The Center Holds

Obama and His Enemies

By: Jonathan Alter

Narrated by: Jonathan Alter

A narrative thriller about the battle royale surrounding Barack Obama's quest for a second term amid widespread joblessness and one of the most poisonous political climates in American history.

The election of 2012 will be remembered as a hinge of history. With huge victories in the 2010 midterm elections, the Republican Party had blocked President Obama at every turn and made plans to wrench the country sharply to the right. The 2012 contest offered the GOP a clear shot at controlling all three branches of government and repealing much of the social contract that dated back to the New Deal. Facing free-spending billionaires, Fox News, and a concerted effort in 19 states to rig the election by suppressing Democratic votes, Obama repelled the assault and navigated the nation back toward the center.

In The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies, Jonathan Alter uses his unmatched access and deep knowledge of politics and history to produce the first full account of America at the crossroads. He pierces the bubble of the White House and of the presidential campaigns with exclusive reporting and rare historical insight. More than a campaign book, this is the epic story of an embattled president facing a historic moment he considered more pivotal than 2008.

Alter relates the untold story behind Obama's highs and lows, from his daring decision to raid Osama bin Laden's compound to the frustration of the debt ceiling fiasco to his run-ins with black and Latino activists he expected to be his firm allies. There are fresh details about the Koch brothers, Grover Norquist, Roger Ailes, and the online haters who suffer from "Obama Derangement Syndrome". Alter takes us inside the GOP "clown car" primaries as well as Obama's disastrous preparation for the first debate. We meet Obama's analytics geeks working out of "The Cave" and the man who secretly videotaped Mitt Romney's infamous comments on the "47 percent".

The Center Holds, which follows Alter's acclaimed The Promise, will deepen our understanding of Obama's presidency, the 2012 election stakes, and the future of his second term.

©2013 Jonathan Alter (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

Good book, even if it wanders a bit

What did you love best about The Center Holds?

It put me in the middle of the drama that was the 2012 election. Whew, what a ride!

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The book tended to wander a bit, and it was tough to know what the central point of the story was, as he seemed to stray from that often.

Enthralling political autopsy, a must listen!

The overall content of this book is spectacular if not an entirely unprecedented dissection of the most important election of our times to date. I agree with another reviewer who says that authors should seldom narrate their own material and even though I think Jonathan Alter is in the top five political commentators of the past twenty years, his narration was the weakest part of this audio. And yet, at the end of it, I was so pleased with what I had just listened to, I just shrug and say, "well done sir," but that still does not mean I think he should have done the narration.

Very entertaining and informative

This is a a great book to read after The Audacity to Win. It gives you a great foundation for this book. Both are a must read for political geeks!

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY.

This is a great book! Could not put it down. The battle going on between two ideologies in America today is comparable to a war, with al that that implies. Jonathan Alter's description of the battle between the center and the right is riveting! There is as yet, no clear winner. Only history will tell.

Highly recommended.

Masterful book for the curious and tacticians

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book give such a datil e account of the trials and triampus that brought Presidident Obama to the White House. Gives a detailed plan fo a successful campaign--but only campaigns that can see a passionate; driven ground force.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Center Holds?

Last page left me feeling a happ nostalgia.

What about Jonathan Alter’s performance did you like?

This you can get a hit or miss, but Jonathan has a good voice and delivered at his performance.

The Best Telling of the 2012 Campaign So Far

Would you consider the audio edition of The Center Holds to be better than the print version?

By way of full disclosure, I was head writer for the Committee on Arrangements for the 2012 GOP Convention in Tampa (no, I did *NOT* write for Clint Eastwood -- or for the chair!) and have been a GOP communications operative for over two decades. I've met and spoken to Jonathan Alter several times over the years, so my opinions here might be influenced by that.Politics aside, I've always enjoyed Alter's writing in Newsweek and now Bloomberg and his frequent NBC appearances. He's thorough and has always treated me and my clients fairly. As an audio book addict, I usually prefer the spoken version, and Jonathan does an excellent job on this one.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Alter's book is a panorama of the famous and not-so-famous names of the 2012 campaign, some of whom I've been privileged to know personally. By far the most interesting individual in Alter's recounting was Scott Prouty, the bartender who secretly recorded the Romney "47 percent" video at a high-dollar fundraiser in south Florida.Alter goes into great (and, to me, previously unknown) detail about Prouty's elaborate efforts to shield his identity, explores his motivations -- and even tells us what became of him (he's working for Steelworkers' President Leo Gerard on international working conditions; not surprising since, according to Alter's telling, Prouty was angered by Romney's descriptions of conditions at a Chinese factory he'd acquired. It was this a portion of the gaffe-laden tape that Prouty thought would be most explosive - not the "47 percent" references.)

What about Jonathan Alter’s performance did you like?

His delivery this time is much better than it was in his earlier audiobook, "The Promise." He seems more at ease, there's better affect -- and he even occasionally mimics accents and speaking patterns. Most authors shouldn't try to read their own text, and non-fiction is especially challenging. I was impressed with Alter's reading this time.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I nearly did, using it as entertainment on my two-day drive from Florida to Washington late last week. I enjoyed every minute of every one of the 800 miles!

Any additional comments?

I've recommended "The Center Holds" to a number of friends - Republicans and Democrats alike. It's a must-read for those interested in how the 2012 election was decided -- and a critical analysis of the first campaign in which detailed electronic voter data and outreach replaced old-fashioned precinct-level campaigning and fundraising. Republicans especially will benefit from it: Alter explores in great detail my party's inability to catch up with the Obama campaign's lead in technology and data, but more importantly gets to the real heart of Mitt Romney's defeat : the inability of the GOP in 2012 to communicate its concerns for the middle class and to accommodate the great demographic shifts in this country over the last 20 years. A great book, Jonathan. Congratulations!

Interesting behind the scenes look

What did you love best about The Center Holds?

Great behind the scenes look at the 2012 campaign and the fragmentation of our politics. Really sad we have come this low. One can only hope the situation improves. Very interesting listen.

Brain candy for political junkies

This book is hard to "put down," with lots of inside information and insights into how the Obama administration functions and how the President thinks, as well as an intelligent recap of facts a well-informed reader probably already knows, but it's an interesting refresher to see it organized in one place.

Loved It!

As an MSNBC junkie and a huge fan of Rachel Maddow I was very familiar with the author. I heard him discussing the book on NPR and it sounded like a book that I would really enjoy and I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't so much that there was anything very revolutionary about the information presented but it did clarify exactly how the President's reelection was achieved. Initially, I wasn't wowed by the author's narration but I grew to appreciate his understated presentation. This allowed the listener to focus on the historical storyline and not be distracted by the narration. I agree with others who suggested that this book would probably not hold great interest to the loyal opposition.

For Obama fans

This is a followup piece to Alter's initial Obama book, The Promise. Lots of behind-the-scenes details and context that make it easier to understand the president's thinking in some of the decisions that he has made. Alter is careful to maintain some distance from his subject and analyzes the mistakes that have been made objectively. His portrayal of President Obama helps to flesh out the man that is presented through careful media staging. If you are an Obama supporter, you will like him even more. If you are one of the haters, there is not enough dirt in this book to hold your limited attention.