The Big Enchilada, Stuart P. Stevens
The Big Enchilada, Stuart P. Stevens
List: $17.50 | Sale: $12.25
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The Big Enchilada

Author: Stuart P. Stevens

Narrator: Edward Holland

Unabridged: 10 hr 13 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 10/01/2001


Synopsis

Six years ago he owned a baseball team. Now he's the leader of the free world. "The Big Enchilada" is a comic anthem to the wild and improbable crusade that propelled George W. Bush into the White House and to the close-knit group of Texans who made it happen, written by "the Bush campaign's Renaissance man" (Time magazine).

Writer and political strategist Stuart Stevens has been hailed by Martin Amis as "the perfect companion: brave, funny, and ever-watchful," and The New Yorker has praised him for having "a wonderful eye for the curiosities of human behavior." Here he tells the surprisingly funny, adrenaline-fueled story of the Bush campaign the public never saw—from the Austin coffee shop where Stevens watched Karl Rove sketch out the Republican master plan on a napkin to the small Methodist church in Crawford, Texas, where the blue-jeaned future president prepared for the make-or-break debates that no one expected him to win. He offers the inside view of the rise and flameout of maverick John McCain; the struggle to come up with a message that could be heard over a booming economy ("Times have never been better. Vote for change," campaign aides joked); and the fierce debates over the upside and downside of "going negative" against a vulnerable adversary.

Above all, Stevens turns the familiar political tale of disillusionment on its head. From the moment he arrived in Austin to join the campaign—"Stevens, get in here and let's bond!" the governor said—he discovered the peculiar pleasure of working with people who not only respected and admired their candidate but actually "liked" him. They faced formidable obstacles, from a nation surfing a vast wave of peace and prosperity to an experienced opponent whose seasoned advisers bragged that the campaign would be "a slaughterhouse." But Texans, as Stevens learned, are a confident bunch, and the Bush crowd remained convinced they would win the biggest prize of all—even on the brink of losing. This is the story of what it was like as only an insider could tell it.

About The Author

Stuart Stevens is a travel writer and political consultant. He was the cofounder of Washington, D.C.-based political media consultancy Stevens & Schriefer Group (with Russell Schriefer). In 2013, he became a founding partner in Strategic Partners & Media, the consulting firm with the best record in statewide races. He served as a top strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign.


Reviews

Goodreads review by 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 S......more

Goodreads review by 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 h......more

Goodreads review by 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.......more

Goodreads review by 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.......more