The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election

by Dan Balz, Haynes Johnson

In an account of an election during a most critical time, two political journalists cover the whole saga, from the earliest stages of the nominee's campaigns through a thorough analysis of what actually happened at the polls and why.

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction, American History, Audiobook, Political Science

432 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Max Godin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could read books upon books about the 2008 US Presidential Election. Two boundary breaking candidacies for the United States, wanting to succeed an incredibly unpopular President burdened with two wars and a recession. Having read Game Change by Heilemann and Halperins I was looking for a book that could rival theirs and this met the match.

A journalists book rather than a historian so it is a detailed account instead of an analysis but there isn't anything wrong with that. As someone who was too young to appreciate how uplifting the Obama campaign was, especially in the time of Trump, reading this was almost some form of political escapism.

[Ernie.tedeschi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Battle for America, 2008 promised to be a insider's dish of scoops and memo dumps from the extraordinary 2008 election. While there was some of this -- for example, Johnson and Balz publish the email the McCain campaign sent out authorizing the Ayers attacks on Obama, proving it wasn't the result of a "rogue" Palin -- the vast majority of the book is a narrative account of the primaries and general election that will be familiar to anyone like me who was engrossed in the politics of 2008.

Make no mistake, this is still a excellent, tremendously readable tome for those who feel themselves unfamiliar with all the developments of the election. For political junkies, it's a fun page-turning walk down memory lane, but it offers little that is genuinely fresh, sacrificing curiosity and detail to its narrative arc. Johnson and Balz have few memorable scoops of their own; instead, they rely heavily on revelations that have been public already for some time, such as Josh Green's Atlantic piece on Hillary's internal emails. They also fail to use their obvious access to render a more three-dimensional environment around each turning point in the campaigns. I was left wondering what internal discussions Hillary Clinton's campaign had about Jeremiah Wright when the story first broke, or what each presidential campaign thought of the other's convention.

I also disagree with some of their recollections. While Balz and Johnson are fair observers of Obama, McCain, Clinton, and Palin, they dismiss Joe Biden as a non-entity and only mention off-handedly that he was always the front-runner in Obama's VP search. My impression was that the truth was more interesting: that Obama preferred Tim Kaine or Kathleen Sebelius early on, but that his inability to pull far ahead of McCain forced his consideration of more experienced picks. At least, that was the common wisdom at the time. Whether it was true or not, the author's don't say. Also, I don't recall Palin's Charlie Gibson interview being quite as non-disastrous as the authors do. There are convincing polling analyses out there that pinpoint the start date of Obama's final rise above McCain as coinciding with the Gibson interview, rather than the financial crisis. Rather than offer their perspectives, the authors simply treat the Gibson interview as part of Palin's "rise," contradicting the very conservative pundits they quote later.

My favorite parts of the book by far were the sections covering 2007 in both parties. On the Democratic side, we learn that early on Obama was in many ways a lousy candidate: surly, evasive, wooden, prone to exhaustion, and often aloof to the constituencies he was trying to woo. Hillary Clinton, by contrast, was arguably on top of her game. It provides a key insight into Obama: his winning quality wasn't his energy or his charisma, but his ability to be self-critical and adapt. Of course, there was a fair bit of luck involved too, which the book makes clear.

All in all, it's an enjoyable read that you'll finish in less than a week. Though overbilled as a inside scoop, it will definitely get you up to speed on the narrative developments you may have missed over the last two years. You also come away from the book with a greater understanding of, and respect for, Obama, McCain, Clinton, and Palin.

[Daniel Solera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have already alluded in my review for Heilemann and Halperin’s 2010 book Game Change, also about the 2008 presidential election, that I would give five stars to any book about this topic, even if written by a village idiot. Dan Balz and Haynes Johnson’s account of the historic battle, published last year, is no exception. Though I acknowledge that writing a review about this book based on its own merits is the correct thing to do, it is inevitable that I will end up simply comparing it to Game and for that, I apologize.

I wish I had read Balz and Johnson’s book first, and not just to laugh childishly at the hysterical combination of their last names. Although both books liberally bask in the historic nature of the race to the White House, Battle does so with a specifically historical lens. In other words, it doesn’t focus as much on the individual people as much as the greater picture and its place in American history. Game followed each candidate through profoundly intimate moments, giving readers memorable and often shocking moments that reporters missed. Battle doesn’t do this. Instead, it takes a step back and describes the situation from above, explaining the significance of each event in terms of history and demography.

Structurally, the books are very similar. Both begin with the primaries of the Democratic party, segue into the same for the Republican party and then continue onto the general election. However, Game ends with Obama offering Hillary Clinton the position of Secretary of State, ultimately framing the book as a struggle to reconcile these two electric and polarizing figures. Battle does not keep this framework and instead moves beyond the November results and well into Inauguration Day. Game gives us a lot of dialogue that we didn’t know, while Battle recounts large chunks of memorable speeches. Game revels in the gossip, treating John Edwards’ affair with the flair of a soap opera novella and Battle keeps it as a footnote.

To sum up these comparisons, Balz and Johnson took a much more conservative approach to their telling of the election. They relied heavily on post-election remarks from Obama and speeches that are readily available online, assumed much less knowledge from their readership and therefore provided a more professorial description of the events leading up to November 2008. In the absence of literary risk-taking, they have written a great book, but not a gripping page-turner. However, it is because of this punctilious approach that one discovers new aspects of the election, in spite of the considerable overlap with Heilemann and Halperin’s newer book.

Though my appetite for this book wasn’t as insatiable as it was for Game Change, I still appreciated Balz and Johnson’s cautious, restrained style. It undoubtedly earned its five-star rating, regardless of any comparisons. For anyone interested in reading about the 2008 presidential elections, I highly recommend both books, but strongly urge that this one be first in the queue.

[jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio version, and it took a few discs before I became engrossed in the narration. But, eventually I 'couldn't put it down', even knowing the outcome.

[William Ratliff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This kind of book is like junk food for me. Even though it lacks the sort of critical perspective that a historian or sociologist might offer, it does provide a detailed and entertaining play-by-play of an election that seems increasingly unimaginable in today's political climate. Reading this book in late 2017 was an act of political escapism. But even throughout a campaign defined by hope and change, a darker politics is frequently foreshadowed. Regardless, if you're looking for a straight-forward and fair accounting of the 2008 election, this is it.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-researched, well-written, and objective narrative of the 2008 election for President of the United States. I would so dare as to say a must-read for anyone wanting to know more about that election cycle. More disturbingly, pay particular attention to the commentary in the "Interlude" chapter by Weingarten after he locked himself in a media chamber for 24 hours of constant news cycles. Very prescient when it comes to what happened in the 2016 and 2020 election cycles.

[Phil Souza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read and interesting to look back on what might have been and what decisions shaped the outcome of the election

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliantly readable account of what was indeed an extraordinary election in America in 2008. It starts from the beginning, with the candidates announcing their intentions to run, thoroughly discussing the Democratic and Republican campaigns to get the nomination, and then the presidential campaign. The Democratic nomination campaigns quickly became a two-person race, between the well-known Hillary Clinton and the newer face of Barack Obama. (While I do think Obama is terrific and I was lucky enough to be in a blue state in America for both of his elections, this book reinforced my view that Hillary would also have done an excellent job.) The book demonstrates how important the Iowa caucus was to both candidates, and how infighting and bad management of finances within Hillary’s campaign caused so many problems. Barack Obama’s campaign, while certainly not without its problems and mis-steps, seemed to run much more smoothly, in the end helping to win the nomination for him instead of the Clinton powerhouse. (I actually found Bill Clinton’s part in Hillary’s campaign to be fascinating, as it seemed to hinder her as much as help her.)

McCain’s campaign for the Republican nomination was not without its problems either, as many of the party viewed him with some suspicion. However, he got the nomination and then faced an even tougher battle against the by this time seemingly unstoppable Obama. The successful parts of his campaign are discussed, although at times there do not seem to be too many of them, and his bizarre choice of running mate is also examined in detail.

Sometimes I think if this was fiction and was made into a film, people would find it too unbelievable, but this is all true! The narrative is presented in an engaging tone, and it never feels dull or dry. It also stays unbiased, and although it reports on some of the more unsavoury press which the candidates received during their campaigns, it never resorts to using the same tactics. Overall, I would say that this is well worth a look to anybody with even a passing interest in politics or the election process.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent recap of the 2008 primaries and general election campaign.

Pros:
The book does an excellent job highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of Obama and HRC's campaigns for his and her party's nomination, especially chronicling the fall of Clinton and her once-inevitable nomination and Obama's historic rise to the Democratic ticket.

It fairly dissects the campaign strategy of all major candidates and concisely covers how major stories - e.g., Rev. Wright, Sarah Palin's interviews with Katie Couric, etc. - shaped the race.

Cons:
Though the book gives great attention to the arguably more interesting battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton, it shortchanges the effect Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee had on GOP nomination - and despite providing as much lip service to the cultural impact of the election, it doesn't adequately cover the full implications of it. (To be fair on the last point, however: Obama certainly hasn't been in office long enough for us to realize the full implications of his election.)

The authors are maybe a little too focused on the names of the people in the room during scenes where those involved doesn't matter nearly as much as what happened.

The "battle" involves not just the issues that decided the election but, more importantly, the money involved in the primaries and the general election. The book doesn't adequately cover how money and the use of social media allowed Obama to be more in control of his message and competitive in states McCain could have otherwise considered as sure bets.

At its best:
It provides short-term perspective to events that are still very fresh in most readers' minds. It also serves as one of the few books - if there are even any out there yet - that provide much detail about how Hillary Clinton and her crack team of veteran politicos were outmaneuvered by the Obama campaign.

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and extensive look at the 2008 presidential election: views and concerns of American voters, the candidates, who won and why.

It is very much helped by having been researched and written as starting when the campaign and election were happening rather than entirely after it was over. The authors also manage to remain seemingly unbiased.

There is a strong focus paid toward the "Big 3" of Obama, Hillary, and McCain which leads to some things being skimmed over like Obama choosing Biden as his VP and how Edwards was essentially the odd man out before the first Democrat primary. It does delve more evenly into the Republican candidates and how McCain managed to emerge from a large and uncertain field.

While the feelings and views of voters are addressed, I thought this could have been covered more in-depth.

The book wasn't really surprising, but it was nice to flesh out more details of the hows and whys. It did reinforce many views I formed during 2008 such as McCain's drift toward the right to secure the Republican nomination.

I found most interesting the successes and failings of the campaign management teams of the "Big 3": McCain having to overhaul his team, struggling to raise funds, and nearly having to drop out of the race; Hilliary mismanaging her funding, her suffering from her campaign team's squabbling, and her apparently fatal mistake of forming a team based too much on loyalty to her and her husband; Obama forming an effective and creative team winning over voters and getting new voters to the polls. For a relatively inexperienced politician like Obama to form such an effective and ultimately successful campaign team while his far more experienced opponents did such a poor job with theirs really seemed to reinforce the idea that Obama was the right choice out of who was available.

[Lock Lockamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

While at first I gave this book a 5, on reconsidering I struggled over that last half-point.

Personally, I absolutely loved it. I found the 2008 election to be engrossing and inspirational; a reaffirmation of what it means to be American.

But then, my guy won.

That's not to say this book is in any way partisan. It's not. At all. It is almost perfectly documentary, reporting on fact with the barest dash of author opinion (and always duly noted when so). Historians on both sides of the aisle would be able to turn to this book first for studying what went down and why. Those with a purely intellectual interest in American politics will find a fascinating tale, made all the more so by its nonfiction status.

Those still riled that their side or their guy (or gal) lost, however, will not enjoy reliving the past. This is where my debated half-star comes in. The book will not appeal to many on the right, as well as what few Clinton supporters still feel cheated. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe this to be less a shortcoming of the book than it is a comment on human nature. And it'd be unfair to penalize a factual book for including facts that some find irritating, especially when said facts aren't intended to provoke in the first place.

Regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum, if you have any interest at all as to 1) why your person won/lost, 2) what happened behind the scenes, or 3) reliving an improbable outcome in one of the most American of processes, then this book is highly recommended.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got stopped on the subway by a random French guy who saw my book and said "IT IS A GOOD STORY!" Haha.

I'm not sure what to say about this. It's good. I liked the first half better though, because once Obama gets to the general election with John McCain, I feel like I knew more of the details (since I follow the news) and it wasn't as fresh. That was when I started to wish there was more inside scoop. (Although the copies of the emails written to Sarah Palin about "palling around with terrorists" was interesting because it proved the McCain campaign wrote that for her, and not that she had "gone rogue".) I'm also glad it wasn't overtly partisan, and that most of the people involved (with the possible exception of Mark Penn) come out looking understandable. Maybe they didn't always make the best choices, but that's what it means to be human.

The bits about the primaries were interesting though. I didn't follow that as closely so it was cool to see the different strategies at work (or failure to work, in Rudy Guiliani's case). Once Obama beats Clinton, it's kind of sad because all the fun stuff is done. (Interestingly, when the authors interviewed Obama for the final chapter of the book he unhesitatingly said Hillary was harder to beat than John McCain. I was pleased with that in a girls-kick-ass sort of way. Too bad your husband we didn't start liking her husband again until AFTER she lost to the new guy.

[Andrew Crouch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Superficial but informative history of the 2008 presidential election process, covering both the primaries and the general campaign. The authors evoke the fevered, manic pace of the primaries and capture the frustration and futility of the candidates who were battling not only each other, but the preconceived notions of the electorate, and the crumbling mess left by the Bush II administration. All of this is occurring in the dawning age of the 24/7 news cycle where not only every word but every gesture, every blush or frown, is recorded by scores of devices ready to broadcast to the web, then interpreted ad nauseum by the parasitic talking heads of cable news. The dizzying crescendo to Obama's triumphant election in the penultimate chapter is followed in short order by a stark epilogue bluntly describing the obstacles of his first year in office. Here and elsewhere the authors maintain a good balance between sympathy and objectivity, and between increasingly divided partisan perspectives. This book should be read first to establish a timeline of events and a basic introduction to the major players; a more in-depth analysis of the candidates and their policies would best be found elsewhere.

[Irving Koppel · Rating 5 out of 5]

From its inception with the announcements of candidacies to its denouement with the inauguration,the 2008 presidential campaign is
brilliantly portrayed in "The Battle for America,2008.Balz and Johnson,
both old hands at political rapportage,have fashioned a novel-like ac
count of a most fascinating event in American history. Giving fair
coverage to both parties and to all major candidates,we are reminded of
the ups and downs we all experienced during that campaign.

Once again we saw Obama announcing on the steps of the old capital in
Springfield.The highs and the lows of the McCain campaign are revisited.
McCain is thoroughly tied to Bush.The hasty decision to add Sarah Palin
to the ticket is explored in depth. Obama's struggle to overcome the
burden of Rev. Wright is replayed as well as the whispering campaigns
about his birth,his religion and his name.

The importance of the debates and the September financial crisis are
also delved into for their weight on the result. In retrospect,it appears obvious what the result was to be. Nevertheless,the authors have
fashioned a read as good as any detective tale.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

A narrative about the election of 2008. It wasn't quite as popular as "Game Change" and it's not hard to see why. Something about Balz's writing is very off-putting--I found it very hard to read through, as well as his 2012 e-book. It might be because he's really a newspaper guy and not a book writing, but I'm not sure.

Still, like GC it goes through the 2008 election, with an emphasis on the Democratic side of things, where an epic showdown took place between the Clintons and Obama. McCain and the Republicans were also covered as well, but I felt more time and detail went to the D's. I re-read GC not too long ago and it was nice to see where the books agreed and where they didn't, as well as where this book gave more focus where the other did not.

If you are a student or at all interested in elections, this isn't a bad read. However I'd recommend getting it from the library, borrowing it otherwise or getting it really cheap. Game Change was (I feel) the superior book on the 2008 election.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say that journalism is the first draft of history. This is the second draft. Balz and Johnson are affiliated with the Washington Post and have done an admirable job of capturing the excitement of the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. They keep the Democrat and Republican stories separate during the primary season and then go forward with the Obama/McCain general election.

This is not just a recap of the newspapers, however. The authors did have private interviews about their project with the principle players. They do get "behind the scenes" of the Kennedy endorsement of Obama and Obama's emotion at delivering his acceptance speech on the anniversary of the "I have a dream" speech.

I believe the authors deal with political events in an even handed way. I don't believe they took sides, and they are fair at criticizing both candidates for their missteps on the campaign trail.

Political reporting at its best.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent narrative account of the 2008 election. While the authors had access to a number of insiders from both the Republican and Democratic campaigns, I didn't find anything especially surprising revealed through those interviews. Most of this is information that has been previously reported.

The book's primary virtue is in taking disparate threads and accounts and weaving them together into a tight, streamlined narrative. There is some examination of the election's political and social significance, but it is superficial. I do not mean that as a criticism of the authors, since they were writing about events in the very recent past, but it is mainly an account of events, not a work of analysis.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good "instant history" of the 2008 campaign. The first half -- on the Democratic primaries -- is by far the best. Having lived through all of this day to day, much of the narrative was familiar, but the main premise is fascinating: HRC never knew what hit her. Knowing that they couldn't win an old-style nomination battle, the Obama campaign completely changed the field of play to caucuses and the Internet. By the time the Clinton team figured it out, the numbers were insurmountable even though the public campaign continued. Parts two & three, on the Republicans and the general election, are serviceable but lack the spirit of part one.

[Chrissy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explained a lot about the election 2008. Joe the Plumber, the South Carolina debate, the 3 a.m. phone call. At the time, I could barely keep up with soundbites and Newsweek articles because we were in the chaos of a move and busy life with children. I couldn't be as interested in politics then, but now that I'm making a little more time to read, this book helped me catch up on what I missed the first time around. Even if you're not interested in politics, this book tells a great story of how all the different variables in the U.S. intersected together to set the course for Obama's victory.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had some misgivings that it would be largely the same story as Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, but they complement each other nicely. The other book goes into greater detail of the Clinton - Obama primary, as well as behind-the-scenes of The Palin Problem; this one isn't quite as "detailed", instead covering the Republican nomination to show how McCain was left as "last candidate standing", presaging his weaknesses in the fall campaign.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a really good book about a fascinating election. The journalists went into another level of depth from Game Change and struck a balance between behind-the-scenes happenings and a reminder of the public words and actions of all the candidates. As someone who lived through the election and paid reasonable attention I still got something out of this book and was again touched by Obama's oratory and the remembrance of the passion he inspired through his campaign. I also thought the journalists were respectful of all three major candidates and were good about identifying the potential bias of the people they interviewed and at what times those opinions were recorded.

[Michael Kallan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2008 was quite an extraordinary election, and the book started off strongly. However, in the end it provided much greater detail on events in 2007 (prior to any votes being cast) and often gave short shrift to the results of most of the primary results (post-Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina). Additionally, I found four errors in the book (the most galling was on page 171, when it said that Ted Kennedy sought the Democratic nomination against Jimmy Carter in 1976, when it was actually 1980), which was off-putting. Interested to see how it compares to Game Change, which I plan on reading real soon...

[Darren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book Game Change very much so I had high hopes for this account of the blockbuster 2008 US Presidential election and the book lived up to it. I thought the title was a bit cheesy, almost something Jon Stewart would mock.

This account of the election nicely drilled down into voter intentions, sways in support from Clinton to Obama and from McCain/Palin to Obama. The authors touched base throughout the election with undecided and committed voters and explained the shifts which was a nice change from only reading about back room strategy. The book still offered a lot of those details too.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

While reading "1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America" by David Pietrusza, I noticed how appropos the statement "The more things change, the more they remain the same" really is. There were a lot of parallels between the 1948 race and the most recent presidential election, which were both amusing and depressing to read. So after reading about Harry Truman, I was prompted to pick up this book to compare and contrast the two elections. This was a good, well- written overview of the 2008 election, but I thought "Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime" was better.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of course this book will receive numerous comparisons to Game Change but I'll try not to as they are two separate books. Both do cover the 2008 presidential campaign quite well but while Game Change thrives in behind-the-scenes and anonymous sources, Battle for America 2008 is much more like a series of long newspaper/magazine articles.

I gave this three stars as its mostly a rehash of everything you know but its nice to relive the election every now and then. The book works as something that is overlooking the campaign as opposed to one that is right in the midst of it.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing that a full-length book about the election has such little material that I haven't read previoulsy. I also wished that there was more info about the other candidates; the Democratic story is all Obama and Clinton. However, it was good to read the whole story at one time to get the flow with the perspective of a bit of time. I thought the analysis at the end regarding the significance of the election and the impact of forces like media, primary schedule, fund raising was well done.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Battle for America 2008: The Story of an Extraordinary Election. Although the authors go into no great detail on any single issue, they do an excellent job of viewing the 2008 presidential election from a macro level. In time, this book will rightfully take its place alongside Theodore H. White's The Making of the President book series. This book is required reading for political junkies.

[c · Rating 3 out of 5]

what's the saying ... if you want to enjoy the ballet, don't sit too close to the show. or something like that. it's fascinating to learn about a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that goes on in a campaign and the human dynamic that's involved. after reading this book, it's almost unnerving to think about all the chaos and petty frictions that go on from within the candidate's inner circle. solid read, can probably be a bit slow if politics isn't your thing though.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very withdrawn, historical overview of the election. There wasn't too much here that was revelatory (as someone who enjoys following the fucked up drama of American elections), but I did gain a new appreciation for Clinton and her campaign. The narrative didn't really pick up until Palin showed up (natch). Frankly, I think the '08 election was way too comically insane for such a distanced presentation, but the book was interesting--and, amazingly, unbiased--nonetheless.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine account of the madness & wonder of the 2008 election. Nothing fancy, just good, solid reporting and clean, crisp writing.

I would have welcomed a somewhat more expansive framing of the race, à la Theodore White's The Making of the President books, but those are classics, and this book was the quick work of two sets of hands. I think I marginally prefer Heilemann's & Halperin's Game Change as a chronicle of the 2008 election, but I'm unable to say why exactly.