Showdown: The Inside Story of How Obama Fought Back against Boehner, Cantor, and the Tea Party

by David Corn

Overview

The veteran political journalist and New York Times bestselling author goes behind the scenes at the White House to recount the dramatic tale of a pivotal period in the Obama presidency, from the game-changing 2010 midterm elections to the beginning of the critical 2012 campaign season—a tumultuous time that tested the president as never before and set the stage for a titanic clash over the future of the nation

After Barack Obama's first two years as president—during which he navigated the United States through its severest economic crisis since the Great Depression while managing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—he was faced with a bitterly divided nation and an emboldened political opposition dedicated to impeding his presidency. What followed was a year of political crises and fierce battles that would transform Obama and profoundly shape the terrain for the next election.

In Showdown, astute political journalist David Corn chronicles and examines this crucial time in the Obama presidency and its impact on the nation's future. Drawing on interviews with White House officials, Obama's inner circle, members of Congress, and others, Corn takes the reader into the Oval Office and the back rooms on Capitol Hill for a fast-paced and gripping account of the major events as they unfolded: the controversial tax-cut deal with Congress in December 2010; the repeal of Don't Ask/Don't Tell; the passage of the New START treaty; the near shutdown of the government in early 2011; the revolutionary Arab spring; the killing of Osama bin Laden; the intense, high-wire debt-ceiling negotiations (in which intransigent House Republicans risked the nation's financial standing); House Speaker John Boehner's erratic maneuvers during the rise and fall of the grand bargain; and the face-off between Obama and congressional Republicans over how best to create jobs.

Corn captures the dilemmas faced by a president assailed by disappointed progressives and defiantly obstructionist Republicans determined to see his defeat. Here is a chief executive trying to balance the cross-cutting demands of governance and politics while handling unending challenges at home and abroad. The book reveals a thoughtful leader with a cool head who is unafraid to take risks and make tough choices, a steely battler who successfully turned his enemies' obstinacy to his advantage. Obama has often frustrated supporters, but Corn shows how the president, who often puts pragmatism ahead of partisan demands, has craftily operated within a hostile conservative political climate, looking to win the long game, achieve progressive goals, and, ultimately, win reelection.

A vivid and powerful account of White House decision-making, Showdown offers a unique and enlightening look at the turbulent American political scene during one of the most consequential moments of the nation's history, and explains the fascinating and complicated leader at the heart of this vortex.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062108012
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	01/17/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	611
Sales rank:	835,330
File size:	24 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

David Corn is the Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine and an analyst for MSNBC and NBC News. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Hubris (with Michael Isikoff) and The Lies of George W. Bush, and regularly provides commentary on National Public Radio.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Bending the Arc 1

Chapter 1 Before the Shellacking 17

Chapter 2 The Deal That Worked 45

Chapter 3 A Complete Win 79

Chapter 4 A Quiet Victory 102

Chapter 5 The Strategy 123

Chapter 6 Leaning Forward 149

Chapter 7 The Battle Begins 178

Chapter 8 Leading from Behind the Scenes 202

Chapter 9 The End of the Beginning 226

Chapter 10 Mission Accomplished 253

Chapter 11 Return of the Hostage Takers 278

Chapter 12 The Big Cross 303

Chapter 13 Obama Unleashed 350

Chapter 14 The Battle Ahead 388

Epilogue to the Paperback Edition 399

Acknowledgements 415

A Note on Sources 419

Index 425

What People are Saying About This

Kevin Drum

“Through the lens of policy battles, you get a remarkably vivid pen portrait of Obama himself and how he thinks.”

Mackenzie Weinger

“ Showdown focuses on key moments of Obama’s presidency.”

Charles P. Pierce

“Fine book about how the Obama administration maneuvered to it’s advantage in the face of the catastrophic loses of the 2010 midterm elections.”

Jefferson Morley

“Best account yet of how Obama strategizes.”

David Weigel

“Insta-history of Obama... good.”

Wally Lamb

David Fitzpatrick’s Sharp is a must read, remarkably told.

Chris Matthews

“A great book - the real inside story. If you want to understand the Obama White House and how Washington works, you have to read it.”

Greg Sargent

“Why did Obama and Democrats pivot so hard towards deficit reductions, and away from job creation after the 2010 elections? We now have a book that sheds some fresh light on what drove this pivot. ... Corn reports on a number of behind the scene discussions...illuminating.”

Editorial Reviews

A great book - the real inside story. If you want to understand the Obama White House and how Washington works, you have to read it.” — Chris Matthews

“Best account yet of how Obama strategizes.” — Jefferson Morley, Salon.com

“A dramatic behind-the-scenes account of the decision making that occured within the Obama White House following the disastrous-for-Democrats 2010 midterm election... shows how Obama got his groove back in time for the 2012 campaign.” — Huffington Post

“Through the lens of policy battles, you get a remarkably vivid pen portrait of Obama himself and how he thinks.” — Kevin Drum, Mother Jones

“Fine book about how the Obama administration maneuvered to it’s advantage in the face of the catastrophic loses of the 2010 midterm elections.” — Charles P. Pierce, Esquire

“Why did Obama and Democrats pivot so hard towards deficit reductions, and away from job creation after the 2010 elections? We now have a book that sheds some fresh light on what drove this pivot. ... Corn reports on a number of behind the scene discussions...illuminating.” — Greg Sargent, the Washington Post

“ Showdown focuses on key moments of Obama’s presidency.” — Mackenzie Weinger, Politico.com

“Insta-history of Obama... good.” — David Weigel, Slate.com

“Showdown chronicles the administration over the past two years.” — USA Today

“Veteran Washington journalist Corn highlights the Obama presidency’s most important and dramatic events ... the book brings a different perspective just as Obama fights for re-election.” — Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

A great book - the real inside story. If you want to understand the Obama White House and how Washington works, you have to read it.

Chris Matthews

Showdown focuses on key moments of Obama’s presidency.

Mackenzie Weinger

Best account yet of how Obama strategizes.

Jefferson Morley

Fine book about how the Obama administration maneuvered to it’s advantage in the face of the catastrophic loses of the 2010 midterm elections.

Charles P. Pierce

Insta-history of Obama... good.

David Weigel

Showdown chronicles the administration over the past two years.

USA Today

Through the lens of policy battles, you get a remarkably vivid pen portrait of Obama himself and how he thinks.

Kevin Drum

A dramatic behind-the-scenes account of the decision making that occured within the Obama White House following the disastrous-for-Democrats 2010 midterm election... shows how Obama got his groove back in time for the 2012 campaign.

Huffington Post

Why did Obama and Democrats pivot so hard towards deficit reductions, and away from job creation after the 2010 elections? We now have a book that sheds some fresh light on what drove this pivot. ... Corn reports on a number of behind the scene discussions...illuminating.

Greg Sargent

Showdown chronicles the administration over the past two years.

USA Today

Washington bureau chief for Mother Jones magazine, an analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, and author or coauthor of a couple of New York Times best sellers (e.g., Hubris), Corn seems well placed to evaluate how 2011 has treated President Obama. Important for anyone interested in U.S. politics; with a 100,000-copy first printing.

Library Journal