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| 2008 Primaries: | Clinton's book | Edwards' book | Giuliani's book | Huckabee's book | Obama's book | Paul's book | Romney's book | 2008 Debates |
For Love of Politics: Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years, by Sally Bedell Smith  (Click for Amazon book review) BOOK REVIEW by OnTheIssues.org: Sally Bedell Smith's book, published in 2007, is a year-by-year account of how effectively Bill and Hillary work together to win elections, achieve political and policy goals, and contain scandal. In the author's own words, the book explores "how two intelligent, ambitious, and complex people confronted the challenges they faced in the White House, how they worked together and seperately, and how the push and pull of their marriage affected the presidency." The main point of the book is the idea of "two for one," almost a co-presidency, and less overtly, both Bill's and Hillary's use of the word "we" when describing policy positions and achievements. As this idea is illustrated throughout the book, the different styles, personalities, and approaches of Bill and Hillary are explored. Bill is depicted as a people-pleaser who avoided direct confrontation (though he sometimes had an explosive temper in private), and Hillary is more of a stern disciplinarian type. Bedell uses the "two for one" framework to describe election strategy, President Clinton's domestic and foreign policy agenda, Hillary's efforts to reform health care, and investigations ranging from Whitewater to Monica Lewinsky. In addition, Bill Clinton's relationships with other women and how they have impacted his career are discussed, including a long description of the Monica Lewinsky episode (including sexual details). Bedell also describes Hillary's successful campaign in New York to become a Senator, and the book ends with the idea that Hillary's run for the presidency is a continuation of the same mission—"high political office, a Democratic agenda, the accumulation of power, and the pursuit of the Clinton legacy"—even though Bill and Hillary had reversed roles. -- Naomi Lichtenberg, naomi@OnTheIssues.org, March 2008
Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years, by Sally Bedell Smith.
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