2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Promising Writer; Could Use Stronger Editing, March 17, 2009
This review is from: The Obama Revolution (Paperback)
Although repetitive, at times naive, and generationally hubristic in this book in a way I found annoying at times, 25-year old author and Obama campaign field staffer Adam Kennedy-Shaffer is someone from whom I expect strong future efforts. One can't help but admire his commitment even if one does not share his point of view. (In the interests of disclosure, I am an idealistic, middle-aged, more detached Obama supporter with both governing and campaign experience.) I read the book hoping to learn more about how the Obama field campaign worked at the ground level. I did come away with a better understanding of what the reality versus the rhetoric of this grassroots-oriented "empowerment" campaign meant on a practical level. For example, we learn that the Obama campaign centralized and exercised tight control over some aspects of its field operations while granting wide latitude, and in fact encouraging, individual and local creativity and ingenuity in other aspects. I also found the discussion in the next-to-last chapter, on Obama's faith, to be interesting, although readers of Obama's books may not find much new in it.
I obtained an empirically grounded understanding of attitudes and relevant behaviors of the young generation, so many of whom were heavily involved in the Obama campaign, as well as useful information about how newer technologies are being used by political activists, from Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of America, by Morley Winograd and Michael Hais, which came out in March 2008 and was quite prescient about the 2008 presidential campaign.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Behind the Scenes During the Campaign, Speeches Included, September 10, 2009
This review is from: The Obama Revolution (Paperback)
Perfect for : Personal Use, The person who wants to know more about "behind-the-scenes" from the Obama campaign
In a nutshell: Alan Kennedy-Shaffer's book, The Obama Revolution, is an insider's look at the policies and campaign promises made throughout the 2008 Presidential Election. He shares what he learned about President Obama's beliefs regarding our country, our status in the war, and our economic troubles. He also shares what it was like to be involved in the political campaign itself. I was particularly interested to learn about the 50-State Strategy, and what the author considered to be 10 pivotal speeches made throughout the campaign [p. 105]. Throughout the book, Kennedy-Shaffer has shown that this was a campaign of hope, and that a lot of hard work and effort went into the success of this campaign. The book includes the 10 speeches mentioned above [p. 157-233], and I really enjoyed being able to read them, especially the Yes We Can speech because of the tone it sets.
Extended Review:
Content: The book starts with an introduction and progresses with: Change We Still Believe In, A Green Deal, 50-State Strategy, Community Organizing, Generation Change, The Rhetoric of Hope, The New Faith, Obama's America. There are also sections that cover: Obama's Speeches for Change, Notes, Bibliography and Acknowledgements.
Format: Written from his experiences, Alan Kennedy-Shaffer has included plenty of quotes and verifiable facts.
Readability: I will admit that I skimmed through various sections of the book, mostly the beginning, where the author talks about the war in Iraq. Regardless of how a person feels about the war, it is a topic that has been beaten to death, and I only care about our men and women who are involved in the war and how they will be treated and supported in the future. I also ignored the slightly less favorable comments about President Bush. Otherwise, I found much of the information interesting.
Overall: Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican (or have other Party affiliations), this book will provide you with some insight into what Obama claimed to stand for throughout his campaign, and will show you the inner workings of a political campaign.
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7 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A Revolting Development, July 7, 2009
This review is from: The Obama Revolution (Paperback)
The author's redundant praise of our new President might've carried more weight & credibility had there not been several other (better written) books on the subject. This one is a superflous piece of work, which in retrospect, is reminding the world what a bunch of gullible people the former United States of America has populating the socialistic Obama Nation.
Each day that passes, is another day of economic despair; the Obama revolution is aptly named. It is indeed, a revolting development for America.
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