For Political Junkies

I’m not one for gossip.  But there was something that drew me to read the gossipy new history of the last Presidential election, Game Change:  Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime, written by veteran political reporters John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.  Perhaps it was the political hype or the unprecedented dynamics of our last election that snagged me .  But like the election and all its coverage, I was sunk by the first paragraph, and couldn’t put the thing down thereafter. 

If you’ve been doing any reading or television viewing of late, you’re probably familiar with some of the book’s claims of the presidential would-bes.  Heilemann and Halperin offer readers an unusually candid and behind-closed-doors look at the candidates and their camps from before the election began, to its notable finish.  If you haven’t yet heard some of the claims, you’ve certainly seen the fallout:  Senator Reid’s apology for his use of racially insensitive words to describe President Obama; or, Edwards’ acknowledgement of his child with Rielle Hunter.  But what’s most fascinating is the otherwise general silence from the book’s subjects.  To date, very few of the major players have offered information refuting Heilemann and Halperin’s claims. 

The biggest complaint made by politicians and journalists, alike, is the authors’ lack of sources.  Despite their solid reputations, the authors’ choice to withhold their sources of information has been nothing short of taboo for journalists of their caliber.

For more particulars, read the NY Times Review or listen to NPR’s Talk of the Nation.