I'm a sucker for this kind of inside look at U.S. politics. Admittedly, the stuff is quite gossipy but it gives real insight into the personalities and a backroom look at the reasons people were behaving as they were during the fascinating 2008 presidential election cycle. There was one very curious oversight though. In dealing with the process for the Democratic nomination the authors did not deal with the schmozzle over seating the MIchigan and Florida delegates. The way the party handled that put the nail in Clinton's campaign and it was given no mention. Good read, though you feel a little guilty for enjoying it so much.

Average Rating:

Rating: - Guilty pleasure
I'm a sucker for this kind of inside look at U.S. politics. Admittedly, the stuff is quite gossipy but it gives real insight into the personalities and a backroom look at the reasons people were behaving as they were during the fascinating 2008 presidential election cycle. There was one very curious oversight though. In dealing with the process for the Democratic nomination the authors did not deal with the schmozzle over seating the MIchigan and Florida delegates. The way the party handled that put the nail in Clinton's campaign and it was given no mention. Good read, though you feel a little guilty for enjoying it so much.

Rating: - the real deal
It is a great book! The book gives great detail as to how the American Candidates got to where they today.
A must read for American Politics followers and lovers!

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Rating: - A great read!!
This book is an interesting 'window' into the back room goings-on in American politics. Lucky for all of them they have skilled spin doctors to sanitize their images. The only group for whom one doesn't feel total contempt is the Obamas.

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Rating: - For political junkies and recent historians
The election of 2008 was certainly one for the history books. On both sides of the aisle campaigns were run, nominations were made and elections were won that were very unique and included a wide range of variant personalities. While being a 'political junkie' myself there was very little information given that I already did not know in advance of my perusal. Some surprises, however, were the blatant denial that Hillary continues to have about Bill's dalliances, the crude and controlling personality that lies beneath Elizabeth Edwards's public personae, the complete lack of vetting of Sarah Palin and Bill Clinton's continued dominant and interfering personality. I was hoping that bit players such as Ron Paul, Fred Thompson and Dennis Kucinich would have come under the microscope as well but, alas, this book was only about the front runners. My other concern was there was very little 'scuttlebutt' that showed Obama in a negative light. Is this because there was none to be shown or could the authors not get beyond their own positive reflections of him to see his campaign in a more realistic light?

It is written in a griping and novel-like manner which makes it difficult to put down once started. It is an excellent review from behind the scenes of the McCain, Edwards and Clinton camps. One can only assume that the Obama camp had its share of problems, too but they simply went unreported or undetected.

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Rating: - Interesting book
Good book but they should have included some info about the minor players such as Fred Thompson and Ron Paul. One flaw in the book is that the authors say, more than once, that the Clintons have a bizarre marriage. But they don't give any examples or explain what they mean. Wish they did.

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