The Audacity to Win

The Inside Story and Lessons of Barack Obama's Historic Victory

By: David Plouffe

Narrated by: Erik Davies

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Watch David Plouffe discuss The Audacity to Win on "Meet the Press"

David 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. 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.

For two years Plouffe worked side by side with Obama, charting the course of the campaign. 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. 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.

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. 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.

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Critic reviews

"...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

Informative book

This book gives us (political wonks) great insight into the strategies of their campaign.
It does at times get too technical but it doesn't take long before the the authors bring you back into their heads of winning this campaign.
Really enjoyed listening.

Fascinating book; don't care for the narration

Plouffe's account of the history making Obama campaign is a great read. He goes in to great detail in explaining the strategy, the successes and the mistakes. I love the book itself. The narration, on the other hand, is a bit annoying. The narrator has a raspy voice that is difficult to listen to. He attempts to change his tone when speaking as Obama or as females in the narrative. This just doesn't cut it. But the content is enough to overcome the shortcomings of the reader.

Kudos to a formidable team

I landed on this book as a Masters class project for my Project Management class. I chose this book because I wanted to learn about what it took to get the first black man elected President in America and I wanted to learn a bit more of the intricacies it takes to run a national presidential campaign. I write this at a time when America is going into an election year in a few days. 2020 is around the corner and this election will define America domestically and indeed America's role in the world for the next century.
DEMS MUST REMOVE 45 in Nov 2020. So far none of the candidates on the debate stage have managed to grab the attention of all demographics of the electorate. If Iowa decides the President, then we shall find out in just a couple of months who takes the mantle to beat 45. Whomever it is, they will need a man like Plouffe to run their campaign because unseating 45 is the most pressing matter right now in the entire world to people who care about other people, the planet and human decency. I think Axelrod is backing Pete Buttigeg. I wonder who Plouffe is backing. Plouffe, we need you to get on Twitter.
Thank you for this book David Plouffe. Thank you for telling us how it all happened.
Conspiracy theorists would be disappointed to learn there was no Bilderberg group that met and picked Obama because he's from the British royal bloodlines who happen to be reptilian shape shifters and run the world... LMAO
They would be shocked that Soros didnt pick Obama way before Harvard and groom him and fund his campaign from Chicago to the White-house. We live in a sick twisted crazy world.Such is life I guess. But we know conspiracy theorists hardly read books, so they will never know the real truth of the Obama campaign and his once in a lifetime election to the Presidency. Boy, I miss Obama. Its hard to understand how we went from Obama to 45 and his brainwashed cult.

Great Insight into Strategy, but...

You really have to get over how Erik reads the characters. Having a presidential voice is one thing, raising your voice an octave for all the females is pretty over-the-top.

Great when he's just reading.

Bold Winners with Integrity

I enjoyed this book and the behind the scenes point of view. A real combination of idealism and execution. I pray that our young people will study and remember this campaign. It is not only history making but is in the true American tradition of heroes who step out and reach for the best that we can be as a country and as individuals.