Double Down

Game Change 2012

By: Mark Halperin, John Heilemann

Narrated by: Robert Fass

Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times:
"Those hungry for political news will read Double Down for the scooplets and insidery glimpses it serves up about the two campaigns, and the clues it offers about the positioning already going on among Republicans and Democrats for 2016 ... The book testifies to its authors’ energetic legwork and insider access... creating a novelistic narrative that provides a you-are-there immediacy... They succeed in taking readers interested in the backstabbing and backstage maneuvering of the 2012 campaign behind the curtains, providing a tactile... sense of what it looked like from the inside."

In their runaway bestseller Game Change, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann captured the full drama of Barack Obama’s improbable, dazzling victory over the Clintons, John McCain, and Sarah Palin. With the same masterly reporting, unparalleled access, and narrative skill, Double Down picks up the story in the Oval Office, where the president is beset by crises both inherited and unforeseen—facing defiance from his political foes, disenchantment from the voters, disdain from the nation’s powerful money machers, and dysfunction within the West Wing. As 2012 looms, leaders of the Republican Party, salivating over Obama’s political fragility, see a chance to wrest back control of the White House—and the country. So how did the Republicans screw it up? How did Obama survive the onslaught of super PACs and defy the predictions of a one-term presidency? Double Down follows the gaudy carnival of GOP contenders—ambitious and flawed, famous and infamous, charismatic and cartoonish—as Mitt Romney, the straitlaced, can-do, gaffe-prone multimillionaire from Massachusetts, scraped and scratched his way to the nomination.

Double Down exposes blunders, scuffles, and machinations far beyond the klieg lights of the campaign trail: Obama storming out of a White House meeting with his high command after accusing them of betrayal. Romney’s mind-set as he made his controversial “47 percent” comments. The real reasons New Jersey governor Chris Christie was never going to be Mitt’s running mate. The intervention held by the president’s staff to rescue their boss from political self-destruction. The way the tense détente between Obama and Bill Clinton morphed into political gold. And the answer to one of the campaign’s great mysteries—how did Clint Eastwood end up performing Dada dinner theater at the Republican convention?

In Double Down, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann take the reader into back rooms and closed-door meetings, laying bare the secret history of the 2012 campaign for a panoramic account of an election that was as hard fought as it was lastingly consequential.

Fascination inside scoop on 2012 election

This was like watching a rerun with all the behind the scenes shots as well. It read like a thriller even though we all know the outcome.

Outstanding Insight into 2012 Pres. Election

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The way in which Cris Christie positioned himself, with Pres. Obama and the Republican Party (no judgement) for future political gains, while genuinely displaying concern and compassion for the people of NJ during super storm Sandy.

Have you listened to any of Robert Fass’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

Greater insight into the mindset of people around the US when it comes to the perception of what 'good' government is.

Far More in the Weeds

I previously read Dan Balz's book on the same subject but found Double Down to be much more researched and took you into the backrooms and dealings of each of the campaigns. I felt that this book allowed us to get a better idea of not just the candidates but also the players in each campaign and outside of the campaign. There were some very funny moments and some human moments, as well. Robert Fass speaks well.

If you want more juicy details, I would go with this book over Balz's book.

Excellent narrative of the 2012 election.

Would you consider the audio edition of Double Down to be better than the print version?

I have no idea.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The timeliness.

What about Robert Fass’s performance did you like?

It was fine.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

President Obama is much tougher than he shows publicly, Mitt Romney much less so, and Jon Huntsman has a whole lot of big negatives that never came out during his brief time as a potential candidate.

Any additional comments?

No.

Worthy follow up to Game Change

Any additional comments?

Helperin and Heilemann have once again provided a hugely entertaining chronicle of the spectacle we have come to know as an American Presidential election cycle. Much like their insiders take of the 2008 election in Game Change, Double Down is equal parts historical narrative, electioneering for dummies, and tabloidesque dish on the players and personalities behind both the democratic and republican campaigns. The narrative deftly jumps between team Obama's year long re-election campaign and the Republican primaries and Romney campaign. There are lots of fascinating details throughout mixed with revealing and at times, juicy tidbits about the candidates that could only have come from a retinue of insiders. The authors don't pull any punches here with either side, though some may detect a slight team Obama bias. Nevertheless, clearly the authors have done their homework here and are establishing themselves as the preeminent chroniclers of modern American Presidential politics. I found this thoroughly entertaining and informative throughout and will eagerly await a hoped for post 2016 follow up.