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299 reviews for:
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
John Heilemann
4.08 AVERAGE
299 reviews for:
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
John Heilemann
4.08 AVERAGE
Great behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 presidential race and all the crazy characters involved. Learned a lot of interesting new facts about the players involved and it's fast-paced.
Really difficult to put this down. Some of this I'd forgotten (already!) and some I never knew (the details about John and Elizabeth Edwards is one big example). I voted for Hilary in the primary so reading some of the early primary details was interesting too. For me, this book was a good timing read. I'd probably give the book a solid 3 (writing and substance) but the topic bumped it to a 4 for me.
A racy read for anyone who followed the 2008 Presidential Election. Nothing especially new here, although in aggregate it is a bit worrying that so many campaigns for such an important position are disorganized and dysfunctional. Good political porn and a quick read.
I'm not very much into politics or politicians but this book was crazy interesting. The whole book was riveting, from John Edwards affair and his somewhat deranged wife, to the Hillary and Bill show, or Obama fever and finally the craziness that surround Sarah Palin. Wow! Glad I stepped outside more normal reading box to give this book a try.
Why would someone run for president? What would make them go through such an awful process?
Why would someone run for president? What would make them go through such an awful process?
A very good read, even for those like myself that thought that they knew a lot of this story. At times it comes off of gossipy but for the most part it reads like a great mystery.
The authors' political affiliation certainly isn't a secret as they promote Obama to deity type figurehood at times but they do try to humanize him a bit as well. I have read a lot about the Clintons so the portray of Hill as a shrewd and driven woman were not a surprise. Her colorful language was though!
McCain and Edwards probably take the most hits in the book but since they are both effectively done in politics it won't impact them. Edwards and his wife look horrible and McCain comes across as a foul mouthed old man who wants everyone to get off his lawn.
Palin gets skewered but considering who the book was written by that won't surprise anyone.
A very, very good read and should be enjoyed by anyone that wonders what is really going on behind the scenes in the current races.
The authors' political affiliation certainly isn't a secret as they promote Obama to deity type figurehood at times but they do try to humanize him a bit as well. I have read a lot about the Clintons so the portray of Hill as a shrewd and driven woman were not a surprise. Her colorful language was though!
McCain and Edwards probably take the most hits in the book but since they are both effectively done in politics it won't impact them. Edwards and his wife look horrible and McCain comes across as a foul mouthed old man who wants everyone to get off his lawn.
Palin gets skewered but considering who the book was written by that won't surprise anyone.
A very, very good read and should be enjoyed by anyone that wonders what is really going on behind the scenes in the current races.
This was a very insightful book about the 2008 Presidential campaign. A couple of issues come to my mind. I don't think the Democratic Party was loyal to Hilary Clinton during her primary campaign race with Barack Obama. Maybe it was because the Clintons burned so many bridges over the years that big name donors and endorsements didn't feel a need to unify behind her. Making excuses for why she lost is a trait. I also think that the McCain campaign put Sarah Palin in a bad spot, and virtually set her up to fail. I'm also inclined to believe that it was then-senator Barack Obama's response to the financial crisis in 2007 and Senator John McCain's inaction that won the presidency. The book definitely paints a picture of McCain being disengaged and disconnected as a potential president.
Second take: this book is highly interesting and entertaining. - august 2013
Highly entertaining take on the 2008 election. I took it all with a grain of salt (the stuff where they're describing the thoughts of Bill Clinton or Barack Obama...come on. How would they know?). But I enjoyed every bit of it. And it seems that every single person involved in the 2008 election had massive, uncontrollable egos. But I already knew that.
Originally read January 2010
Highly entertaining take on the 2008 election. I took it all with a grain of salt (the stuff where they're describing the thoughts of Bill Clinton or Barack Obama...come on. How would they know?). But I enjoyed every bit of it. And it seems that every single person involved in the 2008 election had massive, uncontrollable egos. But I already knew that.
Originally read January 2010
I really enjoyed reading this book (four years later and in the midst of another presidential election). It has been on my 'to read' list for a while, but seeing it on the bargain rack motivated me to pick it up finally, and it is a great effort to give some insight into the personalities behind the 2008 race. I've heard it described as gossipy, and that might be accurate, but it is also very well-researched and insightful.
Excellent! Loved the behind the scenes look at the candidates and families, and even though I thought I had an inkling of the "juice" that'd be contained it surprised me constantly. Evidently, it was based on dozens of interviews with top staffers and is all pretty well established truths. I'll never look at the Clintons and Edwardses the same again!! And still eternally grateful McCain isn't the president (and Palin isn't anything at all!)
I'm not done reading this but it's due back at the library. I'm a little over halfway finished and it is so interesting. I hate all the foul language the people running for office and their campaign use. For being so intelligent you'd think they'd think of something better to use than the standard junior high swear words. I want to finish it but am kind of disgusted at the same time.