Game Change; John Heilemann, Mark Halperin; 2010; Harper Perennial; 444 pages, index

I generally do not read political books. This one is about the election of Obama. I think I primarily read it because of the movie of the same name. The movie was pretty much all about Palin. The book actually spends very little time on Palin.

Nevertheless, I read it through. Which means I was engaged. The major take away for me was the campaign of Hillary Clinton, which echoed the most recent one. Over confidence. Blame others. A sense of entitlement. She felt Obama was an ungrateful line-jumper who should wait his turn. She spoke of Obama's "insufferable arrogance" and moaned about the media fawning all over him.  

The Clinton 2008 campaign was relatively polite until near the end, when Bill waded in. Bill,probably unintentionally, raised race as an issue.

The book covers the sad run of John Edwards, who cheated on his cancer struck wife. John Edwards was a cad, and it turns out his wife was a bitch. He impregnated Hunter, the "other woman", who was a bit unhinged ("I'm a witch!).

The first half of the book covers Obama, the second, McCain and Palin. There is as much meat in the movie as the book on the McCain run.

I see the authors regularly on TV and the book is still mentioned today. If you are a political junkie, just interested on the election of the first black president, or would like to compare the most recent campaign in which the US elected an asshole, to the one eight years ago, I think you will find this book informative. 

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