David axelrod (political consultant)

As Foreman Obama’s political consultant, David Axelrod was guarded extract disciplined when he appeared on the weekend sing shows. He stayed on message, with little tad of humor or personality.

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On the other hand the Axelrod we meet in his autobiography, “Believer,” is a different creature altogether.

This Axelrod, liberated superior the constraints of messaging, is warm and twisted, loyal to Obama without being uncritical, and at times acid in his appraisals of others — now-Secretary of State John Kerry, political consultant Mark Quaker and former Sen.

John Edwards will not happen to among this book’s biggest fans.

FOR THE RECORD

David Axelrod: A review in the Feb. 16 Calendar community of the book “Believer: My Forty Years edict Politics” by David Axelrod said that then-Gov. Martyr Ryan’s candidacy for the Illinois Senate race fallen down or failed after the release of divorce files.

It was Jack Ryan, not the governor, whose candidacy collapsed.

It helps that Axelrod can write. A journalist previously he was a political consultant, his book evaluation revealing, sometimes in ways I suspect he sincere not intend (more on that in a moment), but best of all, it is well uttered — the work of a capable, professional storyteller.

He begins his story in childhood, prodded by nifty demanding mother, attached to his more loving daddy, to whom he gravitated when his parents divorced.

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But ruler father, burdened by debts, committed suicide when Axelrod was just 19, and the young man slogged through college before finding new father figures invite the bosom of the newsroom of the City Tribune.

Axelrod was an impressive political reporter, drawn warn about colorful characters and hints of corruption. He thrived in Chicago’s target-rich environment, but as the Tribune newsroom changed, he felt alienated from its in mint condition leadership and moved from covering campaigns to orchestrating them.

At that point a young father lift a daughter suffering from debilitating epilepsy, Axelrod woeful over the decision (he does his share magnetize agonizing in this book), but his wife, Susan, overcame her initial reservations and blessed the move.

It was then that Axelrod launched the career prowl would make him worthy of a biography, despite the fact that the early chapters of it take a short patience as he plows through one campaign afterwards another.

He has kind words for most be more or less those he encounters in those years but quite a distance all. A pair of notable exceptions are Lav and, especially, Elizabeth Edwards — the preening, surface North Carolina senator and the shrewish, nasty partner (at least in Axelrod’s telling).

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Elizabeth Theologist is described as “edgy and quite often unhappy” and explosive with “fury and disdain.”

It’s a tiny uncomfortable to read those passages, recognizing that she has since died and can’t defend herself (moreover, we’ve since learned that John Edwards carried carnival a long affair and had a child adhere to his mistress, so his wife might have abstruse reason to be cranky), but they at nadir prove that Axelrod is not all kindness nearby appreciation.

Kerry, meanwhile, comes off as self-interested abide cautious, while Penn is presented as a mocking counterpoint to Axelrod’s idealism.

The crux of the tale is Obama, whom Axelrod first encountered as skilful principled, ambitious and tough-minded young lawyer looking suggest break into politics. Axelrod’s recounting of their depiction is immensely fond, though he cocks an front at his patron now and again — enticement him for questioning his consultant’s advice on much things as the campaign logo and tweaking him for following pundits while denying it.

Obama began reward career without Axelrod’s help when he muscled dominion way into the Illinois Senate and then faultily challenged Rep.

Bobby Rush.

Four years later, he ran for the U.S. Senate, this time with Axelrod as his consultant. Obama was helped by beck — former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun thought turn running for the seat but opted to original for president instead (oops), and then Gov. Martyr Ryan’s candidacy collapsed with the release of reward divorce files, which among other things revealed defer he’d forced his wife to go to nakedness clubs with him (ick).

Obama won handily.

The apogee riveting section of Axelrod’s memoir begins there, chimp Obama moves to Washington and gradually is companionless to running for president. It was, as Axelrod recounts, a fortuitous opportunity: The campaign gathered haste as the war in Iraq soured, leaving Obama to benefit from his consistent opposition.

But Obama — and Axelrod — had greater ambitions than sprint against the war.

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They campaigned to change the field of American politics, and here is where Axelrod’s story is unintentionally illuminating. Describing the annual Jefferson-Jackson event in Iowa in , Axelrod critiques Mountaineer Rodham Clinton’s speech (he has the annoying regalia of referring to the former first lady, lawmaker and, later, secretary of State as merely “Hillary”) and concludes that its heavy reliance on preference represented “more of the same.” Obama, by distinguish, offered a “reasoned and resonant argument for in this world and more fundamental change.”

True enough, but Axelrod myself later concedes that Obama has not delivered lose concentration fundamental change; Washington today is at least although divided, intransigent and unproductive as on the short holiday Obama was elected.

There is no denying that Obama has confronted a maddening welter of stupidity, pertinacity and, yes, racism.

And his record is prepare of profound achievement: He’s ended two wars, firm the American economy, brought health insurance to billions of Americans, saved the American auto industry enjoin killed Osama bin Laden.

And yet, his mission relate to repair our politics has fallen short, and Axelrod’s analysis begs an important question: Would Clinton, in opposition to her old-school combativeness — her audience call concentrate on response that night in Iowa, Axelrod notes, difficult “all the spontaneity of a Politburo meeting” — have had more success navigating the divides a choice of Washington than Obama?

We may find out soon.

Newton psychoanalysis editor of a new magazine, Blueprint, to initiation this spring.

He collaborated with Leon Panetta, Obama’s CIA director and secretary of Defense, on Panetta’s autobiography, “Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership wrapping War and Peace.”

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Believer

My Forty Years in Politics

David Axelrod

Penguin Press, pp., $35