The Stranger

Barack Obama in the White House

By: Chuck Todd

Narrated by: Chuck Todd

Chuck Todd's gripping, fly-on-the-wall account of Barack Obama's tumultuous struggle to succeed in Washington.

Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008 partly because he was a Washington outsider. But if he'd come to the White House thinking he could change the political culture, he soon discovered just how difficult it was to swim against an upstream of insiders, partisans, and old guard networks allied to undermine his agenda -- including members of his own party. He would pass some of the most significant legislation in American history, but his own weaknesses torpedoed some of his greatest hopes.

In The Stranger, Chuck Todd draws upon his unprecedented inner-circle sources to create a gripping account of Obama's White House tenure, from the early days of drift and helplessness to a final stand against the GOP in which an Obama, at last liberated from his political future, finally triumphs.

More of a chronicle than insightful about Obama.

The content does not live up to the title. I was hoping to learn a lot more about the President's relationship with Congress, but as with other books by Chuck Todd, there is a heavy dose of chronicling events that the informed reader probably already knows.

Nothing Groundbreaking

It was ok. Not much that you don't already know. Just a rehash of the Obama presidency so far, done by Chuck Todd in that Chuck Todd style. I would say, if you're a political junkie and a Chuck Todd fan it's worth a listen.

Truth be told

This was a good history lesson from a Washington insider. Very detailed and informative. A bit of a critical slant on a presidency that was very impactful to many communities, positive or negatively mostly depending on your community. Which makes me wonder, how much of an insider was Chuck Todd and how dismissed did he feel the President was towards he and his colleagues. I would have preferred more of a balance. Can't help to thunk if he was writing this during the current presidency, what would be viewed differently. Overall the book helped me see why our country is not ever going to improve without the young new energy standing their ground

A grreat perpective of the Obama the presidency,

Chuck Todd presents President Obama, in a very objective way, allowing the reader to understand a rather complex human being.

Excellent Background

This is a very excellent written narrated story. It gives you so much background and insight on the man, the legacy, the policy and everything in between.