The Big Enchilada: Campaign Adventures with the Cockeyed Optimists from Texas Who Won the Biggest Prize in Politics

by Stuart Stevens

An insider on the Bush campaign shares intimate details of the Texas governor's rise to the presidency, from sketching strategy on a napkin to preparing for the all-important presidential debates.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Memoir

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2001

About the author

An American travel writer, political consultant and Daily Beast columnist. He is the cofounder of Washington, DC-based political media consultancy Stevens & Schriefer Group. He served as a top strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.

Reviews

[HR-ML]

I heard this author on ABC's "Nightline." He has a book
coming out in Sept 2020 which is critical of the GOP. I've
pre-ordered it. It's called "It Was All a Big Lie: How the
Republican Party Became Donald Trump." He implied on
TV that the GOP employed racist views to win elections.
And more.

Stuart Stevens went to film school + became a media con-
sultant to those running for Governor, Congress, POTUS.
From April 1999 through Nov. 2000 he worked exclusively
for George W. Bush. His treatment of G. W. B. (in this bk)
who he helped facilitate becoming President involved hero
worship more than anything. His depiction of Al Gore, no
choir boy, was of a condescending liar. Did his POV of Bush's
perceived truthfulness, after 2 POTUS terms, stay the same?

George W.'s POTUS campaign began in Austin, Texas. Texans
were highly suspicious of DC insiders. G.W.B. (of a 3 gen
political dynasty) & John McCain (US Senator for 20+ yrs)
faced off in the GOP primaries. Ironically each man called
himself a political "outsider!" Really?

Stevens explained the Voter News Service (VNS) which
provided election exit polls to all networks & major
news agencies. Also the Republican or Democrat political
team could contact the Secretary of State of each state
to get the final voter tallies for a primary or general
election. Stevens thought political debates didn't indicate
a candidate's knowledge base or coolness under pressure.

[Jessie]

So why don't the republicans put Stuart Stevens on their own version of The Daily Show? Even though I'm opposed to just about everything they stood for in this campaign, i just about peed my pants with laughter and have to tip my hat the novelty of this book and insight from a killer campaign... I had thought we had all the comedians on our side of the aisle?

[Jonathan]

If you have read George Stephanopoulos' book All Too Human and liked it then you will probably like this book too. I liked Stephanopoulos' book better, because he went into finer detail about the campaign process. The Big Enchilada is a good review of how George W. Bush and his media team helped shape their message, but does not really go into the dance that is played with the news media. Stephanopoulos' book goes into great detail on how that dance is played and is a very interesting read. While The Big Enchilada is informative, you are probably better off reading Stephanopoulos' book, unless you just must know how George W. Bush's media campaign worked.

[Arun]

found it for cheap at a library sale. it was good to compare the 2000 campaign with the current one and notice the striking similarities. the narrative is episodic and gives some insight into W's character and the campaign.

[Jfarley]

"Times are great--vote for change"

The message that a whole bunch of goofballs actually got to work and got W. elected. Great campaign book.

[Dana]

Very interesting personable writing style. However the content is not a surprisingly one sided and highly bias account of the 2000 election. I might consider reading his non-political books.

[Betty]

I did not vote for Bush, ANY Bush, but W's campaign against Gore was an interesting and amusing read