JEFFREY C. ALEXANDER is the Lillian Chavenson Saden Professor of Sociology at Yale University and a Director of the Center for Cultural Sociology at Yale. His many books include The Civil Sphere and The Performance of Politics: Obama s Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power. BERNADETTE N. JAWORSKY is a postdoctoral researcher and member of the faculty at Masaryk University in Brno, the Czech Republic, under a grant for the Employment of Newly Graduated Doctors of Science for Scientific Excellence.
Alexander and Jaworsky recreate, in a completely accessible manner, the dramatic roller-coaster ride that was the 2012 campaign for the presidency. The result is a highly entertaining narrative that returns us to the improbable events of that year and puts us right in the middle of what feels like a cinematic political thriller. High marks both for storytelling and scholarship. Stanley Fish In a post-policy world, symbols matter more than ever, making Alexander and Jaworky's thoughts on the symbolism of Barack Obama both relevant and insightful. Alan Wolfe, Director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life, Boston College, MA Obama Power is a rare book. It is a page-turner, so well written and engaging that it is difficult to put down. But it also presents a compelling narrative on the performance of politics in Obama's reelection campaign, which resulted in a decisive victory. Jeffrey C. Alexander and Bernadette N. Jaworsky's illuminating and captivating study is a must-read. William Julius Wilson, Lewis P. and Linda L. Geyser University Professor, Harvard University In late 2010 political pundits of all stripes predicted Obama's probable defeat in 2012. Why didn't this happen? This short book provides a fine-grained analysis of how Obama offered voters culturally resonant narratives to reframe how the country viewed his presidency and to rekindle the enthusiastic connection he developed with voters in 2008. As Alexander and Jaworsky compellingly show, the outcomes of political contestation can be effectively explained only if we take account of the central role played by culture. Marc Howard Ross, William Rand Kenan, Jr. Professor Emeritus, Bryn Mawr College In Obama Power, Jeffrey C. Alexander, our most influential social and cultural theorist of the last thirty years, and his co-author Bernadette N. Jaworsky deploy performance theory to explain Obama's unexpected landslide in the 2012 Presidential election. This highly readable and accessible book skillfully draws on social media as well as standard forms of political communication. The authors demonstrate how Obama's conservative opponents failed to derail his focused performance of 'univeralism and solidarity' that swept him once more to victory. Alexander and Jaworsky's exciting new take on the 2012 US presidential election is a must read for concerned citizens as well as academics interested in evolving practices of American democracy. Mabel Berezin, Cornell University