An Interview with John Heilemann: Columnist, National Political Correspondent,  Co-Author of Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime

Heilemann: There are three politicians in America right now who have approval ratings over 60 percent. One is Michelle Obama, and the other two are both named Clinton. That the incumbent President sees it as a big asset to have on hand a former President of the United States with an approval rating over 60 percent — forget about any of the demographic breakdowns — doesn’t surprise me at all. It’s true there was a lot of animosity between Obama and the Clinton’s during the 2008 campaign, but that has been ameliorated over the past three years. Hilary Clinton has served loyally and successfully as Secretary of State, so I think there has been a lessening of the tension.

There is no question that Barack Obama is a very self-sufficient guy. But in this close race, Obama’s desire for self-sufficiency is outweighed by his desire to win. He’s very competitive. He doesn’t like leaning on people, but he likes losing even less, so he’s going to do what he has to do to get there. Bill Clinton A) is generally incredibly popular; B) is an incredible communicator; C) has special purchase with a lot of the white voters who are left in play; D) speaks more fluidly about the economy than any other politician on the planet; and E) is as good as anyone in describing to normal people the difference between a Democratic vision of the future and a Republican vision of the future.

Read the rest of the interview here.