Book Description Review “A readable collective chorus of hopeful voices tirelessly promoting Obama’s patriotism, moral clarity, and honorable leadership…. As a campaign diary, the book succeeds in gathering representative perspectives from those who participated in its success…. Adulatory reflections on a historic presidency sure to fuel hope for future elections.”―Kirkus Reviews“They Said This Day Would Never Come tells the story of Barack Obama’s historic 2008 campaign through the voices of the people who made it happen, but it’s about so much more than one election. It tells a story about the power of everyday people to shape the course of our country and change the world.”―Dan Pfeiffer, cohost of Pod Save America and author of Yes We Still Can“Chris’s book reminds us that politics doesn’t have to feel hopeless or slimy if we’re willing to put in the effort–this is a beautiful and genuinely moving oral history of how young people who believe in something and are willing to actually DO something about it can change the world.”―Amanda Litman, cofounder of Run for Something “The Obama campaign of 2007-2008 in Iowa was a wondrous story, authored by a corps of young activists and people hungry for change. In They Said This Day Would Never Come, Chris Liddell-Westefeld brilliantly captures the spirit of that effort.”―David Axelrod, director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN senior political commentator“An amazing read in the words of the organizers on the ground who elected Barack Obama president. If you care about bringing about change, there are lessons in this book for you.”―David Plouffe, former campaign manager and White House senior adviser for Barack Obama Read more About the Author Chris Liddell-Westefeld joined the Obama for America campaign in 2007 and went on to spend five years on the Obama White House staff. Since 2014, Liddell-Westefeld has documented the story of the Obama presidency through oral history interviews. An Iowa native, he remains active in political campaigns and currently works as an oral historian in Washington D.C. where he lives with his wife and daughter. Read more Customers Review: This is an oral history of the Obama campaign beginning in Iowa following the “on the ground” volunteers who knocked on doors and worked so very hard to help get Obama elected. In chronological order it follows certain workers through their first decision to go to Iowa to work on the campaign. The highs and lows of young adults, Black and White, believing in the message of Obama. The interactions with what became their neighbors in small towns and the workers with other campaigns. It’s hard not to shed a few tears along with them, tears of absolute joy with victory and tears with what has become of Obama’s legacy with the next inhabitant of the White House.You will enjoy the behind the scenes thought process of the campaign and begin to root for the volunteers as much as for Obama.
Such fun to read the stories of those who worked on the 2008 Obama campaign. Their recollections of the long hours and longer drives show for little to no money because of their belief in his Hope and Change ideals reminds me of the greatness of our country’s true leaders. Great read!
Liddell-Westefeld gives a full inside look at what campaigning from top to ground level looks like. It’s a deep dive into the Iowa caucus from the Obama volunteers perspective and at times hilariously narrated.
I received a reviewer copy of They Said This Day Would Never Come by Chris Liddell-Westefield from the publisher Perseus Books in exchange for an honest review.What It’s About: This book is a microhistory of the Obama campaign with over 50% of it focusing on the Iowa Caucuses. Chris compiles comments from those high up in the campaign (Pluffe, Axelrod, Obama), the Crooked Media crew, but mostly this is the story of the organizers. The ones who turned out the vote for Obama, we follow the campaign from the beginning until the end.What I Loved: The nostalgia and the hope this book makes you feel is electric. If you miss the former occupant of the White House and you want to remove the current occupant, this book is for you. It will motivate you to get on the ground and get to work. It will motivate you to meet and befriend your local organizers. The story of the grassroots campaign is so inspiring and getting insight int the first major grassroots campaign and who these people were makes you realize anyone can fight for what is right.What I didn’t like so much: It was probably just my ARC but at times it is hard to tell if the author is providing details or if the previous speaker is still talking there’s no clear transition. But again this might be the ARC and it wasn’t really that detrimental to my reading experience.Who Should Read It: People who believe in grassroots campaign. People who want to read something hopeful in the 2020 primary. People who miss the Obama movement. People who are interested in campaign logistics.General Summary: A story of the organizers who worked on the ground for hope and change in Obama’s 08 campaign.
Very good read about the Obama road to running for President in 2008. You get the viewpoint of people who was with h8m on this historic occasion. The way the information is presented makes this feel Ike you are having a conversation with the participants. Very well put together and I will recommend to others. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest opinion. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my review.
I’ve been trying to become a more politically active person lately and reading this book has definitely helped motivate me to do that. But it’s also just funny and enjoyable to read.In general, this book follows Obama’s 2008 campaign from start to finish, but that public story is mainly used as a backdrop for the more private stories and emotions of the people involved in that campaign. The interviews are unique because they both dig into weird technical nuances of a presidential democratic primary (for example, I learned about the political importance of the “Harkin steak fry” in Iowa) also personal experiences of the interviewees (for example, the stories of being a lone Obama field organizer staying with a host-family in a small town where you know nobody, which sounds terrifying to me).The stories in the book are strange strange, unglamorous stories are especially inspiring to me because they illustrate how often trying to make a positive change in the world is not necessarily a profound experience. Sometimes it’s just pushing yourself in discomfort and being willing to try something new. But the experience of translating values into behaviors is profound in its own quiet way. I think this book is a testament to that idea.
This book captures a point in time when politics was defined by HOPE and when young people showed this country what it’s potential can be. I got this on a Monday and finished it by Tuesday. Put it down to eat some great Vietnamese Pho Monday night but otherwise it was a great non-stop read. I felt like it brought me onto the Obama campaign especially in Iowa. You get to know these kids and feel what they went through. Reading this book now when the country is at it’s lowest point in my life time(and yes I’m including 1968) was an antidote for the insanity that has embraced this country for the last three years. Great read!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love government & I love politics. I love the possibility & promise inherent in gov’t to change lives for the better, to do good in the world. It’s hard to remember that now, but this beautifully written, wonderfully structured oral history plops you right down in the middle of Iowa in ‘07 w/a bunch of young true believers who understood the magnitude of the moment (or just knew this was big & they wanted to be part of it) and said yes. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve remembered what hope feels like. This is a great read for anyone who enjoys the stories of real people dedicated to change, stories that seem impossible, stories of idealistic, good people. I know I would have appreciated this book whenever it came out, but here when our life as a country is so dark, it’s a ray of light that I truly needed. |
17 reviews