RENEGADE

by Richard Wolffe



Among the overabundance of political pundits during the 2008 presidential election, Richard Wolffe was my favorite. He appeared to be an Obama supporter, but it always seemed to me he was attempting to be fair to both sides. He pointed out the Obama campaign's flaws and didn't have problems praising the McCain campaign when he felt it was deserved. He continues that fairness in this book.

Renegade: The Making of a President is a behind-the-scenes look at the Obama campaign from a man who was there from the announcement of Obama's candidacy in Springfield, Illinois to his victory on election night, inauguration and transition. You'll see Barack Obama when he's not so cool and collected. You'll see his fears and doubts about enduring the harsh grind of the election, and his conflicting emotions about uprooting his young family. And you'll see him grow from a somewhat awkward, unprepared underdog to the man you see in the White House today.

If you're looking for dirt on the Clinton and/or McCain campaigns, you'll not find it here. Wolffe leaves his personal opinions mostly unstated and gives a journalist's view of the events without partisan embellishment. He moves quickly forward and backward through through the two year process, touching on both stories we've all heard and private moments you'll only see here. Renegade will not convince the anti-Obama faction that the right man currently occupies the Oval Office, but folks who would like to see a peek at the real man behind the celebrity status and calm demeanor or experience an insider's look at that historic election should get their hands on this book.