John Heilemann on Why Obama Has Lost His MoJo

John Heilemann, who probably dragged Mark Halperin over the finish line when they wrote the New York Times #1 bestseller “Game Change,” has been “pleasantly shocked” by the book’s success. He told Imus he owes much of it to the “characters.”

“These are people who were larger than life celebrities, who were as happy on the cover of ‘People’ magazine as in the political press,” he said of the 2008 presidential candidates. “These are not inside-the-beltway type people; all over the country, people are obsessed with Sarah Palin, for good or bad, they’re obsessed with Barack Obama, for good or bad.”

Imus was struck by the volatility of so many of the marriages in the book, namely those between John and Cindy McCain and, obviously, John and Elizabeth Edwards. In fact, the only marriage that seemed stable was that of the Obamas.

Heilemann and Halperin deliberately focused not only the candidates, but also on their spouses, who, Heilemann said, “instantly became public figures to an extent that was much larger than in the past.”

Many political observers, like Imus, do not think Obama has translated the enthusiasm and so-called “magic” of his campaign into his presidency, which Heilemann said has more to do with the ways of Washington than with Obama himself.

Obama, Heilemann said, naively believed the political parties “could disagree without being disagreeable,” only to discover on arriving in Washington that “the divisions are much more deeply baked into the cake” than Obama thought.

Depsite Obama’s mantra of change, “We’re exactly where we were before he became President,” said Heilemann, also the national politlcal correspondent for New York Magazine. “It’s just as bad, if not worse, than it ever was.”

Obama’s former opponent Senator John McCain faces a tough reelection battle in Arizona this year, with former Congressman and present fatty J.D. Hayworth challenging McCain for the Republican nomination.   

“He is a guy who has always made political sacrifices throughout his career, and taken some very unpopular positions with respect to the Republican base,” Heilemann said about McCain. “What has been fascinating, and for some people who supported him, depressing, is the way in which he has kind of abandoned all of those positions over the course of last year.”

McCain, Heiliemann observed, is “running to his right as fast as possible.” If that’s the case, he’s sure to beat Hayworth, whose girth prevents him from going anywhere fast.

-Julie Kanfer

Comments

[Doug Canada]

Dear Mr. Imus:
Could you please tell me who chose the new photo of you on the Imus website.
As you would say " I love you to death" but the smile on your face seems to signal that one of those doctor's
helping with your courageous battle with cancer....slipped you a prescription for Vicodin.
If that smile isn't chemically induced then I gotta believe that weasel Harold Ford is just outta camera range.
Will leave the rest to the imagination of your million's of loyal fans.
Just pray its not Rev Al----.that really would be a "Game Change"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please direct any lawsuits to my new spokesman...Tiger Woods
sincerely
Doug from Canada......where we know how to take care of Olympic Athletes...especially the Luger's