Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

"Game Change" was not even on sale and it was already roiling the political waters with its shocking revelations. There is a rich tradition of books about presidential campaigns that break news not revealed during the campaign and "Game Change" has PLENTY of revelations. The one getting a great deal of play was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's inappropriate racially tinged comments about candidate Obama, which managed to be kept under wraps, while then-Senator Biden's made their way out. 2008 was the year of "Candidates Gone Wild," saying ridiculous and inappropriate things like Obama's comment on people clinging to their guns, religion, and bitterness. But there's so much here that never got out. Like Elizabeth Edwards, who has carefully cultured a public persona as the victimized suffering wife, belittling her husband John as a "hick" and in private launching into obscenity laced tirades at him and about him. Heilemann and Halperin examine both sides of the race and there are plenty of great gossipy stories on both sides, as well as other shocking revelations, such as how rushed the selection of Governor Sarah Palin as Vice-President was. We already knew that virtually no one in the Republican leadership was consulted over the choice and only know do we learn how rushed the decision was and how little thought or consideration was truly given to the choice. Moreover, the choice was primarily tactical in nature, designed to knock the Obama campaign off balance and off guard. Only after Palin was selected did the McCain campaign realize that they had made a huge tactical error they could not undo. The ensuing problems within the McCain-Palin campaign are chronicled here, but considering how much press there was at the time there's little here that breaks new ground. It is however a very great, gripping recounting of the chain of events.

Obama comes off every bit as stage-crafted and stage-managed as Ronald Reagan ever was. Heilemann and Halperin aptly capture the duality of his persona; on the stump Obama is well spoken, on message, cool, calm, and collected. Off the stump he is profane, prone to quick flashes of anger, and at times tentative and uncertain. Hillary Clinton comes off pretty much as was covered in the press at the time, but what IS news is her unsurprisingly blunt comment to Obama that she "cannot control her husband". Bill Clinton gets almost as much print here for his wildly inappropriate comments on the stump and in private about Candidate Obama and it's clear to see that what undid Hillary wasn't her efforts, but those of her husband. We get the clearest glimpse into Obama's hard sell when he talks Hillary Clinton into ending her campaign and into becoming Secretary of State as well.

"Game Change" answers many of the questions you had about the campaign, but which were never answered, like Rudy Giuliani's foolish all-or-nothing gamble on the Florida Primary and why he truly got out of the race, the Democratic conclave that prodded then-Senator Obama into the race in the first place, and so much more. Reading "Game Change" is like reliving the campaign all over again, but THIS time with the insider knowledge of details that were omitted by the campaigns and the press. If anything this will not only enlighten you but enrage you, as the media and the press clearly are NOT doing their jobs at all. All of this SHOULD have made it's way into the news during the campaign and yet it didn't. Truth is stranger than fiction, and with truth written this well, who needs fiction?

Amid the hoopla surrounding this book in the days prior to it's release, I couldn't wait to get a copy. Reading this book, I continually asked myself it was really worth all the hype or just a ratification of things I already knew. The last 10 years, the United States has been embroiled in such a divisive political atmosphere it comes as no surprise that most of the best-selling books are about politics and politicians ... intelligent books written about or by politicians have proven to be cash-cows that do nothing more than "energize the base" or fuel/ignite the opposition. "Game Change" gives me mixed feelings.

We should have known this was coming ... the implosion of political candidates is as entertaining as the losers that humiliate themselves on the American Idol auditions year-after-year. Years ago, a news periodical like Newsweek or Time would run juicy after-election articles documenting a defeated candidates horridly-run campaign that always included incidents of the candidate "losing grip" at one point or another. "Game Change" seemed to be nothing more than a compilation of such articles, but expertly welded together to create a generously smooth flow for the reader. In other words, other than the juicy details of the vitriol and carnage, the book didn't really reveal anything new about anyone or anything.

After all, the 24/7 news cycle already gives us more information than we need to know about all the subject matter in this book:

- we already knew obama was a "smooth operator"; intelligent and gifted at reading other people's speeches ... his outright cocky demeanor and his obvious, deep and admirable devotion to his wife and children.
- it came as no surprise that the facade Hillary Clinton publicly displays will never fully conceal the hostility simmering inside her or the holier-than-thou ego that creates a deep sense of distrust by others.
- is it surprising that John McCain is "out of touch" or that John Edwards is a narcissistic snake that is all style and NO substance?
- is there ANYTHING new (positive or negative) about Sarah Palin that hasn't already been revealed?

As a whole, "Game Change" seems to rehash many of the same stories that have been popular on most of the mainstream political blogs, which I felt was somewhat disappointing. For me, there are too few eyebrow-raising moments. If anything, the book reminded me of a movie trailer on TV that is so good you are enticed to actually see the movie in a theatre ... only to leave the theatre realizing the only good parts of the movie were in the trailer (the Harry Reid quote comes to mind).

However, what I DID enjoy about this book was:

1) it was definitely a very entertaining read ... after all, these politicians are just regular dopes like the rest of us ... they do and say stupid things ... and oftentimes, they don't always have their acts together ... in fact, I enjoyed the depiction of all these politicians displaying playground-level antics and tantrums.

2) the President has a penchant for dropping F-bombs, which I found humorous on a number of occasions

3) finding out how truly selfish, shallow and egotistical our political leaders really are.

4) how much all these people genuinely detest one another ...

5) the book is fair in that it doles-out dirt on everyone and really doesn't take sides (a truly refreshing change of pace)

Finishing "Game Change" left me with one huge question: With backstabbing, dirty tricks, lying and snickering being such a way of life for these people; how or why should ANYONE really trust ANY of them?

"Game Change" is about the 2008 election. The most obvious question is "What could be new in this book - the campaign was already covered in incredible detail for nearly two years by bloggers, national media, local media - anyone with a camera and/or a link to the Internet. The answer is that most of the material concerns previously unreported personal details rather than much in the way of national policy or any sort of analysis of the electorate. The result is that whether you like it or not, "Game Change" has put the nation back into a supercharged 'gossip mode,' combining high-level scandals in the Clinton, Edwards, and McCain campaigns, with allegations of presidential unfitness in the Clinton, Edwards, and McCain-Palin campaigns, along with a bit of racism thrown in for good measure. This volatile mixture has since been ignited by "60 Minutes," "Good Morning America," and other TV interviews. Initial reaction from those named in the book has largely been denial, except for Senator Reid regarding his comments on Senator Obama's relatively benign blackness not being an impediment for the presidency. Denials, unfortunately, will probably go unrebutted - the book makes extensive use of unattributed quotes and deep-background interviews that don't permit fact-checking.

Sarah Palin clearly provides the juiciest material, mostly from McCain's campaign manager Steve Schmidt. It's a strange position - he led McCain to Palin, then lambasts her unfitness and poor preparation, and finally ends up admitting that without her it would have been worse. Regardless, it's scary to see how close she came to being a heartbeat away from the presidency, despite barely understanding what the Cold War was all about, not understanding why there's a North and South Korea, or even what the Federal Reserve does. Palin even believed that Saddam was behind 9/11. "Game Change" also contends V.P. Cheney thought she was a poor pick. Worse yet, some contend she had bipolar symptoms - perky at times, catatonic at others. McCain operatives clearly had not done their vetting homework, then tried to make up for it by shielding her from the press - no open press conferences, and planning to make her a ceremonial V.P. in the event the McCain-Palin ticket won. Palin's real attraction was being a female - Schmidt et al somehow hoped that disillusioned Hillary supporters would flock to Palin.

Surprisingly, Elizabeth Edwards doesn't come off well either, given problems with cancer and a philandering husband. Instead, we learn that she was seen by insiders as an abusive, intrusive, paranoid, and vindictive crazy-woman, not the public persona of valiant and heroic. Elizabeth also referred to her husband back in 2004 in front of others as being her intellectually inferior - something that hard to accept at face value given his success as a trial lawyer. Naturally, John Edwards doesn't come out well either, though its surprising how badly he did. There was the obvious problem with his affair with a publicist; worse yet, his attempts to sell his endorsement to Obama in return for first the V.P., then the Attorney General positions. Obama, in return, responded that if he took such a deal he himself wouldn't deserve to be president.

Hillary Clinton was the smart-money choice for the Democratic nomination early on. However, some party leaders worried about her polarizing effect, as well as old baggage from the Bill Clinton presidency. Thus, supporters that the Clintons thought they could count on worked quitely to pord Obama to run - hence, Reid's ill-fated thoughts on a 'light-skinned Negro.' Hillary Clinton's supporters, not surprisingly, also had concerns about Bill's womanizing possibly affecting the campaign. To their relief they found that only one of the rumors was likely true - surprisingly, it never became an issue. Bill did cause/acerbate a serious problem, however, in his early discussions with Senator Kennedy - the former president's negative and racist comments about Obama offended Senator Kennedy deeply. On the other side, Mrs. Clinton's reaction to the loss in Iowa, however, did make some of her supporters wonder if she was stable enough to be president. "Game Change" also reports that Hillary had a staffer attempt to obtain Caroline Kennedy's endorsement - making it easy for Caroline to refuse the call and ignore Hillary. Interesting factoid - Hillary was talked out of running in 2004 by Chelsea, who recommended completing Hillary's Senate term first. If Hillary had won the 2004 nomination, it's not likely that Obama would have been offered the keynote speech, and . . . . Regardless, Hillary also gets a black mark for thinking about her V.P. partner as early as 2007.

Then there's the scandal I just never would have suspected - Mrs. McCain. We already knew she had a prior problem with, and overcame a drug addiction. Now we learn that there's credible reason to believe she had a long-term Arizona boyfriend. Campaign aides reportedly forced the Senator to confront her on it (no names offered), and the book also reports that they often fought in public and that there was little warmth between the couple. (Based on reports elsewhere, that probably is true.)

Bottom Line: "Game Change" is readable, interesting, and unfortunate. Unfortunate in that we learn that many of those who would lead us aren't worthy of the responsibility.

We always wonder what's going on behind the scenes of an election and in the lives of the Washington elite. Most of us know, or eventually learn, that politicians are typically loathsome characters of few morals and mammoth egos who think nothing of lying, cheating and, in general, being insufferable human beings. And, we get a chance to see it all, up close, in this new book by political reporters Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. We get the opportunity to look behind the scenes and see these people as they really are. It's both fun and frightening. It's quite revealing. To wit . . .

Bill Clinton wanted Ted Kennedy to endorse Hillary. But instead, he angered Kennedy so badly that Kennedy went all out for Obama. Here's how it happened according to the book . . .

"As Hillary bungled Caroline, Bill's handling of Ted was even worse. The day after Iowa, he phoned Kennedy and pressed for an endorsement, making the case for his wife. But Bill then went on, belittling Obama in a manner that deeply offended Kennedy. Recounting the conversation later to a friend, Teddy fumed that Clinton had said,' A few years ago, this guy would have been getting us coffee.' "

Of course, we have to wonder if Kennedy was telling the truth or perhaps colorizing it to fit his own agenda since Kennedy was not a moral or virtuous man or one known for telling the truth. So, in reality, this story is secondhand. It could be false or it could be taken out of context. Or, it could be true.

On another matter the Clintons wanted to go after Obama's drug use. Can you imagine alleged coke sniffer Bill going after alleged dope smoker Obama? Well, that was going to be the way it went down if the Clintons had their way.

And . . .

Before BHO decided to run for president, the Obamas flew to Nashville, TN to get Al Gore's assurance that he would not run.

Among the things we learn . . .

When Obama asked Hillary Clinton to be secretary of state, she initially turned him down. Why? Bill's penchant for controversy. She felt it would interfere with her efforts in the job.

When President-elect Obama called her again to convince her to be his secretary of state, Clinton told him there was a problem. That great big mouthy problem was her husband. "You've seen what this is like; it will be a circus if I take this job," she said to Obama.

Clinton almost never admits this to anyone. And, Obama who seldom shows his vulnerable side, admits to Hillary that he needs her. He seems overwhelmed with the economy and all that's going on, all that faces him.

The McCain-Palin camp was afraid that Sarah Palin would screw things up because of the tremendous amount of information she needed to debate Biden. "The debate was going to be a debacle of historic and epic proportions...she was not focused...not engaged." She was not really participating in the prep, the authors add.

Sidebar:

In a recent news article Palin's spokeswoman, Meghan Stapleton, said in a statement: "The Governor's descriptions of these events are found in her book, 'Going Rogue.' Her descriptions are accurate. She was there. These reporters were not." Stapleton was talking about what was said about Palin in this book by the authors.

and then . . .

McCain aides confront Cindy McCain over reports that she had an extramarital affair.

The authors tell us that Hillary Clinton was so confident she would get the Democratic nomination that she had two top advisers planning her transition for after she won the general election.

They also point out that up until only days before the Republican Convention, Sen. John McCain was still thinking Sen. Joe Lieberman would be his running mate, until the "blowback" was so strong, they feared Lieberman would be rejected by the party, forcing the last-minute choice of Palin for the role.

Steve Schmidt, John McCain's former chief campaign strategist believes the Obama-Biden victory would have been even more lopsided without Palin on the Republican ticket, according to the book.

On John Edwards . . .

John Edwards went from being typically conceited to having megalomania. Women were always after him. He loved it and it fed his enormous ego. But it was also a problem for the campaign.

Edwards thought the contest would be between him and Hillary. The Clinton camp thought the same thing.

Edwards was normally warm to his staff. But he turned disdainful. He ignored and dismissed them. He even mistreated both staff and supporters. "You can't talk to people that way, "an aid told him after one of his displays. "People didn't like the new John Edwards."

Surprisingly, Elizabeth Edwards was fast to show John that she was his intellectual superior. She called him a "hick" in front of people and derided him for having "redneck parents." She called some staffers idiots. Her illness mellowed her in the early months of 2005 - but not for long.

While John's wife may have made him feel small, his new gal pal made him feel like a king. She told him that he had "the power to change the world," that "the people will follow you." She told him that he could be as great a leader as Gandhi or Martin Luther King Jr. She told him, "You're so real. You just need to get your staff out of your way." She reinforced everything he already believed about himself. She told him exactly what he wanted and needed to hear.

No one gets off free in the book. The authors tell us that Senate Majority Harry Reid (D-Nev.) had referred privately to Barack Obama early in his campaign as a "light-skinned" African American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Ladies and gentlemen . . . meet America's elite.

This book makes Lady Chatterley's Lover as sexy as a high school algebra text book. It makes Madame Bovary look positively saintly. If even half of what this book reports is true, I've got higher forms of life on the bottom of my shoe than we've got running our country.

What a read. Gustave Flaubert couldn't have written it any better.

- Susanna K. Hutcheson

I was amazed that this book had so much NEW to say, after the plethora of books, commentaries and TV/print reporter opinions about the 2008 election. I thought that we knew everything about John & Cindy McCain, Sarah Palin, John Edwards and his wife, Hillary & Bill Clinton and of course Barack & Michelle Obama. But no. The authors provide tons of insightful material that gives more clues about why the Obamas won the election. The McCains were fighting furiously between each other, Mrs Edwards was not the nice person we all thought and the Obamas were even happier than they appear to be. The Harry Reid comment has captured the media attention this week but this unexpectedly good book provides valuable new material about one of the most historic elections in this country. Well done.Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

Game Change is a great read. Regardless of who you voted for or supported, Game Change is a book worth reading. Exposing the behind the scenes events of the major Democratic and Republican players with a keen eye towards the details, conversations and motives, Halpern and Heilemann deftly provide an insiders view to the reader. This is one of those "can't put down" books that you will most likely finish within 48 hours of starting. Whether you are politically oriented or not, Game Change is well worth reading - and an added benefit is you'll have a better eye for what is happening in upcoming elections based on the insights gained in reading this eye-opening view of the 2008 Presidential election.

I think this book is a must-read for political junkies, but also for those who are interested in American politics but never knew how parties choose candidates, how caucuses work (and how candidates with little popular support get to be "kingmakers"), or appreciated how hard it is to be a presidential candidate, with punishing schedules, warring staff members and having to modify positions and even campaign themes at a minute's notice.

The single chapter on Sarah Palin doesn't tell us much we didn't know about her already or could be reasonably expected (loss of appetite, periods of depression, the rigors of the road, missing her baby and no understanding of how national campaigns work). It's interesting that she (and Todd) were so obsessed over her ratings in Alaska (which would not impact the election) versus in the Lower 48 (which would), and that she seemed ready and willing to change her positions if it helped the McCain ticket win the election (backtracking only when asked to do a TV ad in support of embryonic stem cell research). In fact, despite the revelation that Sarah Palin is not knowledgeable about American or World history or domestic or foreign policy, she comes off as rather more sympathetic when the urgency of her selection - giving her no time to prepare - is taken into context. However, it reinforces the belief - even among people like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney - that McCain only cared about winning the Presidency, and put America LAST. And that when he made the poor decision to leave his VP choice until the last minute then cynically choose Palin, when she faltered, he let his staff do the hatchet job on her.

The chapter focussed entirely on the Edwards was explosive - not for revelations about his affair with Rielle Hunter, but how the reality differs so much from the public perception...and especially Edwards' desparation to take any old job, offering to cut a deal with Obama to be his VP before Iowa and one to be Hillary's Attorney General after she won New Hampshire.

The real surprises included: Obama was the only member of Team Obama who sympathized with Hillary when she cried in New Hampshire (although she insisted privately that she never cried); Mike Henry intentionally leaking an internal memo to a member of Rod Blagojevich's staff; that Maureen Dowd was part of the inner circle which urged Obama to run for President; how Hillary's camp tried to get Bill Richardson and Joe Biden to get their delegates to move over to her side during the Iowa caucuses but was spurned; the Harvard Professor who knocked heads together when the Obama campaign was faltering; Lindsay Graham's intensive lobbying for Lieberman to be on the McCain ticket; how Democrats who publicly supported Hillary were backing Obama behind the scenes due to fear of retribution if Hillary won; the number of women with whom Bill Clinton was believed - by Hillary's campaign - to be romantically involved, and how important both potential First Ladies were in deciding who was in and who was out of favor. It's stressed throughout that Obama has a huge ego, but he comes off as one of the saner players in the craziness that is national politics. That said, he allowed his minions to covertly go negative on Hillary when he found out Hillary's supporters or her campaign were the source of every accusation, rumor and dubious story that made it to the internet (and some, eventually, to the MSM).

It's worth investing in this book (even if it's not on Kindle - can you Kindlers PLEASE stop rating a book you haven't read?) to learn how the whole selection and election process works - the behind-the-scenes manoevering, horse-trading and betrayals.

Regardless of your political preference, there was something inspiring about Barack Obama's election if only for the precedent he set for those outside of Capitol Hill's inner circle and for the resonating vision of change he conveyed. Perhaps to no one's surprise, the events that swirled around and eventually informed his victory were not as high-minded in motivation. A lot of the juicy details are provided by longtime political reporters John Heilemann (author of Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era) and Mark Halperin (author of The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008) in an intriguing, sometimes insightful and eminently readable chronicle of the events and personalities that shaped the 2008 campaign trail. As it turns out, the intense scrutiny of the public spotlight was far more forgiving than one would have expected given the revelations presented. The Obamas come across quite well here, but other key figures - Hillary and Bill Clinton, John and Cindy McCain, John and Elizabeth Edwards, Sarah Palin - are portrayed far less flatteringly.

To be sure, there is lots of good gossip to share, but credit needs to go the co-authors in providing the much-needed depth of political analysis to provide the appropriate context for the combination of observations and allegations that inform their account. There are no source notes offered at the end of the book, and the co-authors make extensive use of unattributed quotes and Bob Woodward-style deep-background interviews, which bring to question the veracity of some of the revelations. However, they manage to bring credibility to a narrative that reads like a Sinclair Lewis novel by referencing emails and interoffice memos and interviewing pertinent players like McCain's campaign manager Steve Schmidt. It is Schmidt who exposes Sarah Palin's inadequacies as a national candidate as McCain's handlers believed her to be "mentally unstable" showing bipolar symptoms, a revelation that came to light during the debate preparations and the infamous Katie Couric interview.

There is also the volatile Clinton marriage that introduced a level of political hubris to her dysfunctional campaign which led Hillary to ask Roger Altman, a Clinton confidante and deputy Treasury secretary in her husband's administration, to form a clandestine transition plan to the White House based on the assumption that she would win the general election. Obama had already been eliminated as a potential running mate due to his lack of experience. Later on, Bill's infidelity apparently reared its head yet again when she felt a need to form a "war room within a war room" for the sole purpose of managing the ongoing threat posed by Bill's sexual addictions. The irony is that Bill is portrayed as the driving force behind Hillary to stick with the race until the bitter end, and his approval meant a great deal to her at the end of the day. Her political career has been riddled with such misjudgments from missing her real opportunity in 2004 to missing out on an early endorsement from Caroline Kennedy.

Receiving a lot of undesirable press from the book are the racist comments from Senate majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, who encouraged Obama to run early on, arguing that the candidate's light skin and eloquent manner should make him acceptable to the white masses. At least Reid has acknowledged the remarks and apologized. The book's most surprising sections are the ruthless dissections of the McCain and Edwards marriages. The McCains are portrayed as relatively estranged with wife Cindy accused of carrying on an affair with a long-term boyfriend. John Edwards comes off as even worse, a narcissist who was quite open about his infatuation with video maker Rielle Hunter and harbored self-delusional hopes of being Obama's attorney general. Wife Elizabeth, portrayed in the media as a valiant survivor of breast cancer and a philandering husband, comes across as an irrational shrew who constantly browbeat campaign staff. Through all this melodrama, Heilemann and Halperin manage to reveal a campaign season populated by key public figures compromised by their own ambitions and limitations.

Because of the long and credible history of the authors they were able to get the true behind the scenes look at the 2008 campaign. Their insight was not all new but it was good to see that a lot of the things I've read in bits and pieces were actually true, but then again, where there's smoke, there's fire usually holds true the great majority of the time.

If you love politics, whether you're a member of the Democratic or Republican party, you'll enjoy this book. You might not like reading the truth about your favorite politician but it's wise for all of us to remember that is what they are no matter how they try to come across.

For all of you giving this book One Star because it's not available on Kindle, do you mean to tell me you can't wait a month? Or is there some other type of behind the scenes work at hand here?

I read this book from cover to cover in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't usually buy political books but as I said they've established themselves as Washington insiders over the years and knew the people to talk to. It's worth waiting a month for the Kindle version. At least give the authors a chance, they don't deserve a one star review for the publisher's decision to bring it out a month later. Complain to Harper Collins if necessary but don't bash the authors!

A little more than 24 hours later, after the highlights of Reid's unfortunate remarks were reported, and he apologized, the book was released. Michael Steele, RNC, asked for Reid's resignation, after Steele's own remarks of 'Honest Injun' the week before. Pot/kettle? The book is full of the sort of information you might know if you were an insider in Washington, DC. But much of it occurs outside of Washington and out of harms way. Few are mentioned that know these facts first hand, so we must take it on faith, that these are true. Essentially, this book is an intimate portrait of the lives of those who ran for the Presidency in 2008 and some of the people surrounding them. Gossip, true, but much of it sounds true to life. Revelations abound and some of them are shockers.

The Edwards- John and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the woman with cancer who has an unfaithful, jackass of a husband. She garnered all our sympathy and now we find out she was abusive to her husband all along. What an unhappy and miserable existence that family must follow.

The Clintons- Bill and Hilary- she, who decided she did not want the Secretary of State position after it was offered because of Bill. He was too much of a problem, and then Obama told her how much he needed her. She has turned out to be the most valuable of his cabinet. And, Bill's remark about Obama who would have served coffee in another time instead of becoming the candidate.

The McCains- John and Cindy- the kind of marriage that we didn't know about but had been whispered about- she cold and calculating, with a lover on the side. John may have followed the same path. It seems he spit out so many F Bombs, it filled a chapter.

Sarah Palin- as bad as we thought and worse, some staff members assigned to Sarah Palin by the McCain campaign discussed the "threatening possibility: that Palin was mentally unstable" and, yet without her, McCain would have lost by more.

VP Biden- how many goofs and mistakes would he make, yet to be decided.

Mark McGuire- he was not in this book, but he is the only one the media is decrying as a liar.

Lots of inside info that I will leave for you to read. Much of this is hearsay- that bothers me a bit, but yet, publishing lawyers must have fact checked what they could. Nothing here about policy, the personal lives and decisions of those that are discussed are on display. Somehow, this all feels real, like an inside look into the lives- the true personalities. Read at your own discretion, and believe what you will.

Recommended. prisrob 01-11-10

Language and Human Nature

Pride Before the Fall: The Trials of Bill Gates and the End of the Microsoft Era

Heilemann and Halperin write a revelatory book for our current political climate. Right off the bat, let me state that it appears no one in the book has denied the stories or quotes from this chronicle. So I am rather confident, these knowledgeable journalists had great sources and speak the truth. Some of it may be embellished but the book is a great page turner.

As a political junkie during 2008 campaign, I thought I knew it all, but I was not privy to many of the disclosures in this book. Let's review some:

Hillary Clinton: I knew she thought she would walk into the nomination, but with all her know-how, she really underestimated Obama's organization and Bill's lack of influence. I was sort of shocked that many of the senators had secretly approached Obama to persuade him to run, knowing that Hillary could not win. She is too divisive and na

The highly touted new book, "Game Change", has a lot going for it, in that aspects of the 2008 presidential campaign are revealed here, unknown to many of us before. It's a breezy, unharnessed romp through the last election cycle and it largely succeeds.

"Game Change" presents an extension of many things we already knew about the major players. Obama was often unsteady during the debates, Hillary could be petty and vindictive, Bill was an uncontrolled giant, Joe Biden was a loose cannon, John McCain was cranky and Sarah Palin vapid. But what "Game Change" does is magnify this knowledge, (i.e., Bill was a bigger headache for both the Obama and Hillary campaign than we might have surmised and Sarah Palin was in farther over her head... if that's possible, etc.) adding conversations that are largely reconstructions of memory. The authors, John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, get under the skin of the candidates, in a sense, and this makes for excellent drama throughout the book. I enjoyed the way they refer to Hillary's campaign as "Hillaryland", Edwards' as "Edwardsphere" and McCain's, "McCainworld".

For me, the best chapter in "Game Change" is about John and Elizabeth Edwards. Who knew that Elizabeth, suffering from breast cancer, could lash out so often, not only at her husband, but at his staff, as well? As noted by at least one staffer, the difference between her public persona and her personal behavior could be as different as night and day! And to think that John Edwards might have gone farther, except for his sexual peccadillos and excessive narcissism. That soap opera is worth the entire book.

It's too bad there aren't chapter notes and quoted sources because the authors ask the reader to give them a huge dose of trust. They are respected journalists without doubt, so one must believe that their accounts come pretty close to reality. Still, for a chatty and often humorous look back at 2008, "Game Change" is terrific in many ways and I recommend it.

Some parts of this book were perhaps more than I'd like to know about any of the politicians or public figures discussed, but what I read about, I'm really not surprised, nor shocked.

I pretty much knew Sarah Palin was a pathological liar, John McCain a small mind in a small man's body, Hillary Clinton petty at times and courageous at other times, Bill Clinton a philanderer, Harry Reid a homespun guy right out of the '60s, and Barack Obama cool under fire (don't have to worry about HIM going catatonic when the going gets rough or people start asking questions). However, I was shocked at the reporters' "dirt" about the Edwards', and sorry that Elizabeth Edwards -- no matter what her core personality is like -- was subjected to such treatment.

There are so many others to talk about, but these come first to mind.

It's a good read, and I only hope that others who have anything to add to these revelations are in the process of writing their own books. We need to hear more about one of the most taut, anxious, spellbinding Presidential campaigns I've ever seen, if only to bring to light some of the unverified stories hinted at in the past year and a half.

What else can you call the Presidential Election cycle of 2008 except "Game Change"? This book is to politics what "Ball Four" was to the New York Yankees. This book in informative, serious and,yet, incredibly gossipy at the same time. Hey folks, this is as "inside" as you are going to get when it comes to presidential politics. It's pretty well-balanced in terms of portraying Hillary and Barrack but is decidedly less friendly to other players- The Edwards come off as completely unsettling- John is portrayed as something of a opportunistic lightweight- corrupted by adulation and the spotlight and his wife? Buddy, she seems like a nightmare- overbearing and emotionally fragile. Cindy McCain? Oh, brother McCain should be awarded a medal just for staying married to her. Palin? Well, let's just say that this book only adds to her status as the devil of the right. You notice the pattern? The portrayal of women in this book tends to play towards the worst anti-feminist stereotypes. I don't know if this is because the sources are predominantly men playing in what was traditionally a man's game or it's just the way it went but boy it is noticeable and the only one to escape, dignity completely in tact, is Michelle Obama- who comes across as appropriately skeptical of her husband's growing cult of personality. The portrayal of the women aside- this book really gets inside the campaigns- the sly aggression of the Obama camp, the growing desperation of the Clintons, the race against scandal of the Edwards campaign, which finds John Edwards racing against the birth of his illegitimate child to get a position, any position in the next administration-who ever it may be. The inner-strife of the McCain candidacy as it fights against it's own, seeming, irrelevance and it's third and long Hail Mary VP selection. Palin goes off like a handgrenade in the middle of the national race.

If you have only a passing interest in politics this book is a must read.

I suspect the griping about this book is coming from folks who don't like what it reveals about their candidate. I just saw a link on a Palin site directing people to come here and give it a bad review. Sigh.

At any rate, back in the real world, this is an excellent book about the campaign trail-- a peek into the behind the scenes, real lives of the candidates. Not to be missed by any informed citizen.

It's a travesty that the Republican party didn't vet Palin properly and that they cynically ran this person whom they felt was "mentally limited" and "emotionally not well". It was a new low for America, that we came so close to having such a person in the WH.

Apparently the press failed in their mission to inform us as well -- because much of this info was available and online for those who were willing to devote the time to finding it. There is a reason why Palin was referred to as a "sociopath" by Alaskan Republicans, in fact, former allies.

Interesting insight into the Edwards family as well; another sham/scam, though at least he was competent for the job, unlike Palin.

Well done, necessary reading.

Please, please....this is to be about reviewing the content of the book...not the vehicle upon which it is read. Call Amazon's Customer Service Rep with your complaints. Don't be so childish.

Now about this wonderful book....it's wonderful...it was obvious during the campaign that a political rock star (Obama) was a behind the scenes creation...it's also obvious, in many instances, that we are being force-fed a lot of baloney. Receiving this broadened picture of many pictures completes, if not, fills out, the scenarios of many situations.

Kudos and bucks to the authors!!!

Both well-deserved.

This is a great book. Lots of sources. A good composite picture of what really happened in the campaign. It was really absorbing; I kept turning the pages. I'm going to bash it some below, but I'm still giving it five stars.

It's strongest on the Obama-Hillary race. It's delicious on the Edwards scandal. The GOP primary race is an afterthought, except for a pretty-good passage on Giuliani's fizzle. Why an experienced and well-financed candidate like Mitt Romney couldn't win deserves a little more coverage here, particularly since he's talked about for 2012.

A deeper truth is proven here: winners write the history. The authors aren't biased, but the natural laws of Washington leaking are immutable. Leakers fear those in power and curry favor with them. They don't fear losers and seek to distance themselves. The best way to control spin and avoid unflattering ink yourself is to be a leaker - preferably the main one.

Any campaign that pulls off what Barack Obama's did deserves a portrayal of, well, a well-run campaign - with ups and downs, sure, but ultimately doing what it had to do. But I have to wonder at the portrait drawn here; it seems too carefully managed. The campaign goes awry at this point or that, but it's always Obama himself - Cool! Collected! Seeing further than the others! Leaping tall buildings at a single bound! -who pulls it out of the ditch. They are referred to as well-funded - and it's amazing what a great campaign you can run with $778 million - but the authors never ask where such huge money comes from. Or observes that Obama's refusal to take matching funds and limit contributions represented the biggest blow against 1970s-era or McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform laws since they were enacted.

While all the candidates, and some spouses, are depicted in moments of tension spewing obscenities (with the singular exception of Sarah Palin), the campaign figure best-known for it - the famously-potty-mouthed Rahm Emanuel - is never mentioned as such. Could he have been, um, a major source for the book, bent on making sure the story got told in an Obama-flattering way? And making sure his own image is laundered as a side benefit?

You have to account for this. The authors do try to offset spin. Late in the book, they allow thoughts to hang that Bill Clinton personally destroyed his wife's campaign, perhaps ineptly, more likely deliberately. But their own evidence is to the contrary, unless you unduly weigh one incident in which he lets his famous temper flash with reporters in South Carolina. Earlier in the book, their own evidence, lots of it, suggests Bill Clinton was the main reason his wife's campaign lasted as long as it did. Her campaign comes off as too insular, too dominated by Hillaryland loyalists resentful of Bill and his experienced (male) pols, to let them in. Bill gets portrayed as this weight dragging down Hillary's career - uncontrollable, still a reckless philanderer, jealous of his wife's move to the forefront, unaccustomed to the life of the second banana. But the facts here drive the conclusion that Hillary's essentially split personality - transformational feminist on the one hand, reflected by her Hillaryland loyalists; knive-wielding insider pol on the other, reflected by pollster Mark Penn, her husband and his clique on the other - was reflected in her campaign, a contradiction she could never resolve. Decisions didn't get made and an unforgiveable chaos ruled in what should have been a steamrolling frontrunner operation.

The authors, with few if any sources inside Palin's camp, step in to soften the bashing she otherwise gets from McCain's campaign insiders. They, the authors conclude, personally let her down. They didn't do the VP vetting or manage her campaign properly. Any problematic issues in the then-virtually-unknown Palin's background were manageable, they conclude, given the normal time and diligence good campaigns devote to doing oppo on themselves. Time to dig up unflattering information; time to research it thoroughly; time to talk to a person's enemies and figure out what dirt is coming; time to figure out ways of disarming it. None of this happened in Palin's case. She was picked impulsively - brilliantly but with high risk - by McCain himself (OK, so maybe it was his fault, not that of his helpless staff) only a day or two before her candidacy was announced, bringing the barrage of a liberal press shelling down on her without properly dug defenses. The book smacks of an effort by McCain's people to lay off the campaign's failure on her; the facts seem that her mismanaged use was a wash, pumping up the base but then squandering those gains. In fact, had they managed her choice better, and had the recession not exploded in September, McCain might have won. McCain and Palin were the true reformers in the race, both essentially independents who had taken on their own parties publicly and repeatedly over corruption. And each had their own compelling personal stories. The McCain camp's biggest coup here is depicting Palin as close to a nervous breakdown - shutting down, unable to focus as she approaches the eventually disastrous Couric interview - as a Verdun of negative press explodes around her. It's really more of a short but deep funk. Similar ones other candidates undergo are recounted more gently. Palin's seems a combination of the battering she's taken plus missing her family and some postpartum depression. But the authors don't fail to show Palin is a quick study when on her game, and a speaker who, unlike Obama, delivers even when the Teleprompter breaks. And someone who rallies to acquit herself well during her debate with Joe Biden. I was most fascinated that what helped pull her out of the dumps was a religious talk with McCain's buddy, the Jewish Joe Lieberman, McCain's own first choice as running mate.

This book suggests McCain would have been incapable of running the White House. He is too much the lone fighter pilot to subject himself to the organizational discipline and huge ground war both a campaign and the White House demand. He zooms off and flies by the seat of his pants, as when he suspends the campaign to deal with the economic crisis, only to come to Washington with no plan or party strategy. (A great irony here: Obama appears much stronger as the civilian commander-in-chief at the head of his reasonably well-run army, and takes the otherwise-hated George W. Bush's lessons on how to run a successful campaign much more to heart. He also appears more in control, already his party's leader, during the same economic crisis.)

This book doesn't have room for much discussion of issues or candidates' backgrounds, other than staffers' or opponents' opinions of same. Understood. Obama? Empty suit, no track record, gave a great speech or two, so what? And getting such a free pass from the press - oy! But there's virtually nothing on why Obama actually does get the free pass, say, on the Tony Rezko scandal. No other candidate could have survived revelations of close ties with a shady character who put him in a $1.6 million house far beyond his or his wife's own financial resources, but Obama did, because the press chose not to write about it. There's next to nothing on the enormous amount of money he raises. There's nothing on how deep his relationship with Bill Ayers goes or who Ayers actually is. Or on ACORN, whose lawyer Obama was, or the Democratic Socialist Party of America - DSOC - which endorsed him in his first run for office before distancing themselves to help him. Or on his lightly-reported earlier life.

It's good to be the king.

I've just been reading a few of the one star reviews. I can't say I really disagree with much of what I read, but in the end I still think this is a 5 star book, if for no other reason than pure entertainment value. I could not stop reading it. I would have read it in the shower if I could. It's not often a book exerts that special gravitational pull. So yes, 5 stars.

But even more than sheer entertainment, I was fascinated to see the 2008 Presidential campaign from the other side of the curtain. I was fascinated to get this inside glimpse of what goes on in such a high stakes political campaign, and to relive events I'd seen merely as a consumer of popular media in a totally new light. A truly enjoyable and enlightening read.

This is an entertaining look at the 2008 Presidential election from a couple of Washington insiders who viewed some of it up close and personal, and had a lot of connections and sources to fill in the blanks. Since the campaign itself immersed a lot more of the population in process, this is a good look back for a lot of readers. There is a slight Obama slant, but the public gets to see far more of the "warts" of politics at this level, and really, has to wonder why anyone would choose to insert themselves into this crazy process.

I tried to ignore the early gossip about the book and the "reveals" and just evaluate it on the face of my own reading experience.

Edwards, Palin, McCain and Bill Clinton take the most hits of any other figures in the book. Hilary, while at a loss in the race, comes off as the most believable and heroic of all the figures (and I'm not a fan!). There is good support for all the smart moves made by the Obama campaign and realistic introduction of some of the criticsm of his past connections. All in all, a fascinating account, without any particularly laudable skill in the phrasing or historical significance.

Enjoy!

"Game Change" is about the 2008 election campaign. It is not about what positions the candidates took on issues, but, rather, about the demeanor of the candidates and the conduct and management of the campaigns. It reads like a novel, and I found it fascinating. I, however, am a political junkie, so consider the source.

The book starts with the pre primary debates, although it doesn't describe all the players or all of the debates. Ron Paul, who, in my opinion, won at least one debate was hardly mentioned. Mike Gravel, who similarly won two early debates before he disappeared from them, wasn't mentioned at all.

Having said that, there is lots of mention of the inner workings of the other campaigns. Neither one of the Edwards came out looking good despite the fact that, in my opinion, John Edwards won at least one debate. Apparently a lot of what we learned after the campaign was already known by the insiders, and it was a good thing he was not nominated.

Since I had followed the campaigns so closely, there were few surprises. We see that Hilary Clinton, who knew her stuff and had had Whitehouse experience, ran a loose disjointed campaign. She definitely appears to be more of a policy wonk than an executive and is probably perfectly suited to the job she has now. The book explains how Obama persuaded her to be his Secretary of State.

We see how McCain rushed into decisions without all the facts. I did learn how nasty a temper he has from a description with of a "discussion" he was overheard to have with his wife. (I would have left him on the spot and the next time I got in touch with him would have been through lawyers.)

We already knew that Joe Biden puts his mouth in gear before he engages his brain at times but that he is honest and knowledgeable. In my opinion he won at least one of the early primary debates.

We all knew that poor Sarah Palin was tossed into the national scene with no background whatsoever. She is quick and witty but was way out of her league, and her trainers knew so little about her that they managed to compound the problem. The authors found her a sympathetic figure.

The authors misjudged Lieberman whom they called a liberal except on security, but who is a conservative except on the environment. He definitely was under consideration for McCain's vice president.

And we see through it all that Obama, besides understanding the issues, is methodical about finding out all the facts before making a decision and has good executive ability - with his well run campaign as an example. He doesn't make a decision without thinking of the long term implications and always does his homework. He was competent in the debates, but he did not shine.

The book is easy to read and gives us good insight into the personalities of the players. I had trouble putting it down. (I think the most surprising thing in the book is how many of the candidates used foul language. I suppose the reason Clinton shocked me is that I remember hearing the word f***k only once all the time I was growing up, and she grew up in the Midwest. I am, however, pre baby boom.)

This book, although informative, reads like a novel. You'll have a greater depth of knowledge about the occurrences behind the podiums and speeches in the political arena. It is a true page turner. I felt I knew each person a little bit better.

Forty eight years after the race depicted in Teddy White's masterful The Making of the President 1960 (Harper Perennial Political Classics) we are given the second best inside look at a modern presidential campaign. From dreams to forays around the country to caucuses and handlers, aspiring candidates pressed forward trying desperately to stave off elimination as their poll numbers plunged or surged depending on events far beyond their ability to control. In the end there should have been only two that mattered, Obama and McCain but even those finalists were buffeted by external events.

Is this any way to pick a President? Had the founding fathers foreseen television, campaign jets and Saturday Night Live, perhaps we might have a king instead.

The fun part of this book, starts and ends with Sarah Palin, who does nothing to enhance her public perception, But it is the pre-Palin accounts, centered around amitious politicians all convinced that their time has come, which give this book its flavor.

This book was new and arrived on time. The book was a great read and the authors claim that the material is authentic.
If it is the information is juicy, offering a picture of all the players and how they proceeded through the last
presidental campaign with no holds barred. The book was easy to read and perhaps presented TOO much insite into the
candidates, but it was a fascinating book that I could not put down.
Carol

"Game Change" is the best campaign book I've ever read...readable, fascinating, and well organized. In light of the Edwards info that has come out subsequent to the book I find it pretty disheartening that pretty much "everyone" knew about the Hunter situation and let it continue. Sad. But, the subject was handled factually with no hint of salaciousness which I really appreciated. Whatever "side" one was on during the race this book will heighten your appreciation of the candidates' efforts.
Gale Stienon

If there is a better book that reveals what went on inside presidential campaigns then I have yet to encounter or even hear of it. The insights into the major people of the presidential campaigns of 2008 are deeply revealing, in some ways almost too much so.
As a resident of Iowa with its' first in the nation caucuses, I had the opportunity to meet many of the candidates and I attended two Barack Obama rallies and one of John Edwards. I was extremely impressed with Elizabeth Edwards, so much so that I chatted with her at the end of the rally. My wife was a strong supporter of John Edwards; she donated money to his campaign, caucused in his corner and served as a delegate to the county convention. Therefore, the most memorable point of new information I gleaned from the book is what rotten people they are. According to the depiction of Elizabeth, she puts the b in itch. My wife has expressed her displeasure with John Edwards and she is getting the book now that I have read it. I passed it while telling her, "If you think you were angry with Edwards before, that is nothing compared to after you have read this book."
Another revealing feature of the book is the intensity, harshness and frequency that the candidates swore. I was a construction worker right out of high school and while we were foul in the face, these people often made us look like schoolgirls. Quite frankly, if the f-word had appeared in the index, the entry would most likely have been longer than that for any other word. For example, on page 279 John McCain is depicted as speaking 12 words to his wife Cindy, 11 are the f-word with the outlier being "you." McCain having both middle fingers extended as well as his barking it directly into her face adds the exclamation point. After this, there is the sentence, "Cindy burst into tears, but, really, she should have been used to it by now." Hillary Clinton is not far behind in the f-count and no one in her vicinity ever seems to give it a second thought.
Insights abound into the actions of the primary players in the 2008 presidential campaign; most are at least slightly diminished as you see them raw, unedited and uncensored. This is a book that you will lose sleep over, as you simply cannot put it down. I read 200 pages in one sitting, so engaged that I was sore from being immobile for so long.

Held my interest and provided super insight.

Only improvement recommended - edit out the all too numerous f___ word usage, then it should be required reading for High School Students.

If you like politics , this book is for you. Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal. The book gets you behind the scenes of the compaign.

There were few surprises in the book. What Mark Halpern presents to us was generally covered or at least hinted at in the media coverage during and after the election. But it's still fascinating. Anyone who finds our political processes entertaining, infuriating, amusing and appalling will get their money's worth. I find it amusing that the Republicans were so shocked at Joe Biden's remarks about Barack Obama's high electability quotient because of his race, his speaking ability and his appearance. Yeah, defenders of the minorities, those Republicans. Biden says enough stupid things, and this wasn't one of them. He made an accurate political evaluation. The Obama camp was, it seems, running the tightest ship and the most responsible and "honorable" campaign. McCain was shucking and jiving to the poll music, Hilary is a brilliant woman who campaigned like a foolish one. I wonder how many people are wondering whether not voting for her was the biggest mistake they could have made in the election. Despite her inability to put together a decent team for her campaign, she is one tough and determined woman who, I think, would have fought harder for her programs than Obama has fought for his. And as far as the John Edwards train wreck is concerned, at least it gave us an idea of why the man threw his future away on a woman he picked up in a hotel bar. Elizabeth Edwards might have driven a better man away, and John was not a better man. And then there was Sarah. Nothing here we didn't already know, but it's nice to have all the dirt in a neat pile. In fact, Palin doesn't come across nearly as badly as she might have...the book isn't a hatchet job on anyone. Palin's past, Troopergate, the meth dealing erstwhile in-laws, the kid who got sentenced to the Army in lieu of jail, the other kid's shotgun engagement, none of this was flung at readers, despite Palin's attempt to use her kids as a postcard for family values. Palin's failure to remember the name of a single newspaper or magazine she had read, her utter ignorance of the Bush doctrine, and the belief that she had a uniquely keen perception of Russia and its nuanced political implications because she somehow saw Vladimir Putin's gigantic head looming out of aircraft in the Alaskan skies...they're all mentioned in the book, but not nearly as in your face as they might have been. All in all, this is delightfully scandalous book, giving us details where we previously had innuendo. For everyone who has ever sat spellbound while eavesdropping on a juicy conversation, for those who can't resist a quick peek in the medicine cabinet when visiting friends, for the nosy among us, this book is delicious. A little something to delight the Dems, a little something to tick them off. Ditto the Reps. Perhaps not the best book to come out of the elections, but certainly the most fun to read.

Well having read this book I have to say I found it enjoyable. There are a number of anecdotes in here which are interesting and show some light on the candidates who ran for president in 2008. However, I find myself knocking it down because it is so gossipy and seems intent on spending as much time on the gossip as it does on the issues of the '08 election. I mean I didn't count but I would bet there is as much ink spilled about John Edwards affairs than there is about the Wall Street mess and sub-prime collapse.

The dynamic of the book is certainly focused on telling a juicy story. I think that is too bad because all the authors seem interested in doing is rehashing old stories and letting it go at that. While the news media was all aghast at what was said in the book there is nothing that we had not heard of before. All in all I think this is an interesting book but nothing to write home about.

Game Change is an excellent book and gives an insider look at the back stabbing that goes on inside the run for political office. The possibility remains of what the authors did not record because of lack of reliable sources. It was a bit biased towards Obama and against the rest of the candidates but it reads like a novel and not a tell-all piece of non-fiction. Well worth it.

I followed this election closer than any election before. It was very interesting to find out what was happening behind the scene. "Game Change" gives you a whole new perspective on the process of the race and the key people involved! I couldn't put the book down. A "must" read!

I am a political junkie and GAME CHANGE gave me my fix! I can tell that it was written in lighting speed because the information was all over the place which is fine since the insight was great into the 2008 Presidential election. Enjoy it for what it is-lots of juicy stuff about Obama, Clinton, McCain and Palin.
The Rog

This is a wonderful book about the 2008 presidential campaign. It is written in an easy style, and the authors go from one candidate to the other at particular times during the campaign. The book reminded me of "The Making of the President," by Theodore H. White, about the 1960 election of John F. Kennedy.

I would recommend it to anyone interested in politics or U.S. history.

I don't read political books, as a rule. I just don't see the point. They're all either right or left leaning, which means they'll either affirm what I already believe or piss me off royally -- so what's the point? But I couldn't resist this one, due in part (I admit it!) to the press coverage about the tidbits it reveals, and also due to my lingering fascination with a presidential race that altered history on three astonishing fronts. It fatigued me while it was still ongoing, and the greatest thing about this book is how it manages to distill all the excitement of that 2-3 year process into something streamlined and highly readable. All the drama of the Democratic primary and general election without any of the dull parts? Irresistible. So much so that I went out and did something I almost never do: bought a brand new hardcover and read it immediately, hardly even stopping to sleep. It's that good.

The main criticism of this book seems to be its extensive use of deep background, which means that few sources are credited. Considering the kind of information presented, that's hardly surprising. But it seems silly to doubt the veracity of the information the book contains in light of the media firestorm its release provoked. Would Harry Reid have made made national apologies for words he honestly never uttered? Hardly. The book has also been dismissed as gossipy, tabloid trash. I beg to differ. Tabloids mainly traffic in lies and exaggerations, after all. This is a behind-the-scenes glimpse into a political showdown the likes of which were never before seen in this country or any other, written by two men whose journalistic bona fides have been proven. Hardly on the same plane as tabloid gossip, no matter how you slice it. And besides -- as we've all seen from the Edwards fallout, sometimes even tabloids get it dead right.

Heilemann and Halperin are fantastic writers. The narrative flows like fiction, and they set scenes so well that it reads like a Hollywood screenplay at times. (Also unsurprising, considering the circumstances. As Jon Stewart noted at the Oscars that year, usually when you see a black man or a woman POTUS, it means an asteroid is about to hit the Earth.) However, they resist any impulse to dumb the book down for general readership. I admit frankly that their vocabulary had me running for a dictionary on multiple occasions. But most of the time, I was so engrossed that I chose to simply keep going. The portraits painted of the major players are nuanced and unbiased. Obama is revealed as a whiny, hands-off guy who grew peevish when things didn't go his way. Clinton apparently could only deal with her flailing campaign and her loose-cannon husband by submerging herself in deep denial. Edwards is painted as a raging egomaniac who fell in love with his own image, and his wife -- even before her cancer scares -- was a paranoid shrew. McCain is foul-mouthed, superstitious, disorganized, and so detached from his own campaign that even his closest advisers began to question his desire to win the race. And as for Palin . . . well, there's really nothing positive about her in the book at all, except for one interesting passage. The authors manage to keep their opinions at a bare minimum through most of the book, but on page 415 they actually defend Palin. "The truth was, the McCain people did fail Palin. . . . They amassed polling points and dollars off of her fiery charisma, and then left her to burn up in the inferno of public opinion."

Backbiting, bitterness and blatant dishonesty are something grown-ups have learned to expect from political campaigns these days, but there's still something affirming about reading the proof of it print. I enjoyed this book not because it confirmed what I already knew or because it royally pissed me off, though it did both of those things in spades. I enjoyed it because it pulled no punches and because it successfully personified the iconic major players, revealing as no "news" broadcast these days ever could that they really are quite human.

My only major criticism of the book is its lack of balance between the Democratic and Republican coverage. Granted, until the entrance of Sarah Palin, the Republican race wasn't nearly as interesting as what was going on across the aisle, but it still would have been a nice change of pace. The last half of the book feels very rushed. Palin, for all the impact she had on the campaign, doesn't even get an intro until we're 350 pages in. In a recent TV interview, one of the authors said that a lot of things were left out because their editor limited them to 500 pages. Well, the book is only 436 pages, and it's evident that there's a lot missing. If this were a DVD, I'd be griping about the lack of deleted scenes. Full disclosure: normally I'd take a star off for that, but I bumped it up a star to help counterbalance all the angry Kindle users who low-rated it because the E-version was delayed. That kind of calculated carpet-bombing sounds like something right out of the (paper) pages of this book.

I found this book really informative and a quick read. These authors don't treat any of the candidates with kid gloves. The revelations about the Clintons were depressing, but not surprising. The McCain campaign was clearly flawed from the beginning and it would have been great to have some more insight into those missteps. Most shocking....the Edwards. I never thought that highly of John Edwards, but I had no idea just how dysfunctional his marriage actually has been for some time. Yikes! It was nice to see Obama shown to be a real person and not so carefully crafted. He must get tired of the media manufactured image himself. Also, it was nice to see some positive things written about his his relationship with Michelle Obama, as the horrifyingly increasing acceptance of goofy conservative news/entertainment {FOX}as legit continually attempts to dissect and rip these people apart.

The minute I read the Sarah Palin section I knew there would be trouble. Everything in here was blatantly obvious during the campaign. Those of us watching saw it then...the lack of knowledge, the immaturity, the insincerity. What was new to me is the analysis of why she is that way. People, who for some reason like her charm, otherwise known as wackiness, or think she has values, otherwise known as trumped up neo-con nonsense, will cry afoul, but they need to get on board with reality. The truth often hurts.

As to the Kindle crybabies, will you shut up. No one asked you to buy the silly device. Publishing is a business and that means they are interested in making money. No way will they put it on Kindle while it's hot. That's just dumb and cuts into profits! Remember what I said about grown-ups? It is still applicable here

Love Game Change because I adore the "inside baseball" side of politics. I particularly love the Sarah Palin portions because we learned that even her handlers found her to be an unqualified choice for VP yet they still allowed her appointment to go forward. Yikes!I was shocked by her lack of knowledge and what appeared to be a disturbed mental state. When was the last time we learned so much about a politician from those on his/her campaign that knew him/her best? Great read and well indexed.

I always love the work of these authors.

Parts of the book were quite shocking and should have scared the American public. Sarah Palin was so close to the Presidency yet it doesn't appear that she was stable or prepared for the presidency from the revelations in the book. The vetting was irresponsible at best. Surely we can do better in politics than let this type of thing happen again.

This is a great book that reads like Page Six of the NY Post the whole way through from start to finish! I highly recommend it if you enjoy the rough and tumble of politics in America today...

Anyone who followed the campaign will recognize some of the events that occurred, but this book is fascinating because it covers the things that either lead up to the events or what was happening behind the scenes. I was surprised at some of the things that happened, such as John Edwards campaign. His public personna at the time was much different than the private one, what his staffers were aware of before it all became public, and the truly big surprise was the behavior of Elizabeth Edwards. It seems she isn't quite what she appears. Hillary's grit and determination was surprising, but her husband really hurt her campaign in alot of ways and it's all covered here. Because of the campaign, the relationship between the Clintons and Obamas was a testy one. Obama ran a great campaign, but it wasn't without its moments. Joe Biden has a bit of a case of oral diarrhea, and made some embarrassing statements, but aside from the President's temper and colorful language, it wasn't anywhere as interesting as Camp McCain. Their selection of Palin as his running mate was done in such haste, they were completely unprepared. McCain's first pick was Leiberman, it seems they ended up picking Palin to energize his campaign. She clearly was in over her head and the pick turned out to be disasterous. McCain's staff didn't realize until it was too late the huge mistake they made in her selection. The authors did a great job filling in the blanks for the readers, a really great read.

Great way to get a feel for the political bigwigs involved in the past election. It changed my opinion of many of the candidates and their spouses. Without giving too much away, I still truly admire Hillary Clinton and have changed my opinion of Bill.

This book is a fast read, actually a page-turner, as it is written in a style somewhat like a novel. It tells a story and is not just a book of facts and quotes. At times I found myself laughing out loud.

If you like to curl up with a good book, this is the one.

Totally entertaining, but not a serious study of anyone, or anything, in the book.
No footnotes, blanket anonymity for sources, leads to a "get even" contest among all who dwell in the great morass of American politics. Poor Sarah, and Poor the Edwards. None of them come off well.

But even if half of the book is true, your eyes will be opened a little bit more.
And you will be saddened to enter the NetherWorld of politics, hence the title.

It's like trying to weave facts into a speech by Sarah Palin, after she has left the stage or finished the "interview". What did I just hear? Ergo, What did I just read?

Anyway, buy the book and take it on the plane, or when your mother-in-law comes to visit: both venues are apropos for a reading.

Buy it, borrow it, go to a bookstore, but read it! You won't be disappointed.

Since I suffer from intense computer eyestrain from reading on electronic screens all day, when I read books, I read the hardcopies, lovely print on paper whenever possible. I don't have or want a Kindle. I was given this book as a gift. It is full of gossip and soap opera plots. As other reviewers have mentioned there's no documentation and lots of fiction mixed in the undocumented non-fiction. It does have something for everyone. No matter which politician or political family you hate; they provide lots of fodder to keep the fires burning against them. You will come away with less respect, if you had it, for all of the political leaders of our day. If you had any respect for our incompetent media that will evaporate too. Buy the book if you want to know how common and unbalanced the leaders of this country really are, otherwise just wait for the Kindle owners to start talking about what's actually in the book at the water cooler in a few weeks.
P.S. to you Kindle folk-I gave this book a couple of extra stars because of your childish campaign. No matter which format you prefer hurting authors will limit your future choices in all formats.

This book is interesting and gives us some insight to how politicians really are (assuming that the book is factual) Bottom line is, politicians are human and this book brings that to light. I agree with some here that rating the book as one star, without ever reading it, makes very little sense and is dishonest.

American presidential campaign histories have never been the same since Theodore White stopped producing his magisterial works of reporting and analysis. No one else has brought the same literary talent and perceptive reporting skills that he displayed in his Making of the President series from 1960 through 1972. Nevertheless, there have been some well done campaign histories produced by other writers and journalists over the years since then, and I believe Game Change will eventually be ranked among the best of these.

Game Change can be faulted for too many gossipy stories with obscure or questionable authentication, but it can also be credited with some really intriguing details of decisions made by the candidates and their handlers during the 2008 campaign, which really began as soon as the 2004 results were announced. I enjoyed reading details about the candidates' personalities and their work habits. Though I felt some of the stories about the candidates' personal lives and those of their families were overly intrusive (do we really need to know every time Barack Obama missed one of his daughters' recitals?), it does indicate the depth of research done by the authors. Finally, I appreciated the analyses of some of the major turning points of the election campaign, which illuminated some (but not all) the questionable if not downright bizarre choices made by the candidates. I doubt anyone will ever be able to fully explain why John McCain considered Sarah Palin a suitable choice for his vice-president, for example, but at least this book provides more insight into the process by which that inscrutable decision was made.

The 2008 election is barely a year behind us, and it will surely be remembered as one of our more momentous ones. Game Change does a masterful job of chronicling some of the major characters and events of that year. There will be other books written about that campaign, but this one will be remembered as one of the better ones.

I'm about 100 pages into GAME CHANGE and can't put it down. It reads like a fast-paced, juicy gossip, back-stabbing, high-stakes thriller. What makes it all the more interesting is that all of this hubris describes what it takes to nab the most powerful job in the United States, or perhaps the world. After watching coverage on the hard-fought primaries and then the general election on a daily basis like a political junkie, this book was like re-living it all again in fast forward. I believe this will go down as one of the best books on the election, and will mark a turning point on how major elections are reported in the future. Apart from the salacious pleasure of reading the behind the scenes view of major players, it really provides insight into what it takes to rise to the top in politics and what those major players are willing to sacrifice to win.

If Hollywood Central Casting were asked to put together a group of actors with the most monstrous egos on the face of the planet, they could not have done a better job than the two national parties did in the last election.

So forget about everything you know about McCain and Palin, Clinton and Obama, Edwards and Giuliani. The truth is actually worse. Far worse. Game Change goes ahead and deliciously details all the backbiting, sex, lies, and self-destructions of the most dissected presidential campaign in history. It's jaw-dropping, gripping, and guaranteed to keep you reading late into the night. Here are just a few of the revelations:

SARAH PALIN was the most colossally unprepared candidate ever to grace the national arena. "She couldn't explain why North and South Korea were separate nations. She didn't know what the Fed did. Asked who attacked America on 9/11, she suggested several times it was Saddam Hussein." And her mental state was so precarious that at one point, John McCain actually had his doctor observe her.

JOHN EDWARDS was such a blowhard egotist that he angled for a position as VP or Attorney General, all the while knowing that Rielle Hunter was eight months pregnant and the story could break at any time.

JOHN MCCAIN was so disengaged and shoot-from-the-hip in style that GEORGE BUSH wondered about his ability to lead the nation. He vetted Palin for the second most important job in the nation in under 72 hours and barely knew her. Oh, and when he wanted to relax? He'd watch the infamous YouTube posting of John Edwards preening to the sounds of I Feel Pretty.

HILLARY CLINTON was barely able to control her husband and his intemperate telephonic and in-person outbursts. Oh, and that speech she delivered at the convention anointing Obama? Bill rewrote it behind her back just hours before she was supposed to deliver it.

The authors, Heilemann and Halperin reveal it all in this spicy smorgasbord: the friction between Obama and his garrulous vice presidential pick...Obama's own tendency toward conceit and coldness...Hillary's initial rejection of Obama's Secretary of State offer...the perilous state of the marriage of John and Elizabeth Edwards. It's so compulsively readable that I finished 400 pages in just two days. This is truly "must read" for anyone interested in politics.

It is a fantastic book on the historic 2008 presidential race. The author did a wonderful job in writing about the behind the scenes look at the presidential candidates. You will find out why McCain selected Palin as his vice presidential candidate and how ill prepared she was for that position. The author also pulls down the curtain on Mrs. Edwards and her carefully crafted image of a saint when in reality she was a very demanding and egocentric person. You will also learn the problems the Obama campaign faced when dealing with the controversial Rev. Wright. It is a great book and I am sure many will enjoy reading it.

The book provides an insight into the major 2008 presidential campaigns. It is not an expose on any one of the candidates, nor does it purport to be. It provides a candid look on, sometimes funny, antics of the various players. I found the John Edwards sections quite enlightening and entertaining.

The authors devoted many more sections on the Clintons and, later, Palin. This could be partly due to the fact that these two campaigns had more, for a lack of a better word, comical incidents than the others. The book painted the Obama campaign as a well-oiled juggernaut but the rest as amateur sailboats. That could be true and I have no reason to disagree but I just felt that the former probably more vulnerable and the latter more organized simply based on my own impression of the campaigns.

"Game Change," which created a splash when released earlier this year for a few choice quotes out of a large book, is worth the read if you are interested in a close look at the inner workings of the major presidential campaigns from 2008. The Obamas, Clintons, Edwards, McCain's and Palins are all covered. The writers, reporters for major journalistic outlets, have lots of access and conducted many interviews, though unfortunately most were off the record. I highly recommend this book for its political gossip quality and entertainment value.