Elections have many
reason why they’re lost or won. This account of Hilary Clinton’s
2016 campaign gives insight into some of these reasons. The book is
not a hatchet job, nor is it an apology. In so far as books of this
type go, I thought the authors tried to give a relatively balanced
picture of what the campaign did right and wrong.
In the introduction
to the book, the authors make the critical point that will be the
theme of the book. Hilary Clinton either didn’t have or couldn’t
articulate a clear reason for why she wanted to be president. This
led to making policy statements without getting to what the people
wanted to hear, namely, what are you going to do to make my life and
the country better, and why do you want to do it.
Another serious flaw
was the reliance on analytics to the exclusion of the more artful
political strategy of sensing the electorate. This reliance led to
running a tight campaign based on monetary considerations more than
listening to the seasoned political veterans on the staff, including
Bill Clinton, who pointed out the short comings on the ground.
The book tells a
story that is easy to read, although it does become somewhat
repetitious mainly because the same flaws occur over and over during
the campaign. Some of the poignant moments occur in the last
chapters. Hilary and her staff go into election eve believing they
will win in spite of signs that the campaign is in trouble. Her
response and those around her tell the sad end of the story.
Whether you’re a
Hilary fan or not, if you enjoy politics, I encourage you to read
this book. You can find a great deal of valuable information about
how to run a political campaign and the mistakes to avoid.
I received this book
from Blogging For Books for this review.
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