June 24, 2013
Washington Post chief correspondent Balz’s The Battle for America 2008 (coauthored with Haynes Johnson) explored that truly groundbreaking campaign, which left him struggling to find a similarly enthralling story in the race between a Republican nobody wanted, and an incumbent Democrat with whom voters were disillusioned. The book provides an astute postmortem of the election and a remarkably unbiased depiction of a flawed process feeding on a polarized electorate, which, if little else, demonstrates the preposterous expense of the 2012 campaign. Balz shares revealing accounts of his firsthand experiences with the candidates, with the bulk of the book focused on the Republic primaries, in which the G.O.P. sought an “anyone but Romney” solution. As Michelle Bachman, Rick Perry, and Herman Cain incongruously blaze to front-runner status before self-immolating, Newt Gingrich bides his time and gives Balz the story each step of the way. Given Obama’s opaque public persona, it’s not surprising that less is revealed of the incumbent, which leaves Balz reporting on strategy over substance. In framing the book, Balz asks, “Can or will the election resolve any of the fundamental issues before the country?” After scrutinizing this season of destructive political gamesmanship, he answers gloomily, “There was little competition or innovation in the battle for ideas... each pursued a strategy designed for one thing: winning.” Agent: Philippa Brophy, Sterling Lord.
June 15, 2013
Well-documented, blow-by-blow account of the recent presidential election in all its benumbing, however significant and transformative, detail. Washington Post chief correspondent Balz's book on those fisticuffs is a sequel, he writes, to The Battle for America 2008. The author provides an excellent record of what both candidates' strategies were, what they needed to deliver to a vastly changing America and how they ultimately fared in the electorate. Balz evidently took copious notes as well as conducted myriad interviews, then and now. The chronicles of his discussions with some of the defeated Republicans, such as Newt Gingrich, are particularly valuable, giving the author a chance to ask: What were they thinking? Indeed, the election's tone of "nuttiness" was set early on by the protracted process of selecting the Republican front-runner long before President Barack Obama had to get involved; the sideshows concerning Gingrich's exploding cigars, Tim Pawlenty's "Obamneycare" and Rick Perry's "little brain fart" during the Michigan TV debate get the meatiest chapters. The choosing of Romney's running mate garners a thorough going-over, though there is little on the vice-presidential debates. Indeed, after rehearsing the dueling conventions' highlights (the empty chair, Bill Clinton), Romney's secretive "47 Percent Solution," Obama's lackluster showing at the Denver debate and the October Surprise (in the form of Hurricane Sandy), Balz ties up the actual election rather hastily. Still, he brings out the important shifts in the election process: technology as the key player, the campaigns' all-too-easy use of disguised money, the discrepancy of polls and the rashly high expectations of the Republicans, founded on a willful disregard for reality. Balz's January 2013 interview with Romney forms a surprisingly touching curtain to the whole spectacle, revealing just how pessimistic the candidate himself was all along. A lively, fair-minded and brisk post-mortem.
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March 15, 2013
Chief correspondent at the Washington Post and author of the New York Times best-selling The Battle for America 2008, Balz is well positioned to offer this survey of the 2012 presidential campaign.
Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
August 1, 2013
Balz (chief correspondent, Washington Post; coauthor, The Battle for America 2008) traces the 2012 Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns. He discusses the 2010 mid-term election results, which were disastrous for the Democrats, as well as the Democratic Party's resurrection in 2012, when it was able to cast itself as the responsible choice for the middle class, owing to the Obama reelection committee's reinvented message on spending cuts and modest tax increases. The section on the Republican Party begins with its response to the rise of the Tea Party. This internal realignment elevated aspiring leaders such as Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum, drawing media attention but resulting in a disjointed party message. Balz follows the Republican candidates and eventual nominee, Mitt Romney, through the primaries and general election. Unfortunately, he does not include any significant discussion of Ron Paul's impact on the campaign or the party's platform. The next section focuses on the general election, including discussion of the national conventions and running- mate selection process. The continuing Republican struggle with internal factions and strong dissenting views translated into an Obama victory. Throughout, Balz incorporates insights from past and present campaign organizers, political experts, and the candidates themselves. VERDICT If there are any readers still wondering what happened and why it happened during the 2012 presidential election, this may be the book they'll want.--Marcus Kieltyka, Central Washington Univ. Lib., Ellensburg
Copyright 2013 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.