Tuesday December 13

A Look Inside the Election with Politico Playbook 2012: The Right Fights Back

If you’re a political junkie gearing up for an election year, things can get pretty intense and it could be hard to stay on top of all the information. Enter Politico's  Playbook 2012: The Right Fights Back, the first of four eBooks that will aim to serialize the unfolding story of the 2012 presidential campaign. This first edition is penned by Politico’s Chief White House Correspondent Mike Allen – hailed by The New York Times as “The Man the White House Wakes Up To” – and award-winning journalist and author Evan Thomas. Sure, it brings you minute-by-minute reporting from the trail and in-depth analysis -- but it also exposes fascinating personal details about those candidates racing to capture the Republican presidential nomination.

Part of why this e-book is a must-read is its style. Think Page Six with political analysis. Sources from top advisers and campaign strategists to fundraisers and donors tell all. There are chapters on each candidate with captivating back-story on their strategies, positions, and motivations behind major decisions, plus unexpected, intimate anecdotes: Newt Gingrich’s early missteps and the power of his influential wife; Mitt Romney, a notorious cheapskate and practical joker; Michele Bachmann’s fancy tastes, including her thirty-dollar cup of coffee; Sarah Palin’s surprising attention to the strategy of each opponent; Rick Perry’s swagger and fluffy approach to the race – “Why do they need to know my position on global warming? Don’t they just like me?” Needless to say, it’s “can’t look away” material.

In these weeks leading up to the election, it looks like it will be a three-way heat between Romney, Gingrich, and Perry. There is a remarkable assessment of Romney’s growth from his 2008 run to now. He now has boundaries and doesn’t kowtow to donors, plus he’s very self-aware, takes advice, and doesn’t get defensive. This time he knows his position and sticks to his message. We see him in contrast to Perry, whose easy warmth and connection to voters might just grab the nomination out from under the Massachusetts governor. And while the pundits were overly quick to write off Gingrich before his campaign even started, given his current popularity, you’ll want to read the inside details of his campaign. We’re also privy to Obama's team’s plans to fight the Right.

The year 2012 is going to be an historic election year. If you want access to the race for the GOP nomination – to feel like you’re on the trail, sitting in on the campaign-strategy meetings, and learning what’s expected in return for million-dollar donations – read The Right Fights Back. It’s a world apart from what’s been written on the campaign so far and will leave you waiting eagerly for the next edition.