The Audacity to Win - by David Plouffe (Paperback)

About the Book

Plouffe not only led the effort that put Barack Obama in the White House, but he also helped to change the face of politics forever. "The Audacity to Win" tells his story of that groundbreaking achievement.

Book Synopsis

The inside story of a brilliant campaign, with lessons on how the Democrats can secure victory in the future--from the author of A Citizen's Guide to Beating Donald Trump.

Since David Plouffe helped design the plan that brought candidate Obama to the White House, the lessons of that plan have become only more relevant. Today, conservative forces led by figures like Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck threaten to derail the tremendous promise of Democrats' recent gains, making the next election--and the ones beyond it--even more crucial. Plouffe explains the secrets to winning elections in contemporary politics, and shows how Democrats can build on the historic campaign of 2008 to keep the country on the right path. Featuring a new chapter on the challenges of 2010, The Audacity to Win is political writing at its boldest and most essential.

Review Quotes

"...engaging, detailed and frequently illuminating account of the Obama presidential campaign..."
-Miami Herald

"...a gripping blockbuster of a book, manna for political aficianados and newcomers to elections alike, full of scrappy details, minute explanations of strategy, tales from the trail and candid assessments of mistakes made and lessons learned."
-Daily Kos

"After reading Plouffe's engaging, detailed and frequently illuminating account of the Obama presidential campaign, one can see how the campaign was lucky and good-- indeed, often very, very good."
-San Francisco Chronicle

"[Plouffe] gives readers a visceral sense of the campaign from an insider's point of view...He offers acute assessments of the larger dynamics at play in the 2008 race, and he is frank about missteps that the Obama campaign made along the way...A detailed and revealing account."
-Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

"Plouffe has written the most important political book of the year. It reads like a thriller...I flipped it open, read a few lines and was hooked...But it's not the insider look at the past that makes the book so important. It's what it shows us about the present--and the effect it could have on the future."
-Arianna Huffington, The Huffington Post

About the Author

David Plouffe served as the campaign manager for Barack Obama's primary and general election victories in 2008. He was the architect of the strategy for both elections. Prior to running the Obama campaign, Plouffe served as a leading Democratic Party media consultant from 2001 to 2007, playing a key role in the election of U.S. senators, governors, mayors, and House members across the country. He lives in Washington, D.C.