April 2010 | Vol. VIII No. 8 One Civilized Reader Is Worth a Thousand Boneheads Tales From The War Rooms The Center for Review of Illinois who was a former law professor and the Humanities Advisory Board Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, community organizer (Barack Obama), and a 2009–2010 McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Life- former senator from North Carolina who was Nancy Berg time a successful trial attorney (John Edwards). No Professor of Asian and Near Eastern Languages and Literatures By John Heilemann and Mark Halperin novelist could have invented a more extraor- Ken Botnick Harper, 2010, 448 pages including index dinary cast of characters, complete with flaws Associate Professor of Art Gene Dobbs Bradford and virtues. Iowa was the beginning of the Executive Director If you found the 2008 presidential prima- Jazz St. Louis ries and debates as compelling as watching the end for all three. Lingchei (Letty) Chen Associate Professor of Modern Chinese Olympics, go to Amazon.com or your near- Through revealing anecdotes Game Language and Literature Elizabeth Childs est bookstore and purchase Game Change: Change shows how and why Barack Obama Associate Professor and Chair of Department of Art History and Obama and the won the Democratic Archaeology Clintons, McCain and nomination and the Mary-Jean Cowell Through revealing anecdotes Game Associate Professor of Performing Arts Palin, and the Race Oval Office and, more Phyllis Grossman Change shows how and why Barack Retired Financial Executive of a Lifetime by John importantly, why his Michael A. Kahn Heilemann, journal- Obama won the Democratic nomina- rivals lost: Obama Author and Partner Bryan Cave LLP ist, author, and col- tion and the Oval Office and, more im- seemed conciliatory Zurab Karumidze umnist for Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia New York portantly, why his rivals lost... but clever and stra- Chris King magazine, and Mark tegic while his main Editorial Director The St. Louis American Newspaper Halperin, author and rivals, Hillary Clinton Olivia Lahs-Gonzales Director senior political analyst for Time. The account and Republican nominee John McCain, Sheldon Art Galleries Paula Lupkin of the 2008 presidential election by these saw themselves as fighters and seemed at Assistant Professor of Architecture times pugnacious and desperate. Obama’s Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts seasoned political writers reads like a thriller, Erin McGlothlin and brings to mind the wonderful series of campaign valued competence; Clinton and Associate Professor of German Steven Meyer presidential campaign books covering the McCain prized loyalty, the drug of choice for Associate Professor of English Joe Pollack elections of 1960, 1964, 1968, and 1972 by most politicians. Ironically, Clinton’s and Mc- Film and Theater Critic for KWMU, political journalist Theodore H. White. This Cain’s campaign organizations not only were Writer Anne Posega engaging narrative opens with the Democrats’ dysfunctional but, with all the post-election Head of Special Collections, Olin Library Qiu Xiaolong three-ring circus of United States senators recriminations, were lacking in loyalty as Novelist and Poet who would be president and recounts how well. Heilemann and Halperin character- Henry Schvey Professor of Drama they reacted to what happened in the Iowa ize Obama as possessing “overweening” and Wang Ning caucuses – a senator from New York who was “otherworldly” self-confidence, yet this did Professor of English, Tsinghua University James Wertsch former First Lady and successful corpora- not estrange him from voters. His demeanor Marshall S. Snow Professor of Arts and Sciences tion lawyer (Hillary Clinton), a senator from seemed reassuring rather than off-putting Director of International and Area Studies Ex Officio Edward S. Macias Provost & Exec VC for Academic Affairs Gary S. Wihl (Jian Leng’s column will return next month.) Dean of Arts & Sciences visit our blog site at http://cenhum.artsci.wustl.edu/pubs/blog.htm because it inspired the public. And who would ever vote was Bill really comfortable with Hillary running for the for a candidate who lacked confidence? presidency? Obama was punctual. He schmoozed delegates Obama appeared so besotted with Michelle that constantly, posed for photos with volunteers, brought he made it clear to those around him he would rather his organizers on stage at rallies. Most of this is a page be with her and their girls than with anyone else. He from the playbooks of Teddy Roosevelt, Harry Truman, became emotional when talking about them. He wept and John F. Kennedy, just as his at Valerie Jarrett’s book party for rhetoric about changing the tone in Audacity of Hope when describing Washington and reaching out across how difficult the campaign would the aisle was from the playbook of be on his family. They seemed the George W. Bush in 2000, but it all perfect “power couple,” and his worked wonderfully well. Successful “family man” image was greatly politics is mostly pouring old wine appealing to voters. “Mr. Cool,” into a new bottle. as he was sometimes called among Clinton, on the other hand, partisans and pundits, openly cried was socially tone deaf, surprisingly before a crowd of tens of thousands so, for someone with her political as he announced that his beloved experience. She had to be pushed grandmother, Toot, who reared into thanking donors and volun- him, had died two days before Elec- teers. She declined to phone super tion Day. A politician, of course, has delegates herself and had a staffer to be careful about seeming to try call Caroline Kennedy to come to too hard to get sympathy for family Iowa to campaign for her (Kennedy sacrifices. After all, no one is being ducked the call). Clinton wanted forced to run for the office. Obama, so badly to succeed yet seemed to it should go without saying, is far lack the leadership skills to focus her from perfect. The book reveals him campaign and rally her troops. She to have a potty mouth in private took her loss in Iowa badly, and she never quite recov- and an aloofness that has made it easy for his political ered her poise in the months that followed, although she enemies to characterize him as elitist. And the syco- did not lack determination. phantic belief by some of his staff like David Axelrod and Valerie Jarrett in the transformational nature of Like the surprises in a Cracker Jack box, perspec- his candidacy (they called him “the black Jesus”) is not tives on three marriages have been tucked inside Game likely to prevent a swollen ego. “[Michelle’s] confidence Change: Bill and Hill, Barack and Michelle, and John in Barack was profound and unshakable,” write Heile- and Cindy. (There is the account of dissolution of mar- mann and Halperin, “[But she] has always been a gut- riage as well: John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth. Ed- level skeptic about the gaga-ness around her husband.” wards impregnated his mistress, Rielle Hunter. This was not a major story during the primary season of 2008, According to Heilemann and Halperin, “[the] Mc- although it should have been.) Cains fought in front of others, during small meetings The authors portray the Clintons as in awe of each and before large events, to the amazement and discom- other’s intelligence and drive. Because her husband fort of the staff. She cursed him; he cursed her.” hates quitters, Hillary refused to drop out, even when Cindy had never wanted McCain to run for president the math was clearly against her. Some thought this and felt particularly scarred by the Bush campaign of courageous—others thought her simply stubborn. It 2000, which depicted her as a pill-popping “rich bitch” was unclear during the campaign if Bill helped or hurt drug addict and the couple’s adopted Bangladeshi Hillary, but they stuck to each other in such a way as to daughter as John’s illegitimate offspring from a liaison make it seem for the first time in American politics with a black prostitute. When told that his wife, who that a couple was running for the presidency. But has lived in Phoenix for decades, has apparently had a boyfriend for several years, John picked Delaware senator Joe Biden, vetted and recommended Alaska McCain told his staff to talk to her an experienced old pol who had governor Sarah Palin, a forty-four about it. McCain stalwart John run for president himself more than year old former beauty queen and Weaver told McCain that he had to once (never getting within sniff- devout Christian with five children handle the matter. McCain called ing distance of the nomination) and considerable expertise on the his wife. She denied having an affair. and who could counter the charge Alaskan energy industry, who at the He told her that she would have to about Obama’s lack of experience time had an eighty percent approval make more public appearances with with his own resume. Obama was rating. him to quash any rumors. She duti- efficient and careful in his selection. A. B. Culvahouse, another fully did so. But she felt his run for His campaign employed a vigorous McCain advisor, warned that the presidency was selfishness. screening process with focus groups Palin would bring more potential With a black candidate mount- and a selection committee. His aides land mines than other candidates ing a serious challenge for the ran a stealth ad lab to find which po- (although he was impressed with presidency, race naturally played a tential Republican attack ads would how Palin went though the vetting role in the campaign. “McCain was be most lethal and how to combat interview). “High risk, high reward,” on a hair trigger over accusations them and which vice presidential Culvahouse told McCain.