January 6, 2020
Plouffe (The Audacity to Win), former campaign manager for Barack Obama, delivers an underwhelming guide to what Democratic voters and campaign volunteers can do to see that Donald Trump doesn’t win a second term. Noting that the 2016 presidential election was “decided by less than 70,000 votes in three states,” Plouffe urges readers to “get down in the trenches” and convince “gettable” voters, including those who lean toward third-party candidates and former Obama supporters who switched allegiances to Trump, that the Democratic candidate will “make decision after decision aimed at bettering their lives and the lives of their families.” He withholds judgment on the Democratic primary field, but stresses the importance of the connection between the eventual nominee and his or her campaign volunteers: “It’s your spirit and commitment that are the real wind beneath the candidate’s wings.” Such banal sentiments undermine the efficacy of Plouffe’s call to action, and for a slim book, there’s plenty of filler, including tips for watching election returns and a section addressed to “Angelina, Brad, LeBron, George, Jennifer, and all you other A-listers” on the best use of their “social media assets.” Though Plouffe includes a few noteworthy insights about the 2008 and 2012 Obama campaigns, this feels like a missed opportunity by a savvy political strategist.