Campaign 2008

Carl Bernstein's new biography of Hilary Rodham Clinton - A Woman in Charge - has just been put on our shelves, and it made my thoughts turn (unwillingly) to the presidential race. The actual election is 13 months away, and most people outside the Beltway might not be prepared to think about the 2008 presidential election quite yet. But if you have a high pain threshold and would like to delve in now, we have some books that would be good research tools.
Writing a book about character and leadership seems to be an inevitable part of running for office, a little like appearing on David Letterman. And while these books are carefully crafted, written and vetted to make sure the candidate appears in a positive light, you can sometimes get a sense of the person behind the message. At the very least, you can get a sense of how they would like to be seen. So try the writings of the four biggest names on the campaign trail at this point:
Living History by Hilary Rodham Clinton
Leadership by Rudy Giuliani
Why Courage Matters by John McCain
Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
(Just so you know, the books were listed alphabetically by author not according to poll standings: the difference between a librarian and a reporter. Another interesting point - 'Rodham' gets flagged by the spellchecker, while 'Giuliani' does not. There's a factoid waiting for a conspiracy theorist).