everyman Pictures, is pursuing a film adaptation of
Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's book Game Change adapted by Danny Strong, directed by Jay Roach (both worked on HBO's Recount), and starring Ed Harris as John McCain, Julianne Moore as Sarah Palin and Woody Harrelson as advisor Steven Schmidt..

Aaron Sorkin, writer and producer of "The West Wing" television series, is going to adapt, produce and direct Andrew Young's book The Politician into a feature film.



And chapters in:

        
Mike Huckabee.  Nov. 18, 2008.  DO THE RIGHT THING: Inside the Movement That's Bringing Common Sense Back to America.  New York: Sentinel.  [Penguin imprint]
"Do The Right Thing
is Huckabee’s amazing story, in his own words—from making commercials with Chuck Norris to meeting a Michigan woman who insisted on donating her wedding ring. But this is more than just a campaign memoir. It’s a vision for a smarter, fairer type of politics—“vertical politics”—that focuses on common sense solutions for education, health care, the economy, and many other issues. It’s not about right versus left; it’s about taking America up rather than down.  Huckabee also shows how the Republican Party can heal its divisions—between social and fiscal conservatives, the wealthy and the middle class, the religious and the secular—and become a true majority party again"  [book tour]

Gwen Ifill.  Jan. 20, 2009.  THE BREAK THROUGH: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama.  New York: Random House.
"In The Breakthrough, veteran journalist Gwen Ifill surveys the American political landscape, shedding new light on the impact of Barack Obama’s stunning presidential victory and introducing the emerging young African American politicians forging a bold new path to political power...  Ifill argues that the Black political structure formed during the Civil Rights movement is giving way to a generation of men and women who are the direct beneficiaries of the struggles of the 1960s."

 
Elizabeth Edwards.  May 2009.  RESILIENCE: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities.  New York: Broadway Books.  [Random House]
"Many know of the strength she had shown after her son, Wade, was killed in a freak car accident when he was only sixteen years old. She would exhibit this remarkable grace and courage again when the very private matter of her husband's infidelity became public fodder. And her own life has been on the line. Days before the 2004 presidential election—when her husband John was running for vice president—she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After rounds of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation the cancer went away—only to reoccur in 2007...  While on the campaign trail, Elizabeth met many others who have had to contend with serious adversity in their lives, and in Resilience, she draws on their experiences as well as her own, crafting an unsentimental and ultimately inspirational meditation on the gifts we can find among life’s biggest challenges."

Joyce Purnick.  Sept. 22, 2009.  MIKE BLOOMBERG: Money, Power, Politics.  New York: PublicAffairs.  [Perseus Books Group]
"In Mike Bloomberg, Joyce Purnick explores Mr. Bloomberg's life from his childhood in the suburbs of Boston, to his rise on Wall Street and the creation of Bloomberg L.P., to his mayoral record and controversial gamble on a third term. Drawing on her deep knowledge of New York City politics, and interviews with Bloomberg's friends, family, colleagues, and the mayor himself, she creates a textured portrait of one of the more complex men of our era."


Chapter 11: "Measure Outcomes vs Outputs" in Greg Jarboe.  Aug. 17, 2009.  YOUTUBE AND VIDEO MARKETING: An Hour a Day.  Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
"A new paperback book by Greg Jarboe which will be published August 17, 2009, reveals how the Barack Obama campaign utilized YouTube video marketing to win the 2008 presidential election. YouTube and Video Marketing An Hour a Day, a complete, task-based guide to developing, implementing, and tracking a video marketing strategy, features a case study of the Obama campaign along with an interview with Arun Chaudhary."


See also: 2000, 2004   +
Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action