Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots

by Presta, John

• ISBN13: 9780981971964
• ISBN10: 0981971962
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-01-20
• Publisher: Elevator Group Llc

Summary

Chicago community activists John Presta and his wife Michelle were running their small, popular independent bookstore, Reading on Walden, when Barack Obama's campaign asked them to help in his 2000 race for Congress. Instantly impressed after meeting Obama, the Prestas came on board and stayed on board after his loss. An engaging, detailed, first person account of the Prestas' personal interactions with Obama and how they, together with Obama and his early campaign workers, slowly and steadily built a grassroots organization around a highly committed group of some 300 volunteers. The Prestas shortly became known as "Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots" in the Obama campaign, and Obama himself called them his "southwest side powerhouses." This book peels the layers off the early years of Obama's political career, detailing how he and individual grassroots and "netroots" organizers built a successful campaign despite the Chicago political machine and won the 2004 Senate race, causing immediate speculation about Obama for President. With great insight into a younger Barack Obama's character, vision, self confidence and determination, Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots shows how change comes slowly, gradually, incrementally, and suddenly, and how one person - or two - can make a difference that changes the world.

Author Biography

John Presta, the son of Italian-born immigrants, was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He and his wife Michelle, both community organizers and leaders, opened Reading on Walden Bookstore in 1991. It quickly became known as a community resource center and now operates as an online bookseller at www.readingonwalden.com. John learned to love reading with newspapers, delivering them from age six to adulthood. He has worked at several newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, in such positions as typesetter, reporter, circulation manager, and ad sales. John attended Roman Catholic schools and Winona State University. He is working on the next book in the Mr. Mrs. Grassroots series.

Table of Contents

The Introduction to Barack Obama: 'The First Time Ever I Saw His Face'	p. 1
The Obscure State Senator, Barack Obama	p. 9
"Barack Obama's An Author, You Know"	p. 27
Barack Obama's "Coming-Out Party": The Candidates' Forum	p. 51
Barack Obama and The Iraq War: "War is Not the Answer"	p. 69
Barack Obama Announces for United States Senate	p. 91
Barach Obama Slowly, Surely Gains Momentum	p. 143
The Most Important Victory of Barack Obama's Life: Primary Election Day, March 16, 2004	p. 171
Dehra Shore, Alexi Giannoulias, or How Barack Ohama Flexes Political Muscle in Illinois	p. 195
Barack Obama Decides to Run For President of the United States	p. 223
Acknowledgments	p. 243
Photos	p. 247
Index	p. 281
Appendix	p. 284
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.