Yes We Can: Barack Obama's History Making Presidential Campaign by Scout Tufankjian

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Synopsis

Yes We Can is the story of Barack Obama’s historic journey from junior Senator from Illinois to President of the United States of America—if all polls hold as indicated—as documented by Scout Tufankjian, the only independent photographer to cover his entire campaign from before he announced his run through the Election Night celebration in Chicago’s Grant Park. Obama’s grassroots journey touched something profound in America, inspiring millions of Americans, young and old, rich and poor, and from every racial and ethnic background, bringing together disparate people throughout the electorate in the service of change. In the course of his visits to almost every state in the union, Obama electrified record-breaking crowds at his rallies and motivated millions of people to engage in the political process. The results have been nothing short of a revolution in political strategy, communication, and activism.

Be it a skeptical old farmer from Tama, Iowa, who was surprised to realize that he had something in common with this young black politician, or an eight-year-old boy from Los Angeles who couldn’t stop saying, “He looks like me and he is going to be President!”, Senator Obama instilled a feeling of unity and hope in a nation scarred by divisive politics and pessimism. Obama’s campaign created a movement, a faith, and a feeling that has not been present in American politics for decades—if ever. Yes We Can is a comprehensive and intimate portrait of this world-changing campaign. With more than 200 color photographs by Tufankjian, the book takes the reader along on Obama’s personal and political journey. Tufankjian was there from the beginning. From coffee shops and diners to auto manufacturing plants and bowling alleys, Tufankjian followed Obama as he wooed potential voters in expensive houses as well as in poverty-stricken Indian reservations. She covered the primaries, the debates, and the final weeks of the hard-fought campaign, shooting more than 12,000 images—the deepest, most comprehensive, and most personal portrait of the man and his run as well as of the people who came to see him, hear him, and vote for him. Yes We Can is as much about Americans and their hopes and visions for America as it is about the man that gave them voice.

Margaret Heilbrun - Library Journal

The cover graphics imply a brash book, but the contents have nuance and subtle grace. The book bills Tufankjian only as the photographer-and her photographs are wonderful. With as many character shots of spectators as of the man himself, with framing and depth of field choices that are eloquent without being pretentious, she captures mood and atmosphere with seeming ease. But it is her brief autobiographical text at the start of each chronological section that additionally sets the book apart, allowing the reader to feel in the midst of the press corps as it followed Obama around the country. A tribute not only to Obama, with some pull quotes from his speeches, but to Tufankjian's skills with her Nikon.

Biography

Scout Tufankjian has had photographs published in every major newspaper and news magazine, including Newsweek, Time, The New York Times, People, The Guardian, ELLE, Esquire, Essence, Rolling Stone, Fortune, The Times of London, Stern, Der Spiegel, and many others. Before covering the Obama campaign, Tufankjian worked photographing the conflict in the Middle East, primarily the Gaza Strip, for four years. She lives in Brooklyn, and has a B.A. in Political Science from Yale.