Political Irony

Newsweek has a fascinating article with inside information on the political campaigns of both Obama and McCain. Both campaigns allowed special reporters inside their campaigns in exchange for a promise that they would not report anything until after the election was over. Some interesting highlights:

• Palin’s shopping spree was worse than reported. One angry McCain aide called it “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast.”
• Both campaigns had their computer systems hacked by foreign entities, possibly Russian or Chinese.
• The Secret Service says that threats to Obama increased sharply as the crowds at Palin rallies became more stridently negative. Michelle even asked “Why would they try to make people hate us?”
• Steve Schmidt didn’t allow Palin to talk during the McCain’s concession speech last night.
• The McCain campaign knew they had effectively lost even before the last debate.
• Obama did not like doing debates. Obama even said “I often find myself trapped by the questions and thinking to myself, ‘You know, this is a stupid question, but let me … answer it.'”
• During the GOP convention, Steve Schmidt and Mark Salter went to Palin’s hotel room to brief her and she walked out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel.
• Hillary Clinton was on friendlier terms with McCain than with Obama, and Obama never seriously considered her as a running mate.

UPDATE: The Newsweek article linked to above is just a summary of part one of a seven part series called “How He Did It”. Part one itself can be found here. The remaining parts will be spread out over the next few days, and I can’t wait to read them.