In the world of ?poli-porn??the literary genre that delights in telling stories of scandal under the guise of ?politics??Race of a Lifetime: How Obama Won the White House?has already garnered more attention than most. Published as Game Change in the US, the book made waves largely due to a controversial race-related quote from Senate majority leader Harry Reid and descriptions of Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin?s pitiful understanding of world affairs.
This account of the 2008 presidential campaign is the product of more than 300 interviews conducted by the authors, John Heilemann and Mark Halperin. Both are experienced political reporters: Heilemann is the national political correspondent and columnist for New York magazine and Halperin is editor-at-large and senior political analyst for Time. Their self-proclaimed cross between history and journalism promises the untold story behind the campaign headlines, focusing on four major players, their spouses and the two vice-presidential candidates: Barack and Michelle Obama, Hillary and Bill Clinton, John and Elizabeth Edwards, John and Cindy McCain, Joe Biden and Sarah Palin. The book?s real strengths lie in exposing the campaigns? political strategies and revealing what the candidates are like behind closed doors?after all, we already know how the story ends. The authors describe a principled and intelligent but green Obama, a conniving and unforgiving but sharp Hillary, an opportunistic and desperate Edwards and an impulsive and gut-driven McCain.
In some ways, Race of a Lifetime is reassuring because it gives the impression that the best man won. However, why Obama is portrayed in a relatively flattering light, while the descriptions of the other candidates are at times horrendous, is unclear. Is this merely a reflection of reality, that Obama truly was superior to the others? Is this a question of author bias, that the authors were in Obama?s corner and wanted to portray him in the best possible light? Or is this a winner?s history, where the story is skewed in favor of the ultimate victor? It?s a little surprising, after all, that the first 265 pages are dedicated to the Democratic primary race, yet fewer than 50 pages are devoted to the Republican one, even though the latter contest had no clear front runner for most of its duration. This skewing raises questions about the authors? access to evenly distributed sources. While the research process is described in the authors? note at the beginning of the book, the specific sources are never named.
Given that the book covers a campaign that?s already stale and offers few lessons for the future, its value today is questionable. It could be of interest to hard-core politicos seeking all the details on the campaign, to candidate loyalists who want to gloat over the failings of the opponents they despised, or for readers craving the gushy details on the more tabloid-like parts of the tale, like John Edwards? affair, love child and the cover-up. The book?s greatest value is in providing a sense of what the candidates are really like. How much of what came out in the media is true and how much of it is the candidates? campaigns? ability to construct a convincing narrative? Such lessons can be useful for creating more savvy political consumers in the future. This is truest in the case of Sarah Palin. The book delivers what should be the nail in the coffin for her political aspirations, especially a 2012 presidential bid, a speculation that has gained a lot of currency in the American media over the past year. The damning portrayal of Palin?in addition to revealing how politically motivated, foolhardy and desperate McCain?s decision was?raises serious doubts about her capacity to shoulder the responsibilities of the presidency. While the book has its merits, it fails to live up to the expectations of either of its titles. Whether intentional or not, some parts of the story are missing. The book?s intellectual and instructive merits are debatable, but it is highly readable and never gets boring. Nonetheless, on the whole, the book itself is not a ?game changer?.