How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election (Vintage)

Perfect book for the wonky type (like me!) (2010-05-22) : 5/5
This book is like one really long term paper and/or Harvard Business School case study. There's a couple of pages of text followed by pages and pages of stats. This is done for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia!

What I liked most was the introduction, which went through each stage of the process. I was especially fascinated by two points he made about how Obama was the only one of the three major candidates to give a speech announcing his candidacy, which caused him to write down his ideas on paper that his staff used as their goals. (Think "Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind" from the "7 Habits of Highly Effective People".) Also, the way the McCain people dismissed Biden as a VP possibility because he's be too logical. To paraphrase the book: it's one thing to create an image in the media; it's another thing to believe it yourself.
Great Addition to Other 2008 Campaign Books (2010-01-17) : 3/5
Really this is just a helpful compilation of exit polls by state that helps explain what happened from a purely statistical point of view. This book is best used as a companion book or a reference book for a school paper.
Chuck Todd is a weasel (2009-08-24) : 1/5
Todd's condescending responses illustrate the same point as the above episodes with Klein and Ambinder: in the eyes of Beltway mavens, those who warned about and worked against the radicalism and lawbreaking of the Bush administration are the fringe, crazed, out-of-touch radicals. While Todd was fiddling around with pretty colored maps and fun polling games, Scahill was courageously investigating one of the most corrupt, dangerous and lethal private corporations in the world, yet it's Todd who understands and must solemnly explain the hardened realities of politics to Scahill, the confused and silly Leftist.
UPDATE: According to Scahill (via email), Todd approached him after the Maher show and the following occurred:
Right as we walked off stage, he said to me "that was a cheap shot." I said "what are you talking about?" and he said "you know it." I then said that I monitor msm coverage very closely and asked him what was not true that I said on the show. He then replied: "that's not the point. You sullied my reputation on TV."
Media stars are so unaccustomed to being held accountable for the impact of their behavior -- especially when they're on television -- that they consider it a grievous assault on their entitlement when it happens.
Mistakes (2009-07-09) : 2/5
There is at least one obvious mistake. The book suggests that Woodrow Wilson won in 1912 without carrying West Virginia. Not so. I wonder what else may be wrong?
How Barack Obama Won (2009-04-22) : 4/5
I have always been interested in everything that Chuck Todd has spoken about,especially since the time the elections started heating up(was that about three yrs ago,lol),anyway I found it amazing that a book about one election could be such an interesting read,Chuck needs to keep writing books.