Collision 2012

Obama vs. Romney and the Future of Elections in America

By: Dan Balz

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Length: 15 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Four years ago, a bright young presidential candidate named Barack Obama campaigned on a theme of hope and change, and made history. Today, he finds himself in another bitter, divisive presidential race but without the buzzwords. Instead, an embattled president struggles with a dysfunctionally divided Congress, a controversial healthcare bill, a decade-long war, and a stagnant economy. Obama's Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, former corporate tycoon and former governor of Massachusetts, faces his own controversies in the form of vague policies, fluctuating positions, and questions about his business practices in the private sector. Romney's personal fortune and business background seemed at odds with the Republican base until he named Wisconsin congressman, Tea Party darling, and fiscal conservative Paul Ryan as his running mate.Using sources deep inside both campaigns and on the campaign trail through primary and battleground states, Washington Post correspondent Dan Balz writes with a keen political mind and a seasoned reporter's ear. He traces the highs and lows of the Obama presidency as well as the ruthless Republican primary as both laid the groundwork for one of the most crucial, contentious elections of our time. Collision 2012 puts the race for the White House in context and explores just what the election means for the future of the democratic process and America.

©2013 Dan Balz (P)2013 Tantor

Critic reviews

"A lively, fair-minded and brisk post-mortem." ( Kirkus)

Well Written and Well Read

I eagerly pursued this book. It was able to shine light into several corners of the campaign that I didn't know about and helped bring a lot of pieces together. I think that if you want to have a solid executive overview of the campaign and how it all went down -- this is what you want to read.

However, if you want to read about all the pettiness and the muckraking -- I would recommend you read Game Change, which is what I am going to read next. That covers more about the personal relationships and dynamics of the race. This was a fun read but I am finding Game Change to be more entertaining and fun.

Kafer reads well and has a great voice. Balz has written a solid and definitive addition for the campaign war books which belong on any political junkie's bookshelf or, in this case, audio library.

Fascinating. Couldn't stop listening.

Loved this one. A great peek behind the curtain on the 2012 presidential race. Fact-based, but reads like a novel. I had followed the election closely and therefore was already familiar with a lot of the events, but still found this account fascinating. Definitely recommend this one.

Absolutely incredible.

Download this book. It’s beyond worth it. I’ve been on a year-long journey revisiting the year 2012 and listening to this book over the course of two days has been the highlight.

It’s all here. The writing is perfect. It’s everything you could want to know. Especially if you’re looking for the breadcrumbs for Trump. They’re there, both explicitly and implicitly.

I’ll definitely be revisiting this book every so often. It’s not just a long, Wiki summary of the 2012 election; it really is a story. Best book I’ve experienced in a long time.