The Walter Shapiro book
One-Car Caravan (publisher Public Affairs/Perseus) . He had the guts to publish this in 2003, BEFORE the primaries happened, , got a copy on Amazon. (Super cheap, by the way: $4 for the pristine first edition that I got, but way, way cheaper than that for used ones)Decided to look at the last chapter first, and wanted to share some fun bits with you. Remember, he wrote this in 2003:
pg. 213 (bold highlights are mine : )):
John Kerry is the candidate with whom I would most enjoy going out for a beer. But then I have a weakness for cerebral guys who talk in complex sentences, get caught up in the nuances of policy, remember Vietnam and seem just depressed enough to be interesting.
pp 207-208 (an imagined President Kerry, taping his diary, Feb 16, 2005):
Now for the part that probably shouldn't be transcribed for a long, long time. It's John Edwards. I just wish I felt more comfortable with him. Okay, of course, it was political necessity to put him on the ticket. But often I sense he resents me in some deep social-class, Yale, son-of-a-diplomat way. No way I could make him understand the dynamics in the family or how lonely I felt being packed off to school and camp. John's always smiling, competent, hard-working. I wish I could add loyal, but I'm not sure. I wonder if he's still talking regularly to Clinton. At least, Hillary's on board with the high-speed rail. But with both of them-- actually three of them if you count Clinton as well-- I keep having to watch my back.
As an admired and admirable senator would say, "Stunning".
Thanks, DU for finally getting the formatting tools and smilies back, and easier-to-use , too! .
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...book, but never got around to it. Now I will HAVE to! Thanks, MBS, for posting the excerpts. 
...precisely because of his perseverance under very difficult circumstances such as loss (of loved ones and elections), serious health challenges (like his own and Teresa's cancer), and constant (undeserved) political attacks. That another human being fights on...through those great challenges...has helped me fight on with my own challenges.
It sounds like this book shows him to be a real person...as we here have always known. 
The book is pretty uneven in quality (he had to have written it quickly to get it out in 2003), but there nevertheless are really choice turns of phrase.
Here's another one (pg 94, discussing Howard Dean's staffing):
Even though the often disheveled Trippi and the buttoned-down Dean are stylistic opposites, they both come from the anger-management wing of the Democratic Party.
...had such a 'wing' it appears Newtie would be the leader there.
...peacefully. I DO think we, as a country, needed to face these issues in order to 'perfect' our union, as many say. And I also believe President Obama is the right President to lead us through these times.
Trouble is, that large group in South Carolina (and in many other Southern states) is really angry about changes that they don't and can't control (demographics, for instance). How that will play out is uncertain.
I've always said we need to 'lance the boil' of resentment left from Civil War days. This election...which could get ugly...may help us do that. And as creepy as it is to face Newt, the debate he would bring to the election process could vent some of that anger. And that, IMO, needs to be done.
I just hope it can be done with civility...peacefully...and that the BEST of our democracy will prevail in the end. Those mean folks are pretty loud. But I still believe there are more of us who are good, decent, caring people.
President Obama will represent our case for an inclusive democracy very well.