Dan PfeifferRecensioner

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't on my 'to-read' list – no shade to Dan Pfeiffer, who I enjoy greatly on Pod Save America. But when I saw an available e-copy on my local library site, I grabbed it. I found it engaging, and the synthesis of memoir, analysis of how we (the U.S.) reached this stage of integration of media, internet, and politics, and lessons for moving forward is well done.

It's an engaging read that makes fun use of footnotes and reads authentically. This book is for fans of Obama, friends of the pod, or people who just want to know how campaigns are run.

Realistic yet Hopeful

Like most progressives in the world today, the last three years have been an utter nightmare for me. This book gives hope that maybe things can be changed and that maybe the country I loved isn’t gone for good. While Pfeiffer doesn’t say that any of this will be easy (quite the contrary) he at least makes defeating a Trump and exorcising his influence from Washington seem possible. Very good book.

Interesting look at how media and politics have changed over the past 10 years in America. If you are looking for a White House political memoir, this is a little lacking. It’s more a critique of American media and the way political parties are run. Dan does pepper in some stories about his time on the campaign and in the White House. But if you are looking for a White House, I’d recommend ‘Who thought this would be a good idea’.

Dan Pfeiffer's Battling the Big Lie is a look back at how, and how effectively, the Republicans have weaponized disinformation as a key element of their strategy. This is not a new occurrence but it has been amplified in large part to the echo chambers now prevalent.

While Pfeiffer's willingness to call the GOP by the various names they have earned will irritate some readers, he backs up those claims with facts. I even saw where someone whined that this is a book full of opinions. Well, yes, there are a lot of opinions here, informed opinions, and they are supported by the facts. He does present facts, though some will only accept as a source a right-wing source, which obviously don't trade in facts, so they can claim, disingenuously, that "good" sources weren't cited.

What is the most important part of this book is where we learn ways to help minimize the damage. Even the most absurd lies gain credibility simply by being repeated, even if repeated in opposition. Don't spread the lies by sharing posts, use other methods.

I would recommend this to anyone who still wants a democracy in the US. In other words, while Republicans might learn a bit, they have become de facto anti-Democracy, so they will, wait for it, lie about what is in here, often without even reading it. Go figure, they love an orange menace that can barely read and has no comprehension abilities, so...

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.½

We seem to be reaching a critical mass of White House memoirs. But, as a Pod Save America fan, I couldn’t pass up Dan Pfieffer’s memoir of his time before, during and after as White House Communications Director during the Obama administration. This book clearly panders to his own audience and demographic, it’s not a book that’s going to cross party lines or anything (his vicious yet accurate description of Mitch McConnell is pure gold). And, honestly that’s a shame, because he offers some pretty interesting insight into things like the rise of “fake news,” communication missteps during the Obama administration and how working for the White House should really come with an FDA health warning.

I could say this is another trump book, but it really isn't, in that it doesn't catalogue trump's crimes/history etc. Rather it views trump as the logical outcome of what the republican party has evolved into over the years, and provides a blueprint of some actions, each more or less feasible, that can be taken to make the country "democratic" again.

"Play the game against people who will do anything to win while you adhere to the rules is a losing proposition,"

I nearly abandoned this book, as I found the beginning of the book to be more geared toward a professional political operative than I am or want to be. But I'm glad I persevered, as I found some reasons for hope in the book. The thesis of the book is that the biggest divide in the Democratic Party is not between the center (moderate) and left (progressive), but between those who believe that trump is an accident or aberration and that when he is gone we will return to normal, and those who have come to terms with what the Republican Party actually is.

Very briefly, here are a few of the suggestions for actions the country can take so that a "trump" doesn't happen again. As noted, some are more feasible than others, and the author does make the point that though democrats need to play "tougher" they cannot become as "bad" as some of the republican tactics are.

1. Expand the vote: automatic voter registration; same day registration; vote by mail; expand early voting; consider making voting mandatory, as in Australia; consider allowing 16 year olds to vote; hammer the message to people that "the republican party is trying to stop you from voting!"

2. Fix the Senate-by 2040, 70% of the population will reside in just 16 states, but the remaining 30% of the population will control 68% of the Senate seats. Ways to remedy this lopsided control include: eliminate the filibuster; create more states--make D.C. a state; make Puerto Rico a state; divide California into 2 or more states (why do we need 2 Dakotas?)

3. Eliminate the Electoral College, so that the person who wins the majority popular vote wins. Since this would require a constitutional amendment (very difficult) work for the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which so far 15 states and D.C. have joined--requires the state to give its electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote.

4. Build a nationwide liberal infrastructure similar to that developed by the Koch Brothers et. al. over the years.

5. Get rid of Citizens United--difficult because it will require either the Supreme Court to overturn the case or a constitutional amendment.

6. Strengthen the FEC to give teeth to penalties for election law violations.

7. Require nonprofits to disclose their political fundraising and spending (no more dark money). Possibly go to public financing for all campaigns.

8. Judicial Reform--Add Justices to the Supreme Court. Nine Justices is not required by the Constitution, and changing the number of justices is not unprecedented. It only got a bad reputation (as court packing) when FDR floated the idea. After Bush v. Gore, and the Merrick Garland fiasco, it can no longer be said that the Supreme Court is not a political entity. Another possibility might be to place term limits on the Justices--the Constitution doesn't specifically require that the appointments be for life, only that they can only be removed for cause.

8. Strengthen unions. Also if corporations are "people," make them act decently.

9. Put some restrictions on presidential power--Repeal the authorization for use of military force and allow no more wars without congressional authorization; repeal National Emergencies Act, which allowed trump to divert funds to his wall, for example

10. Since trump has shown us we cannot depend on an intrinsic morality or sense of shame in our presidents, we must turn some of our prior norms into law. For example, require presidential candidates to release tax returns; require a president to divest himself of his private businesses; strengthen the Hatch Act; no more get out of jail for free card, since the only basis for the rule that a president can't be prosecuted is a DOJ opinion from the Watergate era, and as we have seen impeachment as a remedy for a rogue president is not viable when one party has lost its mind.

Overall, I found a lot of interesting ideas in this book.

3 stars

As a Republican who read this author's previous book "Yes We (Still) Can" and enjoyed it immensely, I was looking forward to his new work. I was not disappointed. It is an incredibly insightful look at how we ended up with Trump as our president, how we can change this and even more important, how we can prevent having another Trump again. Please Democrats - read this book! I will do whatever I can to support your efforts! It is so important, especially watching how horrific Trump's responses have been to the pandemic and the murder of George Floyd by cops. Great advice, great use of humor and real reasons to panic - all in one book! Loved it!!!

This is a political book that is both hopeful and inspiring for people living through the age of Trump. Dan Pfeiffer uses his experience of working with Barack Obama to propose a compelling way forward for the Democratic Party. The book is also wonderfully entertaining with superb snarky footnotes.

Pfeiffer provides a short nostalgic trip back to the Obama presidency and his duties as communications director. Throughout the book, Pfeiffer provides comparisons to how the Obama administration handled things vs. what the Trump administration does now. He blasts Fox News (with the exception of Chris Wallace) and recounts a number of insider stories on how successful the Obama White House was in communications and when they were not. There are some great insights into the two campaigns for Presidency and that can serve as a template for future Democratic candidates.

No leaks. No scandals. No Drama Obama. No embarrassing tweets. No racist comments. God, how I miss those days.

I loved this characterization of Obama by David Plouffe. Barack Obama is a "Chess Player in a city of Checker Players."

Great read. Interesting stories and insights...

Interesting and nostalgic look into the inner workings of the Obama White House½

t's probably important to know that I am a Friend of The Pod. Pod Save America is my #1 Crooked Media podcast but I subscribe to several others and the What A Day newsletter. I am not similar in any obvious way to Jon, Jon, Tommy and Dan (I'm a baby boomer - we're not all bad, Lovett). But I feel like we've been on the same emotional rollercoaster since November 9, 2016.

Dan was Obama's communications director but not a speechwriter per se. Yet this book (which I read as opposed to listening) felt like an extension of the podcasts and was written in an honest and compelling manner. And there are footnotes - lots of funny footnotes which made reading a little tough. Since I read on a kindle I used my kindle app to go back and forth!

There are stories but no gossip (as Dan said he's not an asshole) from the Obama years. It's obvious Dan admires Barack Obama. I enjoyed reading about his interaction with other members of the Obama team. And it was a team. Because I do this - I googled past communications directors to understand his role. President Obama had 5 directors in 8 years as president. Today -in the first 19 months in Trumpland there have been 6 directors.

If you are a Trump supporter you will not like this book so don't bother. If you are an Obama fan or someone who's unsure about their feelings about President Obama - I highly recommend it.

Yes We (Still) Can: Politics In The Age of Obama, Twitter and Trump
by Dan Pfeiffer
2018
Twelve Books
4.5 / 5

Positive, objective and optimistic analysis of Pfeiffer´s time working for President Obama as his communications director. Pfeiffer takes a look at the pros and cons of working for Obama, sharing anecdotes and stories working with Barack as well as many other politicians throughout his career (Tom Daschle, Steve Hildebrand and Evan Bayh).
Comprehensive, this follows Obama´s years in the White House, the pros and cons.
Internet usage changed while Obama was President and despite his warning was used to circumvent and change the political state of the USA today. He also offers suggestions of how we can make sure this never happens again to our politics and our future.
This book gave me hope for the future, and the future of our democracy. Trumps exploitation of people, race, sex, government, taxes, and foreign policy, is just a symptom, hopefully we can cure this disease.
Very comprehensive and presented in a way that is easy to read and follow. There is hope for a more inclusive and less corrupt future.

This was more like a memoir than I expected. I think in the intro he even said it wasn't a memoir, but I think it was. There are some practical ideas for coming elections, but it's more descriptive than prescriptive.

As a listener to Pod Save America, I really enjoyed this book, which kinda reads like a long, themed episode of the podcast. It's got the same positive tone and determined optimism while being peppered with anecdotes about the Obama campaigns and White House administration. I also appreciated the analysis of how social media, particularly Twitter, has changed the political environment. Overall, a great book with an interesting take on current politics.

One quick note: I am a huge fan of Pod Save America and alot of the Crooked Media podcast so there might be alittle bias.

Yes We (Still) Can: Politics in the Age of Obama, Twitter and Trump by Dan Pfeiffer is a phenomenal read. Pfeiffer's tales of working on the Obama campaigns and working in the White House are fascinating, while his analysis on the 2016 elections and the state of politics now is intelligent and thought provoking. The book jumps around to tackle various topics so it does not just read like a history of his life in politics. Dan Pfeiffer brings humor to some topics that could be dry and always makes you interested in what he is talking about. Not only is this book well written but is also a great call to arms for people to become more involved in politics. If you are looking for an interesting read on political affairs that is not boring this is the book you should go with.

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yes we still can dan pfeifferI must admit that if I’d paid for this book I’d be inclined to ask for my money back. The title suggests it’s a blueprint for the future, while it’s actually a mixture of memoir, venting and punditry on the past.

Former White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer takes us through a series of vignettes from his journey into politics, his days on the Obama campaign, some of the key issues he faced in the Obama White House, his decision to leave, what he did on his gap break (Southeast Asia, man!), his marriage, his CNN gig, Hillary’s defeat, and, finally, you get a few bullet points on what we might have learnt from all this on how to defeat Trump.

I’m a little unsure who the audience is for this. If you’re into US politics most of it will be stuff you already know – the standoffs with Republicans over Obamacare and the shutdown, the day-to-day dilemmas over how best to present Obama to a wider audience, the tan suit (remember when that was considered a presidential scandal?).

However if you’re unfamiliar with all this and coming to the book wanting to learn more, you might flounder. There is no clear explanation of the issues behind the anecdotes. The names of key people are thrown in with no explanation of who they are. Stories are set up and not paid off.

Maybe you will share Pfeiffer’s disappointment that he didn’t get the Director of Communications job in Obama’s first administration and learnt of someone else’s appointment via an email. But in the next chapter he is Director of Communications, with no clue as to how that transition took place.

Pfeiffer may have some unique insights into life inside the West Wing but if he has he isn’t sharing them. Instead he tells stories that are ostensibly self-deprecating, like when he was waiting for anaesthetic to take effect ahead of surgery and accidentally sent a tweet where he had meant to use the word ‘bigger’ but had, in his haze, replaced the ‘b’ with an ‘n’. It’s actually more of a humblebrag – I was hospitalised three times and I still wouldn’t take time off work!

I’m a big fan of the Pod Save America podcast, hosted by Pfeiffer and three fellow former Obama aides. They regularly delve into questions of the future direction of the Democrats and the strategies that they need to defeat the Republicans, as well as highlighting the work of grassroots activists and more radical approaches. I was expecting that depth and specificity from this book but I was disappointed.
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I received a copy of Yes We (Still) Can from the publisher via Netgalley.
Read more of my reviews on katevane.com/blog

I hate to admit it, but I did not really appreciate Obama as president as much as I should have. Every time Trump does or says something that is so beyond reality, I think how it used to be when we had a president who was extremely intelligent, thoughtful and articulate. I miss you Obama! The author takes the reader for a trip down memory lane and offers some wonderful insights into how we went from Obama to Trump. Pfeiffer is also incredibly funny! I simply loved this book and hope he is enjoying his new role on his Podcast. He deserves it after his time on the campaign and in the White House - even though he worked for a classy president!