They Said This Day Would Never Come: Chasing the Dream on Obama's Improbable Campaign

by Chris Liddell-Westefeld

Overview

The thrilling, unlikely story of Barack Obama's first presidential campaign, as told by the volunteers and staff who propelled the longshot candidate to the presidency


In the year leading up to the Iowa caucuses, few thought a freshman senator named Barack Hussein Obama would be able to win the Democratic nomination—not to mention become the most popular leader in the world.


But something was stirring. Hundreds of young people from all over the country began assembling first in Iowa. These "kids" became the foundation of one of the most improbable presidential campaigns of the modern era.


Chris Liddell-Westefeld was one of those kids. He and thousands of other staff and volunteers dedicated every minute of their time, intelligence, and resources to help elect Barack Obama, as what started in the midwest spread nationwide. Drawn from more than 200 interviews with alumni including David Axelrod, David Plouffe, Alyssa Mastromonaco, Dan Pfeiffer, Valerie Jarrett, Josh Earnest, Tommy Vietor, Jon Favreau, and President Obama himself, They Said This Day Would Never Come takes readers deep inside the most inspirational presidential campaign in recent history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781541730618
Publisher:	PublicAffairs
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Chris Liddell-Westefeld joined the Obama for America campaign in 2007 and went on to spend five years on the Obama White House staff. Since 2014, Liddell-Westefeld has documented the story of the Obama presidency through oral history interviews. An Iowa native, he remains active in political campaigns and currently works as an oral historian in Washington D.C. where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Table of Contents

Author's Note ix

Introduction xi

Chapter 1 Swept Up 1

Chapter 2 Camp Obama 21

Chapter 3 "The Super Bowl of Politics" 33

Chapter 4 One Hundred Thousand Is and 2s 53

Chapter 5 The Weight of the World 69

Chapter 6 Holding Lightning 85

Chapter 7 1,781 Rooms 99

Chapter 8 Early States 117

Chapter 9 Living Off the Land 141

Chapter 10 Unity 165

Chapter 11 Final Sprint 187

Epilogue 215

Acknowledgments 227

Index 229

Editorial Reviews

"A readable collective chorus of hopeful voices tirelessly promoting Obama's patriotism, moral clarity, and honorable leadership.... As a campaign diary, the book succeeds in gathering representative perspectives from those who participated in its success.... Adulatory reflections on a historic presidency sure to fuel hope for future elections."—Kirkus Reviews

"They Said This Day Would Never Come tells the story of Barack Obama's historic 2008 campaign through the voices of the people who made it happen, but it's about so much more than one election. It tells a story about the power of everyday people to shape the course of our country and change the world."—Dan Pfeiffer, cohost of Pod Save America and author of Yes We Still Can

"Chris's book reminds us that politics doesn't have to feel hopeless or slimy if we're willing to put in the effort—this is a beautiful and genuinely moving oral history of how young people who believe in something and are willing to actually DO something about it can change the world."—Amanda Litman, cofounder of Run for Something

"The Obama campaign of 2007-2008 in Iowa was a wondrous story, authored by a corps of young activists and people hungry for change. In They Said This Day Would Never Come, Chris Liddell-Westefeld brilliantly captures the spirit of that effort."—David Axelrod, director, University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN senior political commentator

"An amazing read in the words of the organizers on the ground who elected Barack Obama president. If you care about bringing about change, there are lessons in this book for you."—David Plouffe, former campaign manager and White House senior adviser for Barack Obama

From the Publisher

2019-11-19
Firsthand accounts of the Obama for America presidential campaign.

To oral historian Liddell-Westefeld, the impressive conviction of Barack Obama's political campaigns was undeniable. Initially a devoted campaign volunteer, the author eventually moved on to join the Obama White House staff. Prior to leaving his five-year post with the president, Liddell-Westefeld questioned what compelled so many youth to volunteer for the 2008 campaign and what could be gleaned from its organic success for use in future nominations. The answers are embedded in the 200 interviews he conducted with alumni of the caucus effort, including former field organizers and directors, volunteers, college students, activists, speechwriters, and many others who devoted their time and energies to the success of a hopeful underdog whom the author calls "America's most unlikely president." In addition to Liddell-Westefeld's personal narrative about his experiences, scores of enthusiastic volunteers and supportive politicians contribute to a readable collective chorus of hopeful voices tirelessly promoting Obama's patriotism, moral clarity, and honorable leadership. Each member of this fellowship applauds Obama for representing what former speechwriter Jon Favreau called "something different…something outside of Washington" in a country that sorely needed it. As a campaign diary, the book succeeds in gathering representative perspectives from those who participated in its success. Through its interview snippets, the text captures the decisive moments of the journey, from the first inklings of a party nomination at "Camp Obama" through the struggle to garner supporters and up to the final moments as history was made. Kal Penn, the actor and activist, felt "simultaneously very proud of the work that we had done and very humbled by what was about to happen over the next four years." These voices, which also include David Plouffe, Valerie Jarrett, David Axelrod, Alyssa Mastromonaco, and Obama himself, show the power of grassroots organization.

Adulatory reflections on a historic presidency sure to fuel hope for future elections.

Kirkus Reviews