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Book Review: Beyond the Palin Charles F

Book Review: Beyond the Palin Charles F

Bridgewater Review

Volume 29 | Issue 1 Article 13

Jun-2010 Book Review: Beyond the Palin Charles F. Angell Bridgewater State University, [email protected]

Recommended Citation Angell, Charles F. (2010). Book Review: Beyond the Palin. Bridgewater Review, 29(1), 30-32. Available at: http://vc.bridgew.edu/br_rev/vol29/iss1/13

This item is available as part of Virtual Commons, the open-access institutional repository of Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, . Beyond the Palin & , : Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime (Harper, 2010).

Charles Angell

Heilemann and Halperin tell readers of Game Change right at the outset that “what was miss- ing [in the reporting of the 2008 presidential campaign] and might be of enduring value… was an intimate portrait of the candidates and spouses who (in our judgment) stood a reason- able chance of occupying the : Barack and , Hillary and , John and , and John and Cindy McCain.” The authors’ method, they then tell us, was to conduct “more than three hundred interviews with more than two hundred people…on a ‘deep background’ basis, which means we ll

e agreed not to identify the subjects as

g sources in any way.” This sounds peril- ously close to Alice Longworth An

s Roosevelt territory: “If you can’t say e anything nice about someone, sit right here by me.” To be fair, Heilemann and Halperin, both experienced political harl reporters for New York and Time maga-

e C zines respectively, aren’t interested in character

g assassination; their fascination seems more attuned to ex-president watching candidates commit political suicide. possessed unerring political instincts, could galvanize a crowd, and was Game Change, in large measure, focuses on and studies invaluable as a fund raiser. Still, ambivalence about the political marriages. Exhibit #1, of course, is Bill and ex-president persisted. Claire McCaskill, running for whose marital ups and downs have the Senate seat in Missouri left vacant by her husband’s been on public view since the early 1990s. The ex-presi- Game Chan death, when asked by Tim Russert during a “Meet the dent figured prominently in Hillary’s decision to run for Press” interview whether she thought Bill Clinton had

ew: president: “the other thing was Bill,” the authors write, been a great president, remarked “I think he’s been a

vi “—more specifically his personal life, about which ru- great leader, but I don’t want my daughter near him.” e mors were running rampant….One party elder de- R Hillary, who the next day was scheduled to appear at a scribed the situation thus: ‘It’s like some Japanese epic New York fund raiser for McCaskill, cancelled. The Bill film where everyone sees the disaster coming in the problem never disappeared and plagued Hillary’s pri-

ook third reel but no one can figure out what to do about it.’”

B mary campaign. Leading Democrats like feared that should Hillary achieve the nomination, Republicans in the Be Patient: the Palin stuff is coming up. general election campaign would flood the media with The Clinton marriage, perplexing as it is, raises the stories of Bill’s past indiscretions and present philander- question of the relation between a politician’s public ing. No doubt they would have done; nevertheless, the

01-32brvn_june10.indd 30 5/27/10 8:01 AM and private lives. To what extent do personal and pri- Edwards campaigned on, but worse was yet to come. vate failings affect the performance of one’s public Two months later in December 2007 the Enquirer ran a duties? At what point does a private indiscretion be- second story headlined “’UPDATE: come a betrayal of the public trust? On this issue it’s LOVE CHILD SCANDAL.’” Hunter had been telling the American public that’s ambivalent. One part of us people that she was pregnant with Edwards’ child. takes vicarious pleasure in the escapades of political Enter Andrew Young, an Edwards gofer, who claimed scoundrels; another part wants those who serve us to be paternity of the child even though he had talked openly squeaky clean. The public forces public figures to oper- about having had a vasectomy. Hunter delivered a baby ate in a climate that breeds hypocrisy as politicians girl in February. The following July, the Enquirer, which craft an image that pushes into “deep background” any- Heilemann and Halperin call Edwards’ “personal tor- thing that might tarnish their reputations. Yet, despite mentor and truth squad,” published a grainy photo of herculean efforts, including impeachment, to discredit Edwards holding the infant. Elizabeth Edwards went his reputation as president, no one to my knowledge into denial, refusing to believe her husband was the ever proved Bill Clinton betrayed or violated his public father. “’I have to believe [he’s not],’ Elizabeth said. vows. His marital vows, yes, but his public vows? The ‘Because if I don’t, it means I’m married to a monster.’” jury for the ex-president is still and will probably al- One needs to digress here to note that the story lives on. ways be hung. The Enquirer has had its reporting accepted by the Not so with John and Elizabeth Edwards. Here truly Pulitzer committee. And Andrew Young has published was a dung hill covered over with snow. Heilemann and his own account of the imbroglio. : An Halperin note that Edwards’ “experience during the Insider’s Account of John Edwards’ Pursuit of the Presidency general election [as ’s running mate in 2004] and the Scandal That Brought Him Down sits in second seemed to [swell his head] to the point of bursting. He place on the March 2nd New York Times’ bestseller list reveled in being inside the bubble: the Secret Service, right behind Game Change. In the book, listed as non- the chartered jet, the press pack following him around, fiction, Young reveals the existence of a sex tape show- the swarm of factotums catering to his every whim.” ing Edwards performing on-camera sex acts, the camera Edwards’ egotism was matched by his wife Elizabeth’s presumably held by Rielle. This, I guess, sort of out- paranoia. Diagnosed with cancer days before the 2004 Clintoned Clinton and ’s infamous election, Elizabeth elicited great sympathy from the blue dress, and got Young and his wife the obligatory public. The Edwards’ staff saw a different side. “The Oprah interview. By the time this is in print, the tape nearly universal assessment among them was that there will probably be on You Tube. was no one on the national stage for whom the dispar- And now for , the Republican Party ity between public image and private reality was vaster booby trap! or more disturbing.” She was abusive to and dismissive of her husband, calling him a “hick” and his family Sarah Palin at the outset was the longest of long-shots “rednecks.” She was, in a word, a virago, a Xanthippe to for John McCain’s vice-presidential choice. The Senator her husband’s attempt to be a populist Socrates. had wanted to offer Joseph Lieberman the opportunity as the first person to represent both parties as a vice- Enter . Heilemann and Halperin provide presidential candidate. Even Lieberman realized the all the juicy details which were reported first in the folly of that idea. Other, more conventional choices though no one, except possibly existed, but McCain, feeling he needed a game-chang- Edwards himself, took the exposé seriously. Edwards ing choice, finally agreed to ask Palin to become his met Hunter in early 2006 and not long after hired her to running mate even though he had met her only once provide video and web documentary for his campaign. and that briefly at a previous national governor’s confer- Edward’s staff knew perfectly well what was going on ence. By now it’s well known that the McCain staff and, to be fair to them, tried to steer Edwards clear; he lacked sufficient time to vet her thoroughly. Initially, wouldn’t listen. Aware that a damaging Enquirer story’s however, Palin impressed McCain and his staff with her appearance was imminent first Edwards, then his wife, composure, self-confidence and calm. When one advisor had pressure Enquirer publisher — queried her lack of nervousness at being pulled out of you can’t make this stuff up—to pull the exposé of virtual obscurity, she simply said “It’s God’s plan.” Edwards’ affair with Hunter. He wouldn’t, it appeared, and received almost no notice in the mainstream media. Maybe God placed the National Enquirer among us as Edwards’ staff “efforts at containing the fallout were part of His plan to punish a stiff-necked people and remarkably successful.” morally challenged politicians—as if eight years of George Bush hadn’t been punishment enough—because Only a couple more paragraphs until Palin.

Bridgewater Review June 2010 31

01-32brvn_june10.indd 31 5/27/10 8:01 AM 01-32brvn_june10.indd 32

Book Review: Game Change Charles Angell “Dammit, I’m“Dammit, mad,” Palin fumed, heradmonishing “whack “whack job.” After the After interview, a furious candidate blamed the staff remark Alaska.” Which gave Saturday Night Live’s Tina William Kristol thatKristol Obama’sWilliam association with Weather Underground subversive,” as around “pal[ling] was in fact her orchild her daughter Bristol’s. The Palins whether the infant Trig, Palin’s Down Syndrome son, whose only source too all often was Palin herself. we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to a new Reverend Wright should also be “fair game and implic- with with terrorists,” he drew the line when Palin told Bristol maternity sagas persisted in the blogosphere; the Fey Fey her opening: “I can see Russia from my house!”) Matters Matters went from bad to worse as McCain’s people 2008 2008 On On the hustings, however, an like Palin, avid diva, drew Obama’s Ayres,association with “the William former point point the put it mildly,” Sullivan wrote Andrew in September politics politics and less about world politics. Her disastrous many dynamos many todynamos be revved up. Her basic theme—“Are mention that was less than flattering, sheinsisted that media coverage; she was and constantly channel-surfing about note, maniacal Palin “became monitoring her nancy and labor provided by Palin to be to perplexing, national national stage. She knew precious little about national rumor-mongering to ask about it.” And that’s a respect- fair.” The staffers McCain found themselves working for failing for to failing prepare her and accused Couric of trying truth remained murky. “I findthe account of her preg- ligently than the Clintons. If a story does not make to “harass Sarah.” Eventually, and Heinemann Halperin too too far.tolerated McCain While Palin’s referring to blogosphere mining, blogosphere and when mining, she came across any bors, and you can see actually Russia from land here in inadequacies. (On Russia: “They’re our next door neigh- with interview CBS’s displayed fully her that this woman lies more compulsively and less intel- itly criticized McCain itly for criticized McCain not leading the charge.” The almost almost immediately the and, and, therefore, couldn’t be Trig’s mother. At which had to announce that Bristol was five-months pregnant huge and enthusiastic crowds; she saw the voters as so her as a “control and freak” some considered Palin a her staff totry have it corrected.” The staff began to see and and his plan to reform politics in Washington. She went able in journalist a publication. mainstream staffers staffers to put the story to rest. To no avail: the Trig and sense sense or raises serious questions about the sincerity of a overtime overtime just to stamp out andfires the learn truth came came to understand how Palin was ill-prepared for the candidate’s embrace of a core political message, it is not crowds hostile became in many of their comments, questions questions about it, since weespecially have discovered era?”—exhorted supporters to vote for John McCain Atlantic Monthly E nquirer reported “that Palin had had an af- , “and I have every right to ask E nquirer had begun to question “no drama Obama” mantra that governed campaign What What about the and targets of this hostility—Michelle Unlike the Unlike Clinton, Edwards and campaigns McCain will pose a will problem. He allows that “her help was cru- with most world leaders and their problems. Hesitant, be spentwill with dealing the economy, he emphasizes Clinton, his rival, to persuade Hillary her to become his was not citizen, an upbraidedAmerican her for making when a woman Obama a called Muslim and implied he which became which enmeshed became clashes, in mis- personality when Obama, the president-elect, sits down with Barack ? Michelle Obama had serious reserva- Secretary of Secretary State. that Knowing the bulk of his time She said to her husband “You’re going to be spe- really Game Change

Obama campaign remained tightly disciplined—the Obama remained tightly campaign disciplined—the untrue untrue remarks. and inflammatory paigned paigned as a strong and team. disciplined marital traveled beyond the pale. trust trust and backstabbing as the weeks went by, the that her eight years as her First Lady have familiarized going to work it out.” that Knowing once he declared life, their family daughters’ and well-being the possible because because he deserved to He win. worked longer, harder tions—dealing in great part with the tions—dealing disruption of their and and smarter than his opponents. his candidacy his his candidacy private life would come under intense she confesses that her husband can’t be controlled and scrutiny, he addressed fully her concerns. They cam- cial cial to the success of his presidency.” In the end, both operations. cific withcific me. You’regoing to tell me exactly how we’re dangers her husband for confronted running president. effort effort to rein in the hostility. To his credit John McCain, those especially directed at Obama. Palin made little —Charles —Charles Angell is Professor in the Department of Game Change documents that Obama won ’s most touching scene comes at the end E nglish. 5/27/10 8:01 AM

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