First published 2013
John Heilemann and Mark Halperin examine the 2012 presidential election through extensive interviews with campaign insiders and political operatives. The authors focus on three major storylines: the chaotic Republican primary battle, Mitt Romney's rise as the nominee and subsequent general election struggles, and Barack Obama's path to reelection despite significant challenges. Heilemann and Halperin draw from hundreds of conversations with people who participated directly in the campaigns. They reconstruct key moments with detailed scenes and dialogue, following their approach from Game Change, their previous book about the 2008 election. The authors reveal how Obama viewed his 2012 victory as validation of his actual presidential performance, unlike 2008 when voters supported his potential. For Republicans, the loss forced a fundamental examination of party direction and relevance. The book captures both the intense competition between the candidates and the broader implications for American politics.
Genres: political-science, politics, biography-memoir, 21st-century, journalism, current-affairs, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-perspective, political-drama
Period: 2012
514 pages · Kindle Edition · Penguin Books