Dennis's Reviews > Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

The 2008 presidential election for me was like a Super Bowl, a World Cup, and a grand soap opera, all rolled into one. So it was a no-brainer that I would run from bookstore to bookstore in order to find me a copy of Game Change. (Thanks, Costco!) I was not disappointed. In a concise and chronological narrative, the authors highlight the Obama-Biden, McCain-Palin, and Clinton campaigns in a thrilling behind-the-scenes look at the turmoil and drama that voters didn't see. My suspicions were largely confirmed: Barack Obama is aloof but supremely confident and self-assured, and works in earnest to solve problems; Hillary Clinton is ruthlessly competitive but fiercely loyal and committed to her ideals; John McCain is an aged frat-boy with an uncontrollably foul temper, and a mouth to match, who prides himself on being, well, mavericky. And then there's Sarah Palin. The book honestly portrays the gamble McCain took when he selected the Alaska governor as his running mate, and the way his campaign handled (mis-handled) the aftermath of her selection. The authors were sympathetic, if candid, about her state of preparation for the vice presidency.

As a Romney supporter I was dismayed at the way his campaign was marginalized. For example, there was no mention of the effect Benazir Bhutto's assassination had just days before the Iowa and New Hampshire votes on the sudden surge of national security to the top of voter concerns. Also, the authors merely glossed over the antics of the Huckabee campaign and others who made an issue of Romney's religious beliefs. Overall though, this is a must-read for any U.S. political junkie.