08 is fun to read. It also reminded me of some of the small things that came up during this historic campaign that I might otherwise have forgotten as the current, daily news cycle becomes crowded with other, more pressing topics. For instance, the pig-wearing-lipstick dust up, Sarah Palin’s wardrobe costs, the fist bump of the Obamas, and Hillary drinking boilermakers in a Pennsylvania bar are small, yet telling points about an unpredictable campaign that defied conventional wisdom by sending a man of color to the White House.
I think it’s important for potential readers not to expect too much of this little book. While it does offer a capsule of the campaign and showcases its highs (and lows), the format really doesn’t offer much opportunity for the authors to analyze the meaning behind the action. For that we will have to wait for a more traditional campaign chronicle in the mold of Theodore White’s “The Making of the President” books or Richard Ben Cramer’s brilliant “What It Takes: The Way to the White House,” which is to my mind the very best campaign analysis ever written.
That said, I recommend “08: A Graphic Diary of the Campaign Trail.” Not only is it a good reminder for those of us who followed the campaign closely, but it is a solid orientation for those of us who may not have tuned in very often. In that regard, this little graphic novel might make a good supplemental history text for high school students studying the democratic process.
-- Bonnie McEwan