Double Down: Game Change 2012

Like their previous book, which was focused on the 2008 election, this provides a behind the scenes look at the 2012 presidential election. Though there isn't the subplot of Sarah Palin in this book, which became the focal point of the movie based on the book, this book is a reminder of the many twists and turns of every presidential election. That the authors can draw suspense out of a tale where the reader already knows the outcome is an endorsement of their writing.

What a fun book! This was an absolute hoot: the story of the 2012 US elections, told with granular, grimy human details that are often (often!) very funny, even warm. I say this with some surprise. But maybe I'm just naive. I lived through the 2012 elections as a semi-engaged citizen: I mean, I watched the debates and had a general sense of who the GOP hopefuls were, and I had made up my mind of who to vote for (but mostly for a vague partisan feeling, rather than any granular understanding of specific policies). And I still saw them all - Obama, Romney, Ryan, Biden, Trump! - as relatively paper-thin representations of people, rather than people people.

Thanks to the author's fancy access, we get - instead - so much backstage humanity. And it's great. It made me admire Obama and his entourage even more than I already do, brainwashed as I am by their 8+ year long charm offensive on my demographic. Oh, Barry, I can't stay mad at you, despite all that NSA bullshit. But it also - whattttt - made me feel almost warm to Romney. Suddenly he became more than just the hilariously alienating Mormon plutocrat with the sculpted hair-face combo. Okay, I mean, he is that too, but he's also just a dude! A person with people feelings! And people failings (in both senses of the phrase).

In short, it made me see hyper-recent US history the way I see more ancient US history (e.g. 19th century politics, Civil War): with a warm, affectionate light, with less a sense of panic/fear (my usual feeling towards current politics) and more a feeling of forgiveness/equanimity (oh, Confederates). People became less villainous and infuriating, and instead become a bit hapless.

And, OH MAN, did it make me a Politico convert. And it made me miss Slate's Political Gabfest - oh wait, what am I saying? It's Friday - new episode day! Seriously, that podcast is all sorts of wonderful, go download it.

A note: Many other reviewers have commented on the writing style. It is indeed, well, grating. They write like two proper good ol' boys, with a (what I presume they see as) whimsical mish-mash of $1 words (“potentates”, etc.) and Dad jokes. If there is an opportunity to make a joke of something, they do. OH, HOW THEY DO. I admit this annoyed me a lot at first, but, like dads, eventually you just give in and let the chuckling commence.