The Gatekeepers

I’m learning that political books can often fall into two broad categories: history textbooks, which are factual, helpful, but boring and tell-alls, which are long-form gossip columns told by people who were probably much less involved than they are capable of admitting.

But there’s a third group that is the perfect sweet spot—inside looks, which are factual accounts of historical-events-in-the-making told by the people who lived them. It’s hard to find good books like this because they’re often politicized, but wow, was this a GREAT one.

Everything I know about The White House comes from West Wing. And while I’m not ready to admit that’s a bad thing, this book put me in Leo McGarry’s shoes and took me for a sprint around the Oval Office that I was in no way prepared for.

I had no clue how important the Chief of Staff was to the President, but these are the people defining history. As Jim Baker—a man who served as secretary of state, treasury secretary, and chief of staff twice—says, “You can very well make the argument that the White House chief of staff is the second-most-powerful job in government.”

Yet, they aren’t the names we remember. After reading, however, I can tell you there are names in this book more worth remembering than the presidents they served (both for better and for worse).

Bob Haldeman’s inability to tell Richard Nixon hard truths can well be blamed for the Watergate Scandal.

Donald Rumsfield and Dick Cheney can largely be credited for reviving Gerald Ford’s presidency.

Jim Baker can (and should) receive all the accolades for defining this position and for being the rare example of someone who can last in this job by pushing the president—Ronald Reagan—to make the government actually do its job.

Thomas McLarty can largely be accused for creating an environment in which Bill Clinton experienced chaos without accountability. Subsequently, Leon Panetta can be said to have redeemed this dysfunction.

And there are others, alongside stories of how Hillary Clinton and Dick Cheney usurped much of the power of this role (whether or not that worked is up to you), and incredible details of what life in the Oval was really like.

If you’re interested in modern American politics, history, or just fascinating people in positions of power, I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Favorite Quote

“People ask me if it's like that television show The West Wing,” says Erskine Bowles, Bill Clinton's second chief. “But that doesn't begin to capture the velocity. In an average day you would deal with Bosnia, Northern Ireland, the budget, taxation, the environment—and then you'd have lunch! And then on Friday you would say, 'Thank God—only two more working days until Monday.’”