British political journalist Ian Leslie moved to the United States at the time of George Bush’s controversial victory over Al Gore in 2000, and became fascinated by the panoramic drama of an American presidential election. His election blog, Marbury, was named one of the fifty most powerful blogs in the world by the Observer. He has appeared as a political analyst for the BBC and Sky News, and contributes to the Guardian. His account of the election, To Be President: Quest for the White House 2008, has just been published. You can read an extract here.
In this video for Granta.com, Leslie explains how Barack Obama defeated John McCain, won over African American voters, revitalized campaigning and brought US politics into the internet age. Leslie offers insights into what an Obama administration will be like, and reveals when he first knew for sure that the race was Obama’s to lose.
Photograph by Pete Prodoehl
