Obama: From Promise to Power - Softcover

Mendell, David

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062684396 ISBN 13: 9780062684394

Publisher: Amistad, 2017

Synopsis

David Mendell has covered Obama since the beginning of his campaign for the Senate and as a result enjoys far-reaching access to the new Senator--both his professional and personal life. He uses this access to paint a very intimate portrait of Obama and his life pre and post Senate, including Obama s new status as a sex symbol now that going into a crowd to shake hands with constituents carries the added concern of being groped by women, and the toll this has had on his marriage. Mendell also describes the dirty tactics sanctioned by Obama--who has steeped his image and reputation on the ideals of clean politics and good government--to win his Senate seat by employing David Axelrod, a Chicago-based political consultant (consultant to the John Edwards s campaign) with what the author describes as an appetite for the Big Kill. Mendell also positions Barack Obama as in fact the Savior of a fumbling Democratic party, who is potentially orchestrating a career in Senate to guarantee him at the very least a vice presidential nod, if not a nod for the top job in 2008. The dream ticket would be Hilary Clinton-Barack Obama given his reception at the Democratic National Convention in 2004. Because he enjoys popularity among Whites (particularly suburban White women) and Blacks, it might not be such a far-fetched idea.

About this title

Review:

The single best source of background information on our new president. --National Review

From the Back Cover:

Barack Obama is arguably the most dynamic political figure to grace the American stage since John F. Kennedy. His meteoric ascent from promise to power stunned even the cynics and inspired a legion of devout followers.

For anyone who wants to know more about the man, David Mendell’s Obama is essential reading. Mendell, who covered Obama for the Chicago Tribune, had far-reaching access to the Chicago politician as Obama climbed the ladder to the White House, the details of which he shares in this compelling biography. Positioning Obama as the savior of a fumbling Democratic party, Mendell reveals how Obama conquered Illinois politics and paved the way brick by brick for a galvanizing, historic presidential run.

With a new afterword by the author, which includes a fresh perspective on Barack Obama following his two historic terms as the first African-American president, and with exclusive interviews with family members and top advisers, as well as details on Obama’s voting record, Mendell offers a complete, complex, and revealing portrait. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in American politics in general and President Barack Obama in particular.

About this edition

• Publisher: Amistad
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0062684396
• ISBN 13: 9780062684394
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 464