Collision 2012, Dan Balz
Collision 2012, Dan Balz
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Collision 2012
Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America

Author: Dan Balz

Narrator: Jeffrey Kafer

Unabridged: 15 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 09/18/2013

Synopsis

Four years ago, a bright young presidential candidate named Barack Obama campaigned on a theme of hope and change, and made history. Today, he finds himself in another bitter, divisive presidential race but without the buzzwords. Instead, an embattled president struggles with a dysfunctionally divided Congress, a controversial healthcare bill, a decade-long war, and a stagnant economy.

Obama's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, former corporate tycoon and former governor of Massachusetts, faces his own controversies in the form of vague policies, fluctuating positions, and questions about his business practices in the private sector. Romney's personal fortune and business background seemed at odds with the Republican base until he named Wisconsin congressman, Tea Party darling, and fiscal conservative Paul Ryan as his running mate.

Using sources deep inside both campaigns and on the campaign trail through primary and battleground states, Washington Post correspondent Dan Balz writes with a keen political mind and a seasoned reporter's ear. He traces the highs and lows of the Obama presidency as well as the ruthless Republican primary as both laid the groundwork for one of the most crucial, contentious elections of our time. Collision 2012 puts the race for the White House in context and explores just what the election means for the future of the democratic process and America.

About Dan Balz

Dan Balz is chief correspondent at the Washington Post and has covered American politics and government for four decades. A native of Freeport, Illinois, he received his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Illinois and spent three years in the U.S. Army. He is coauthor of Storming the Gates and the New York Times bestseller The Battle for America 2008. He is a regular panelist on PBS's Washington Week and MSNBC's The Daily Rundown.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Bill on September 13, 2013

I liked this book, though I am not sure you will if you voted for the guy from Massachusetts. Balz did a nice job of reporting on the campaigns, peppering the story with lots of quotes from insiders, and providing some nice context for various issues and events. I think Balz was correct in most of h......more

Goodreads review by Benjy on July 07, 2013

As far as first drafts of history go, Dan Balz's read on 2012 is a good one. It hits the major themes of 2012 -- the demographics, the GOP's internal struggles, the shifts in technology, the explosion of outside spending -- while sprinkling in interviews from most of the major candidates and prospec......more

Goodreads review by Jamie on September 11, 2013

I didn't find this election tell-all quite as interesting as the 2008 counterpart Game Change...but then the 2012 election wasn't quite as interesting as the 2008 election. The author conducted hundreds of interviews with everyone from the candidates, senior staff in the campaigns and family members......more

Goodreads review by Fred on January 19, 2016

Dan Balz's account of the 2012 presidential election, in the tradition of Theodore White's "Making of the President" series. You either like this kind of book or you don't. If you would enjoy a detailed narrative of the 2012 election, revisiting all the ups and downs for the campaigns, with anecdote......more

Goodreads review by Alicia on August 19, 2013

I'm not sure what fell flat with this book for me. I'm not a fan of his writing style, it's just too dry. And if you've read all of the reporting about the campaign and all of the e-books, there's not really any new information.......more

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