Thanks, Obama

My Hopey, Changey White House Years

By: David Litt

Narrated by: David Litt

Remember when presidents spoke in complete sentences instead of in unhinged tweets? David Litt does. In his comic coming-of-age memoir, he takes us back to the Obama years - and charts a path forward in the age of Trump.

More than any other presidency, Barack Obama's eight years in the White House were defined by young people - 20-somethings who didn't have much experience in politics (or anything else, for that matter) yet suddenly found themselves in the most high-stakes office building on earth. David Litt was one of those 20-somethings. After graduating from college in 2008, he went straight to the Obama campaign. In 2011 he became one of the youngest White House speechwriters in history. Until leaving the White House in 2016, he wrote on topics from health care to climate change to criminal justice reform. As President Obama's go-to comedy writer, he also took the lead on the White House Correspondents' Dinner, the so-called "State of the Union of jokes".

Now, in this refreshingly honest memoir, Litt brings us inside Obamaworld. With a humorist's eye for detail, he describes what it's like to accidentally trigger an international incident or nearly set a president's hair aflame. He answers questions you never knew you had: Which White House men's room is the classiest? What do you do when the commander in chief gets your name wrong? Where should you never, under any circumstances, change clothes on Air Force One? With nearly a decade of stories to tell, Litt makes clear that politics is completely, hopelessly absurd.

But it's also important. For all the moments of chaos, frustration, and, yes, disillusionment, Litt remains a believer in the words that first drew him to the Obama campaign: "People who love this country can change it". In telling his own story, Litt sheds fresh light on his former boss' legacy. And he argues that, despite the current political climate, the politics championed by Barack Obama will outlive the presidency of Donald Trump.

Full of hilarious stories and told in a truly original voice, Thanks, Obama is an exciting debut about what it means - personally, professionally, and politically - to grow up.

©2017 David Litt (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers

A Refreshingly Irreverent Political Memoir

Political memoirs tend to be drab, plodding, and full of posturing. Whether or not you have fond memories of the Obama Administration, a view inside the machine is compelling. Politics can be cynical and political operatives are too often malicious. This is why I enjoyed peeking into this millennial’s journey from young skeptic to zealot to insider. Any political movement, from Occupy to Obamamania to the Tea Party to Trumpism, gains momentum on the backs of believers who break the political inertia holding back some or the feeling of disenfranchisement felt by others whose political leanings have been formed by the collapse of hope due to the immense weight of lofty unmet expectations. This book gives a glimpse into the ebbs and flows of the Obama era.

This isn’t hero worship. It’s simply a look at an idealist’s journey to the center of his perceived political earth, and the twists and turns getting there. You learn about the human side of the White House, from Obama’s sense of humor to the insecurities and outsized consequences of staff. You see the journey from wide-eyed worshiper to jaded insider to realistic and hopeful pragmatist.

If you want to understand the motivations, hopes, and fears that fueled the undeniably successful political eruption of 2008, and the unavoidable reality of Washington crashing against and eroding it in the wake, read this book.

The performance, by the author, is fantastic. Nobody understands the nuance of writing like a work's author, yet most have trouble pulling off a performance. This is not a problem for Litt, who is clearly comfortable behind a microphone.

I enjoy the inside story

The first chapters of the book were hard to get through as it felt juvenile and scattered but I stuck with it and it got better. I enjoy reading these autobiographies from people on the inside as it is not only history but you can better understand what was going on inside the WH while it was happening

Entertaining and a great inside peek

Would you consider the audio edition of Thanks, Obama to be better than the print version?

Didn't read the print version, but I enjoyed the audiobook very much!

What did you like best about this story?

The inside peeks into life working in the White House. Enjoyed the anecdotes about President Obama.

Which character – as performed by David Litt – was your favorite?

Uhhh David Litt?

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Buzz from the fly on the White House wall.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed it. Thanks for doing it.

A fun walk-back through recent history

David Litt knows how to craft story out of episodes and events. And he’s very funny. Really enjoyed the Listen although in the last two chapters, he gets a little sing-song. But it’s a good one, good for the commute!

Really really good

I chose this book on a whim but am so glad I did. A funny and interesting listen. I didn't want it to end.

Funny, personal, and insightful

Both well written and well read by the author himself. It was great fun to learn of the inner workings of the speechwriters, the WH staff, flying on Air Force One, the WH Correspondents Dinner and of course the Obama Whitehouse. An enjoyable read, definitely recommend this one.

This was fun

This book was a fun ride. I feel like I was given a backstage pass to the inner workings of White House work life. I liked Litt's honest portrayal of Obama as a human. I liked Litt's perspective on serving the people of this country. And I didn't just like his take on the current administration... I NEEDED it. Hearing him remind us that this is OUR America and we still get to help shape its long-term history was a morale boost that I didn't expect to get from an audio book on a random Tuesday.

One year into Trump’s presidency...

We are reminded of a more hopeful, time. Interesting read of a young man’s experience in Obama’s White House.

Perfect mix of humor and history

I was not aware of Mr. Litt or his WH role. However, what peaked my interest is my fondness of books penned by various WH speech writers. This one made me laugh out loud more than any other. IMO, Litt’s decision to voice his own narrative was the turning point because only he could add the perfect reflection points to elicit such laughs. (That, and the fact that his voice sounds like that of a comedian.)

I questioned whether someone close to but still far enough away from the West Wing had sufficient up close and personal experiences to ‘put you in the moment’ to make this interesting. Fortunately, this question was answered just a few chapters in (oops, I ended a sentence in a preposition—inside joke). In fact, his distance and fight for more intimacy in the West Wing put a more human face on the story while still educating you on the highs, lows, frustrations and other human emotions that other more antiseptic histories have often lacked.

Litt’s storytelling had me laughing at the beginning, through the middle, and still yet as he walked out of the WH gates for the final time. I also appreciated his honest and ever-changing views of the 44th President along the way…from star-struck lamb to
confirmation, once again, that no matter how powerful the person, humans are…well…human, complete with their own set of highs, lows, frustrations and all other emotions.

On a very side note, and just because I’ve done editing in my life, there were a couple of missed deletions of second takes—betting no one else will notice.

Audiobook extra special thanks to Obama’s singing

I usually get audiobooks due to time to read but this one is extra special with the author’s own voice and the clip of President Obama singing Amazing Grace sent me through the roof. I highly recommend it