Mr. and Mrs. Grassroots: How Barack Obama, Two Bookstore Owners, and 300 Volunteers Did It

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. The book contains some 30 pages of unique and historic photos of Obama, the Prestas, the 300 volunteers and key people and events in Obama's campaigns from 2000 through the 2008 Presidential race, where the Prestas recruited Illinois volunteers for the Obama campaign for the Iowa caucus and for Indiana in the general election. The book also: Shows the importance and community impact of local independent bookstores Tells an inspirational story of how everyday's peoples everyday actions can unknowingly have such a great impact on the nation and world Provides a textbook primer for politicians and community activists on how to organize and run a grassroots and Netroots political campaign Shows how small political organizations can grow into large ones Helps answer the question of all of those people who came together in small groups across the country and world for the 2008 presidential campaign: what can we do now with this local, political organization that we have built? Provides a history of some of Chicago and Illinois' other politicians, many of whom have appeared on or have jumped to the national scene, and Inspires with its theme: change comes slowly, gradually, incrementally, and suddenly.