"Why Obama Won" Wins Wide Attention

My new book, Why Obama Won, is the first to explore the historic 2008 campaign -- and its aftermath -- from a "progressive" perspective. The book, my ninth, focuses on new media vs. old media, grassroots vs. mainstream, and all of the controversies, from Jeremiah the Preacher to Joe the Plumber. It's also a window on the future. There's no book like it out there.

You can purchase Why Obama Won (Sinclair Books) online. Order it for $16 via Amazon by clicking the book cover to the left, or go right to Amazon, or through other online outlets. See below for a list.

To watch my appearance on Rachel Maddow's MSNBC show, go here. Susan Gardner, a top editor at DailyKos, has a very favorable review here. A weeklong discussion about the book and the issues it raises for the future began at Talking Points Memo.

One reason the book is different: I wrote about the campaign almost daily from a rare position, as a blogger at three of the most popular political sites (Huff Post, TPM and DailyKos), and as the editor of "mainstream" Editor & Publisher magazine. My Twitter feed here.

"A great early snapshot....It really raises the question of how the 2008 campaign might have played out in an earlier era, before private citizens and small publications had the ability to get video and soundbites out to millions of people." -- Will Bunch, Philadelphia Daily News, author of Tear Down This Myth.

In chronicling the entire race, Why Obama Won shows how politics and campaigns in America will never be the same. To get a flavor of the book, check out my current article on how the old media screwed up at Mother Jones. An excerpt from the book on the "new media" revolution is up at Alternet. Here's my piece on Stephen Colbert's brief candidacy -- plus some of the most wacky quotes from the campaign. Return to the days when we still had Bill Kristol and Sarah Palin to kick around.

My previous books on classic American campaigns, both for Random House, are Tricky Dick and the Pink Lady and The Campaign of the Century, winner of the Goldsmith Book Prize. Among other books, I co-authored two with Robert Jay Lifton, Hiroshima in America and, on capital punishment, Who Owns Death?

"There is serious analysis packaged in these pieces, about the influence of new media and new technology, about the relationship between funding and the small donor revolution and the meaning of it for the future of political movements and elections. And always, there is Mitchell's wry, understated sense of humor...It's hard to imagine political observation getting more delightful and informative than this." -- Susan Gardner, executive editor, DailyKos

You can watch me talk about the campaign last year with Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow in videos at lower left. Here is Will Bunch's positive take on the book. Thanks to Steven Hart for his comment, which closes with: "Every copy sold will make Ann Coulter cry." Remember that! I did a detailed Q & A with Buzzflash here.

"Future investigators are going to have to pay attention to both the content and the argument presented in Why Obama Won." -- Paul Street, author, Barack Obama and the Future of American Politics.

Contact me for interviews or some such at: epic1934@aol.com.

From the Amazon description of the book:

In the first book of its kind, Greg Mitchell, award-winning author and editor of Editor & Publisher, probes the historic 2008 race for president, from the first primary to the aftermath of the election -- from the "netroots" to the national media....Mitchell is the author of nine books for major publishers, most recently, "So Wrong for So Long," on Iraq and the media, acclaimed by Bill Moyers, Glenn Greenwald, Arianna Huffington and Bruce Springsteen, among many others.

ORDERING:
Amazon
Book Surge
AbeBooks
Alibris
Or: Order from author directly, 1/3 off, and autographed, write me at epic1934@aol.com.

My 2008 Book on Iraq and the Media

Here's how to easily get So Wrong for So Long, which covers over five years of Iraq and the media (from Judy Miller to Stephen Colbert) and features a preface by Bruce Springsteen with an introduction by Joseph L. Galloway.

You can do it via the links at the left under the book cover (clicking on the cover won't work), which take you to Amazon or Barnes and Noble, or go to Powell's online or order it at bookstores. I'm grateful for the tremendous response so far, ranging from appearances on the Bill Moyers Journal, Jim Lehrer NewsHour, NPR, Keith Olbermann, and Democracy Now! to great reviews in the L.A. Times and Vanity Fair. It has been a featured selection at Talking Points Memo and FireDogLake, excerpted at Salon, with articles from it at Mother Jones, Huff Post, DailyKos, and a dozen other leading sites. The blurbs for the book follow. Thanks again for your support.

"Greg Mitchell has given us a razor-sharp critique of how the media and the government connived in one of the great blunders of American foreign policy. Every aspiring journalist, every veteran, every pundit—and every citizen who cares about the difference between illusion and reality, propaganda and the truth, and looks to the press to help keep them separate—should read this book. Twice."— Bill Moyers

"With the tragic war in Iraq dragging on, and the drumbeat for new conflicts growing louder, this is more than a five-year history of the biggest foreign policy debacle of our times—it's a cautionary tale that is as relevant as this morning's headlines. Read it and weep; read it and get enraged; read it and make sure it doesn't happen again."— Arianna Huffington

“The profound failure of the American press with regard to the Iraq War may very well be the most significant political story of this generation. Greg Mitchell has established himself as one of our country's most perceptive media critics, and here he provides invaluable insight into how massive journalistic failures enabled the greatest strategic disaster in the nation's history.”— Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com writer and author of A Tragic Legacy and How Would a Patriot Act?

"Anyone who cares about the integrity of the American media should read this book. Greg Mitchell asks tough questions about the Iraq war that should have been asked long ago, in a poignant, patriotic, and thoughtful dissection of our war in Iraq. Mitchell names names and places blame on those who’ve blundered. Examining the most complex issue of our time, he connects the dots like no one else has."— Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director, Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America and author of Chasing Ghosts

Here I am on "Democracy Now" with Amy Goodman.

Sorry, folks this blog is on hiatus, sort of

As some may know, I posted hundreds of times here this past spring and into the summer but then slacked off due to blogging demands elsewhere at Huff Post and Daily Kos-- and now the arrival of the first two Editor & Publisher blogs after 124 years, where I am posting often. Check out The E & P Pub for commentary and videos at: http://www.eandppub.com/ And I am still blogging regularly at Huff Post and Kos...

And who knows, I may be back here again soon.... GM

When I covered my first Democratic Convention: Chicago, 1968

A look back at an epic event: for me and the country.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003841508

Did "the Mitchell bump" help elect a congressman?

Just kidding, but Rep. John Hall -- former Orleans star and writer for me back at Crawdaddy -- gets his first big bill passed in Congress, on vets rights. An excuse for me to reflect on how he got elected in the first place with maybe a tiny assist from yours truly.

Bush IDs new terrorist threat -- zombie invasion

They hate us for our freedom. H/t Andrew Mitchell.

Ted Stevens busted--down the "tubes"?

From Sen. Ted Stevens' point of view, there might be some good in his indictment, on seven charges, today: At least this may push his previously best-known worst-day back into the shadows for awhile. I refer, of course, to that day of infamy, June 28, 2006, when Stevens, then 82, referred to the Internet as a "series of tubes" (among other slightly skewed descriptives) in a much-mocked speech on the floor of the Senate, in a debate over Net Neutrality.

Of course, this quickly made the press, The Daily Show, YouTube and eventually thousands of Web sites -- and became a punch line in cocktail chatter and the comedy circuit. Someone even did a song called "Series of Tubes." But it strikes me that probably few have ever read his extended remarks, or at least have not experienced them for years.

So here is a special tribute to Stevens and his "tubes" speech:

Sunday transcendence

Continuing our regular offering, here is the final "rock 'n roll" final movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 -- which were are catching at Tanglewood later today....

Update on electrocuted soldiers issue

As you may know, I have followed this for month, and there was some grim new news on Friday, along with promises of action and denials by KBR.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/pentagon-admits-more-elec_b_115120.html

Bush gets 'drunk' in video

Yesterday I came across a then little-known video of President Bush at a private fundraiser (shot by a cell phone after cameras ordered killed)-- admitting Wall Street had gotten 'drunk' and laughing about the housing crisis -- and posted it at Huff Post. Soon it was drawing wide attention and today drew comment from all of the leading media. Here's my original post and the video.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/banned-bush-video-surface_b_114363.html

Austin paper pulls, apologizes for, article on Netroots

I guess I had something to do with it. See my article, which has been widely picked up, hailed by some, slammed by the right.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003829997

Maliki says 'surge' not main reason for 'turnaround'

I've posted at DailyKos on the part of his Der Spiegel interview that hasn't gotten so much attention, and more:
http://www.dailykos.com/user/GregMitch

What I said in Austin

I'm about to return from Netroots Nation in Austin. Here's my report on my panel, which also featured Samantha Power, Mark Danner, Ari Melber and McJoan of DailyKos.
http://www.dailykos.com/user/GregMitch

Disemb, back and beyond

My Huff Post today on photo booted out of his Iraq embed after publishing graphic photo...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/photog-back-home-after-ge_b_113427.html

Back from Tanglewood after visit with the "Archduke"

With Julia Fischer, Jonathan Biss and German cellist whose name I always forget....A different group of three follows do the end of the 2nd movement below. I am off to Netroots Nation in Austin tomorrow morning (see big NYT story today). Samantha Power has just been added to my panel.

More on "unfit" soldiers in Iraq

McClatchy will conclude tomorrow a remarkable four-part series on the Army lowering standards to make its recruitment quotas -- and high number of people with criminal or drug problems making it to Iraq where they are given guns and asked to control OTHER people. Latest installment returned to incident I covered several times -- a Knight Ridder staffer killed by a U.S. sniper. Turns out sniper was drug dealer, and more. Here is my column:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003827447

Judy Miller in the tent?

I got a first look today at upcoming novel by longtime NYT guy, John Darnton, that really sends up his paper. Here is my report:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003827556

The American Dream?

Bill Moyers is doing a project on the American Dream, circa 2008. As part of it, he is asking all of the guests on his show this year to stick around for a minute afterward and just say a little something about that. Pretty off-the-cuff, and I didn't say anything particularly eloquent or noteworthy, but here it is:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/americandream/questionvideos.html?19

Sunday transcendence

Continuing our tradition, here is 2nd movement of Beethoven's Triple Concerto with Barenboim, Perlman, YoYo Ma. We just experienced it on Friday at Tanglewood with Julia Fischer and Jonathan Biss, along with Pastoral Symphony, Barnard Haitink conducting. Giant crowd on the lawn!

The McCain-Gramm Follies

Phil er 'up after you go to the John.

On Olbermann again tonight

Keith away, Rachel in, talking about Obama's nuts...oh, you know, Jesse and Fox and O'Reilly and so forth. I'll put up video.

'NYT' puff piece on bum Rush finally draws heat

It took awhile -- the damn thing was posted online almost a week ago -- but read this revealing Q & A with the author of the Times' Limbaugh cover by Bob Garfield of "On the Media."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003825620

Happy Plamegate anniversary!

It was five years ago today that Joe Wilson's fateful op-ed in The New York Times sparked the CIA Leak Case. Get on your Scooter and take a little ride down memory lane...
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003824819

Sunday transcendence

Continuing, somehow, my regular Sunday feature: Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 (oddly, written after No. 2) doesn't get the props reserved for No. 3, 4 and 5 but it is nearly as great. Here is one of the best versions of the first movement ever, with Murray Perahia and Sir George Solti. Love the very end of the cadenza and Murray's sudden hand movements....

Iraq vet in famous photo dies from overdose

You may remember this shot from the early days of the war -- an Army veteran saving an Iraqi kid. Problem is, the medic saw too much in the war, and came home with raging PTSD. Break up with wife and various arrests followed. He overdosed week, accidental or not. Now wife and parents blame military for not doing enough for him, a now-familiar story. Here is my story.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003824518