"With this accessible but unfocused book, Graff explores the political, economic and technological changes that he believes will make the 2008 presidential election 'the first campaign of a new age.' Before examining the direct impact that globalization and the Web will have on the next campaign, the author lays out the recent history of American national party politics, from the collapse of the Democratic Party and ascendance of the Republican Party in the early 1980s to the racially charged comment that may have cost Republican George Allen the Virginia Senate race in 2006. These historical chapters cover too much ground in too little space (the first chapter, for example, includes discussion of the social revolution of the 1960s, the economic decline of the Rust Belt, the 1980 election and the Monica Lewinsky scandal). However, Graff, an editor at Washingtonian magazine as well as a blogger and former webmaster for Howard Dean, knows a great deal about the contemporary political issues he discusses in the book's more streamlined second half, which brings a thoughtful clarity to his wide-ranging analysis, from the need for sweeping health care reform to the political uses of Twitter.com." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

The 2008 presidential campaign will shape up to be the first in which candidates meet the campaign challenges of a new technological landscape while simultaneously addressing the pressing problems of 21st century globalization and technological change, hopes Graff (editor at large at Washingtonian magazine). Graff, who has worked as a webmaster for Howard Dean, combines campaign-trail reporting on how candidates have approached technological issues with his own views on proper positions and messages concerning technological investment, educating and recruiting workers, health care, and economic growth. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

"In his lively new book, The First Campaign: Globalization, the Web and the Race for the White House, Garrett M. Graff... raises a lot of provocative questions about how candidates are grappling with 'the new campaign paradigm,' (which, he says, emphasizes a dialogue between candidates and voters, instead of a one-way conversation); how they are planning to chart America's course in a new, globalized world that is increasingly reliant on broadband communication and technological innovation; and how his own generation (born in the 1980s and 'more technologically savvy and more civic-minded than the one before it') regards the current state of politics.... [T]he astonishingly young Mr. Graff (who was born in 1981) proves in these pages that he is a cogent writer, willing to tackle large-scale issues and problems."  Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

“The First Campaign is a graceful book, and an important one. It's a success born of perspective: Graff gets enough distance to sketch the landscape – with all its moving parts – while remaining firmly embroiled in the fight.”

-- Christian Science Monitor

"In this ambitious book about technology's impact on politics, the author argues that the key issues of the 2008 electionbusiness investment, education, health care, and global warmingall are tech issues at their core. But Graff, who ran Howard Dean's first Web site in 1997 (while still in high school!), is at his best when he maps the ways in which the internet is rewriting the rules of presidential campaigning."  Wired Magazine

"Graff offers an up-to-date synthesis of the multiple challenges facing Americas as we adjust to living in a flattening world, and a valuable critique of how our policy debates on everything from health care to education haven't yet caught up with reality."  Tech President

"Having invented most modern technology, including the Internet, the United States is walking blind and backwards into the future, argues a former Howard Dean webmaster and current Washingtonian editor. Ardent tech-evangelist Graff offers an incisive and fairly persuasive text laying out the reasons why the 2008 presidential campaign will not only be extraordinarily important, but unlike any ever seen before. New technologies have reshaped not only the electoral scene but the fabric of everyday life, and 2008 is the first time in a half-century that neither party has a sitting executive to nominate. Therefore, writes the author, 'the first campaign of a new era is upon us.' Graff is realistic enough in his acknowledgement that no matter how web-savvy a candidate may be, if there's no message to deliver, voters won't care: 'The candidate who best understands that the internet isn't an end to itself but merely a means to an enda chance to pull people in and get them involved in the political processwill triumph.' [Graff]... lay[s] out the tough issues the country faces (everything from globalization to climate change), making the case that 2008 and the following decade may well be the last chance 'to make changes and address those looming challenges before they begin to become truly painful.' Graff is mostly hopeful, though he paints a bleak picture of lagging educational standards and politicians so woefully out of step with the times that as recently as 2001, Sen. Dianne Feinstein was quoted saying, 'I don't believe the Senate should be on the internet until we get rid of pedophilia and pornography."  Kirkus Reviews

"Graff... knows a great deal about the contemporary political issues he discusses... which bring a thoughtful clarity to his wide-ranging analysis, from the need for sweeping healthcare reform to the political issues of Twitter.com."  Publishers Weekly

Combining vivid campaign-trail reporting with a provocative argument about the state of American politics, Graff makes clear that whichever party best meets the challenges of globalization will win the election--and put America back on course.