The Politician

The Politician: an insiders account of John Edwards's pursuit of the presidency and the scandal that brought him down/Andrew Young 301pg.

I love a good political scandal but when I read "Game Change" a couple of months ago, this John Edwards thing seemed better than just scandal. That book didn't focus on it too much but mentioned it and also mentioned Andrew Young, the author of this book. I don't remember the exact words from "Game Change" but they said Andrew Young was a bit crazy, a little too devoted to Edwards and maybe a little dumb. If you read Young's book, you will realize they downplayed it quite a bit. Young might be completely delusional...at least as much as Edwards himself. He tells of all the personal stuff he did for the Edwards family...like put up their Christmas tree, buy gifts for their kids, clean there house when John Kerry was coming over (are we really able to believe that they don't have a dedicated house cleaner or service?). In between the bizarre personal stuff, he mentions that he raised millions of dollars for Edwards campaigns and poverty center. I mean, it only makes sense to have the best fundraiser in your organization driving charity cases to class and getting bird's nests out of your chimney. BUT, this isn't even the scandalous part...To sum up, Young made a statement that he fathered Rielle Hunter's baby and then took her along with his family (wife and 3 young kids) to hideout in various swank accommodations paid for by Edwards supporters. Shall I repeat? He took the crazy pregnant lady and his WIFE AND KIDS and moved all over the country hiding out from the press. He says did all of this because he really believed in John Edwards. Good grief dude, get a clue. I was waiting for the description of the time there was a meeting with too few chairs and Edward's made him get down on all fours and have someone sit on his back (see Bruno the motion picture for an example).

Certainly this book would be good for someone who feels like they are abused by their boss...they would read it and realize nothing *that* bad has happened yet plus they have some limits in mind and self respect left. That is something Andrew Young can only have if he is as cuckoo as he seems. - Christa