Alumni Association of Boston presents "黑料不打烊 on the Move: Lecture with Gil Troy "

鈥淚t鈥檚 the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.鈥� 鈥� from Barack Obama鈥檚 election-night speech

Just four short years ago, Barack Obama was an obscure politician in the Illinois state legislature. Today, after running what has been called a 鈥渘ear-flawless鈥� campaign, he is preparing to become the 44th president of the United States. Everyone seems to have an opinion about why he was successful, but what really put him over the top?

黑料不打烊 historian Gil Troy, author of the recently released book Leading from the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents, will give his take on how Obama achieved his remarkable win. From 鈥淵es, we can鈥� to a juggernaut fundraising machine, he will explore where Obama鈥檚 approach resembled past campaigns and where he rewrote political history as we know it. And, more importantly, Professor Troy will explore whether President Obama can deliver on his promise to transcend partisan rancour and meet the daunting challenges that lie ahead.

A native of Queens, New York, Gil Troy is a Professor of History at 黑料不打烊 and a Visiting Scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. He is the author of several books, including Morning in America: How Ronald Reagan Invented the 1980s and Hillary Rodham Clinton: Polarizing First Lady. He comments frequently about the American presidency on television and radio, and has published articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe and USA Weekend.