Game Change by Heilemann and Halperin

"Game Change"  was published in 2010, co-authored by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin was recommended by a friend who enjoys political discussion.  I  have always been intrigued by how Barack Husein Obama, a little known Senator from Illinois could best the Clinton political machine and rise to be elected President out of relative obscurity.  That friend  said it is all in this book, well she exaggerated or oversimplified but the book is very well written and revealing about the personalities in the 2008 election.  I read it about a month ago.  

 This book,  well worth reading at 436 pages, validates much of what I suspected, the  arrogance of the  president himself and his narcissism and the oldest adage that politics makes strange bed fellows.  It begins with the specious  initial campaign of the unknown Obama and ends with his first election and Hillary Cinton's acceptance as his Secretary of State.  I picked this  book up for only $3 at Big Lots, in PA on my travels and will be sending it along to another friend, in CA whose birthday is imminent.  I hope she reads it.  
Page 24, "  Precious few people in any walk of life could even faintly comprehend what had happened to him and what it meant.  But Hillary would understand completely, Obama's view of her husband was complicated, there was much about Bill Clinton and the creed of Clintonism that he admired, but also much that gave him pause...His feelings about Hillary were, however, more straightforward.  He'd liked her from the moment they met.  Obama was wonkier, more enthralled by policy than most people understood and he  saw in Hillary a kindred spirit.,...He wanted Hillary's assistance in the minefield stretched out before him. ..Clinton believed that success in the Senate required the sublimation of the ego..."

Page 25, "He could come across as cocky, that was for sure--and not just to people outside his circle.  He was smarter than the average bear, not to mention the average politician, and he not only knew it, but wanted to make sure that everyone else knew it too."  Recognize  who that is? 

 I learned some things from reading this book but primarily confirmed what I suspected.  I do not know why it never surged on the best seller's lists or if it did I was not aware of it then.  I confirmed that Axelrod who is still with Obama has been a long time operative in the liberal end of the  democratic party and  both Edwards and Obama were clients.  I learned that Rahm  Emmanuel, who would become  Obama's first chief of staff and then return  to Chicago to run for mayor was one of the few people in the campaign counseling both Obama and the Clintons.  I read of Hillary's betrayal and abandonment by the powers of her party, including the Kennedys who were swayed by their younger children all smitten by Obama.  As I suspected these movers and shakers and old time king makers wanted the Presidency and figured this articulate unknown could be the first black president.  

There is a lot of  detail about Obama's and Michelle's dislike for the Middle of the country as well as Hillary's disdain for Iowa.  

Page 251 describes "bitter people" as the Obama code name for  white working class voters, something I wonder about.  How about all those of that code who voted for him yet again, re-electing him?

The last part of the book covers the McCain Pailin campaign and immediately paints McCain as  erratic at best and downright crazy at first.  So if I had not been part of this I would have quickly gotten the idea that the Republicans had a losing team from the  beginning, I thought so too but supported them in the voting booth.  

Well we have now passed the 2nd election and are stuck with this Obama presidency for another 4 years.  I hope it will not be the undoing of the country but I think we are in for the worst with this narcissistic man and his wife.  Time will tell.     Too bad more people do not learn before they vote.  

  I give this book 4****  it is well worth reading.