Game Change: Obama and the Clintons McCain and Palin and the Race of a Lifetime [Hardcover]

 

 

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John Heilemann and Mark Halperin are two "insider" political reporters who have used their tremendous access to the 2008 presidential candidates from both sides to tell some really interesting stories. I will say that as a factual document, this book is probably 4 stars because there's a lot of hearsay rather than documented truth. I gave it five stars because it's actually a really interesting read, even if some of it is rumor. I think it probably does a really good job of capturing the manic fever that goes along with a US presidential election. Certainly, it reveals some details that are a little surprising. The main characters are:

The Edwards- Of course, John Edwards is now infamous for cheating on his wife. What we didn't know was that his wife was very abusive towards his husband in private. Her verbal tirades are certainly shocking, and beg the question of whether they were the cause or effect of the transgressions (i.e., did she drive him away, or did she know about a history of transgressions we don't?).

The Clintons- Bill was a really loose cannon who his wife admitted she couldn't control. It almost seemed to me like he was jealous of Obama for getting his old job back, whereas with his wife, he could've probably exerted greater influence on the White House. Bill takes a good chunk of the blame for ruining her "sure thing".

The McCains- Another wife who might not have been as supportive as she seemed (possibly cheating on the side). I respected McCain prior to the election as being a straight-shooter, a war hero, and a moderate Republican. This book reveals that in some ways, this campaign warped those attributes as he progressively cashed in more and more of himself and his values in a bid to win the presidency.

Sarah Palin- Which leads to Sarah. She really was as bad as we thought and worse. I got a chuckle of out some staff some staff members assigned to Sarah Palin by the McCain campaign suggesting she was mentally unstable. Yet it's undeniable that she has some charisma and certainly is able to attract huge amounts of media attention. What's really scary isn't that she turfed his campaign, but that she may have actually helped it with the end result being her as VP!

Biden- Joe was viewed with caution, as his proclivity for gaffs was well known. Still, compared to some of the others in this book, he comes off relatively well.

Obama- Finally, this book talks about how Obama was able to manage his public image, which is much more calm than his apparent personal behavior. His appeals to Hillary to join him were genuine and almost felt desperate (which means he was smart enough to recognize her importance in sealing the deal).

So there you have it. There's lots more juicy tidbits in this book (including Senator Harry Reid's racist comments about Obama), but I'll leave them for you to find out. All in all, this was an entertaining look inside presidential politics, and even if half of it is true, it makes for one heck of a story. Jerry Springer could easily make a few shows out of the material in this book as the truth is better than fiction!

Political books are usually either highly personal revisionsas of history, or a highly personal agendas for the future.

As a result they tend to be for existing fans or the author, rather than neutrals and potential converts. For the non-fans they aren't much fun.

This book is different in that is doesn't seek to rewrite either that past of the future, merely to reveal the story of the 2008 election from the inside.

The public face of the campaign is one thing, but we all know that there is always stuff going on behind the scenes that would delight, appal, shock and entertain.

This book tells these stories using privileged access and a healthy dose of cynicism to add much color to what was already a fascinating tale. If you have ever said, 'I wish I had been a fly on the wall at that moment,' then this is the book to buy. It doesn't have the most private moments, but it does have very real access to the hearts of the campaigns.

Well written, fast-paced, and genuinely insightful, this is a treasure for the partisan and non-partisan alike.

Highly recommended. Five stars.

I'm a sucker for this kind of inside look at U.S. politics. Admittedly, the stuff is quite gossipy but it gives real insight into the personalities and a backroom look at the reasons people were behaving as they were during the fascinating 2008 presidential election cycle. There was one very curious oversight though. In dealing with the process for the Democratic nomination the authors did not deal with the schmozzle over seating the MIchigan and Florida delegates. The way the party handled that put the nail in Clinton's campaign and it was given no mention. Good read, though you feel a little guilty for enjoying it so much.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
Great book with everything you want to know aboout the 2008 elections, both in front of and behind the scences. A great read for any political junky!

Published 9 months ago by William W. Stewart

5.0 out of 5 stars Compulsive reading filled with intrigue and innuendo
Barack Obama emerges from the text of 'Game Change' as a genuine fighter, a guy who enjoys a good, no-holds-barred verbal engagement. Read more

Published 10 months ago by L. Ramsey

5.0 out of 5 stars What a great book!
The drama was just so thick! The book gave great insight into the behind the scenes action of the campaigns. Read more

Published 22 months ago by NewMom1520

4.0 out of 5 stars the real deal
It is a great book! The book gives great detail as to how the American Candidates got to where they today.
A must read for American Politics followers and lovers!

Published 24 months ago by A. Sairam

4.0 out of 5 stars A great read!!
This book is an interesting 'window' into the back room goings-on in American politics. Lucky for all of them they have skilled spin doctors to sanitize their images. Read more

Published 24 months ago by Reader Rabbit

4.0 out of 5 stars For political junkies and recent historians
The election of 2008 was certainly one for the history books. On both sides of the aisle campaigns were run, nominations were made and elections were won that were very unique and... Read more

Published 24 months ago by Ronald W. Maron

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting book
Good book but they should have included some info about the minor players such as Fred Thompson and Ron Paul. Read more

Published 24 months ago by Anthony Sakalauskas

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining read!
Excellent movie! Reads like a movie script....it should be made into a movie! Amazing. Higly recommend...

Published on Feb 1 2010 by lisamvm

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