Game changes for Jamie McCourt, but the end to her story isn't known

I'm at the Celtics-Clippers game and I will get to the trade the Clippers have to make in a moment.

But I can't seem to get "Game Change" out of my mind.

I caught HBO's adaptation of the book, a behind-the-scenes, tortured look at Sarah Palin's vice-presidential run over the weekend. If Palin was as clueless as portrayed, Jamie McCourt really was presidential timber by way of comparison.

The stated goal of "Project Jamie," as you might recall from McCourt divorce deposition revelations, was to get her "elected president of the United States."

No surprise she wanted another house.

Now if only she had stuck to riding the Blue Line rather than needing a chauffeur. Who knows, Frank McCourt could have become the first man to later be impeached.

One of Jamie's advisors told her early on: "I think you can leverage your eventual star power to become mayor of Los Angeles."

And you can see Los Angeles all the way from Dodger Stadium.

Now, in the movie Palin thought the Queen of England was in charge of the armed forces; she was a little surprised to learn Great Britain had a prime minister.

Jamie said the Dodgers should be building more Little League fields rather than spending money on players. Turns out she had it right based on who the Dodgers signed.

But if "Game Change" is to be believed, charisma is all it takes to rise to prominence in this country as long as you also listen to your advisors and avoid one-on-one interviews w! ith repo rters.

Palin had trouble listening, though, and I'm married so I'm not going there. She fell apart in an interview with Katie Couric and blamed it on an advisor; who later refused to vote for her.

That was after Palin had fired her press secretary.

Jamie changed image makers almost as much as she did outfits, throwing aside one of the best in the business, the Tipper Gore Lady who had previous experience working in the White House.

And when Jamie found herself trapped in a one-on-one interview, she told the reporter, "This is bad because you guys remember everything and you write everything down."

We know how it went for Sarah. By accounts those close to the campaign were disappointed with her even while unknowing crowds were still chanting her name. Scary stuff.

As for Jamie, she gets $131 million from her ex-husband next month. But I would guess right now only Vladimir Shpunt knows for sure how her story will end.

THE MAGIC is gone, as the Clippers are pretty much a .500 team over the last quarter of the season. The trend is down, down.

Vinny Del Negro says everyone just has to play better, and if Knute Rockne talked like that we might never have heard of him.