Amazon.com
Rush Limbaugh claims his talent is on loan. With this book, Franken demonstrates that he owns. The frankly Democratic author's shtick reminds us how much of a free ride conservatives have gotten in the mainstream media. For instance, he really drives home the weirdness of the conservatives' preachiness about "family values" in light of Newt Gingrich's and Bob Dole's first marriages, and Rush Limbaugh's first, second and third marriages. And he has great fun with Rush's and Newt's miraculous draft deferments in a chapter where he imagines all of the great conservative "chicken-hawks" out on a Vietnam war patrol under the leadership of Ollie North.
Book Description
In the grand satirical tradition of Swift, Rabelais, and Twain comes...
Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot, and Other Observations
...
a scathing--but uncompromisingly fair--look at America's largest talk show host and the rest of the Republican right.
Penned by the Emmy award-winning Saturday Night Live writer whom John Podhoretz of the New York Post has called "the man responsible for some of the most brilliant political satire of our time," Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot tackles the issues--and the politicians--in ways few have dared...
Exploding Medicare Costs: "Why not shoot the elderly into space? Stay with me. Because I'm not just thinking about the budget here. I'm talking about science. Just think how many more manned space operations NASA could undertake if they didn't have to worry about getting the astronauts back."
Crime: "I have a radical gun-buyback idea that I guarantee would be a huge success. Here's how it works: hand in a gun, get a free vial of crack."
Newt Gingrich: "Many of us, like Newt, have acknowledged smoking dope and reading Toffler in the early 70s. But after reading his book, I think Newt's dirty little secret is that he smoked dope and watched The Jetsons."
Phil Gramm: "If you get beyond the fact the Gramm is ugly, mean, hypocritical, has a boob fetish, and drives his wife like a mule, he does have a certain folksy charm."
On the subject of Rush Limbaugh, Franken lets the facts speak for themselves. Listen to Rush, the "rugged individualist" and enemy of government handouts, explain how his second wife made him stop sitting around the house eating just food and go file for unemployment insurance. And learn all of Rush's several explanations for how he avoided the draft.
Of course, when it comes to draft-dodging Republicans, Rush isn't alone. Reading Al's Vietnam short story, "Operation Chickenhawk," you'll savor the exploits of Privates Limbaugh, Gramm, Quayle, Buchanan, Gingrich, and George Will as Lieutenant Oliver North leads them kicking and screaming into combat.
And don't miss Al's informative discussion with the man who has "the easiest job in America": Rush Limbaugh's fact-checker. And much, much more.
Customer Reviews:
Laugh out Loud Funny.......2007-08-02
I read this book and could not stop laughing. Al Franken was more comic then and just beginning to talk about politics. It deals with Rush Limbaugh and the shout show personalities. It also talks about the hypocracy of the then Republican Family Values platform. Especially considering the marital track records of prominent republicans at the time like Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole. And who can forget operation chicken-hawk?
I would suggest reading this in a place where you are free to laugh without disturbing others; I read this on vacation and got kicked of the deck of the ship for laughing too loud.
Strangely enough in light of Limbaugh's recent drug abuse and attacks on Obama's heritage and Gingrich's coming clean about extra-marital affairs this material still seems timely.
Funny, honest and critical.......2007-07-17
It isn't often that political pundits and commentators can really get one to laugh, but AL Franken, in his critical and honest look at Right-wing media and specifically Rush Limbaugh, got me laughing. His wit and even extreme, over-the-top attacks are well-written and funny.
Regardless of where you sit on the political fence, if you can take a step back, understand that this is a discourse of spin, it really is a fun ride.
Many of Al Franken's personal anecdotes are written in a style that allows for some great visuals. Some of these still have me laughing every time I hear the name: "Rush Limbaugh."
Makes Great Toilet Paper!.......2007-05-30
I got this book on clearance for $2.15 and what an investment it was! Just set this thing right next to the toilet and you'll have toilet paper for at least 2-3 weeks!
As if Stuart Smalley wasn't enough we get more brainless garbage from Al Franken... Air America is and always will be an embarrassing failure and so will Al Franken. But thanks anyway Al, I'm sure Rush appreciates all the publicity. He'll be laughing all the way to the bank.
Stick to SNL and leave the childish insults to the 5th graders at recess.
Now That I've Thought Better of It.......2007-03-08
Al Franken is intelligent, witty and informed and for those of us who were already sick to death of Rush Limbaugh's dreck when this book was released, it was a guilty pleasure. Yes, we knew the taunting was childish but on the other hand, we also knew Rush needed to be taken down a peg or two. Reason and facts weren't having the least effect, so why not hit him where it hurt?
However, with the benefit of hindsight, maybe it's not so funny to publicly humiliate people for their physical appearence. Especially when it results in the target trying so desperately to drop pounds, he becomes addicted to drugs (hey, fellow liberals, if we have enough compassion to support needle-exchange programs for street junkies, why do some of us have bumper stickers mocking R. L. for HIS drug problems?)
Neither is it very funny to contemplate the further degeneration of public discourse in this country. How can we complain about Ann Coulter and insist the Right renounce her unless we renouce the childish name-callers in our own ranks?
And so, although I agree with Franken's other, truly serious political critiques of the pundits, on my bookshelf, this particular title has worn out its welcome.
A great read.......2006-07-14
First of all, I must admit that I am a little biased in my rating. I have read most of Al Franken's books and listen to him on Air America (and am always informed and entertained). But with that said, I still believe it's a fair review.
While I understand some are offended by the rather blunt nature of the writing, please remember that this book is written by a comedian who often uses satire and irony to make a (not so subtle) point.
Rush Limbaugh, along with many other conservatives and liberals , use personal attacks in place of well-reasoned arguments. It is so much easier to go after people than it is to go after ideas, especially when you happen to hold the less thoughtful idea. Franken's book is well-researched and the points he makes are thoroughly explained. The ironic use of name-calling and such is what keeps this book entertaining. Otherwise it would leave many readers depressed/ashamed/alarmed by the direction in which such unscrupulous figures as Limbaugh are trying to drag unsuspecting Americans.
Amazon.com
Michael Lewis, the author of Liar's Poker, which Tom Wolfe called "the funniest book on Wall Street I have ever read," now turns his eye to the peculiar method Americans use to choose their president. Beginning with the 1996 New Hampshire primary, Lewis tagged along with players both major and minor. Keeping his eyes open to the nuances of how campaigns are so carefully managed today, Lewis is able to make some insightful, damning, and often hysterically funny observations. The reporting technique is eccentric--who else would spend so much time with Morry Taylor, a rich man who ran for president in what amounted to a vanity campaign--but it works. Lewis has written a very good book that could be shelved under both humor and public affairs.
Book Description
A wickedly funny and astute chronicle of the 1996 presidential campaign--and how we go about choosing our leaders at the turn of the century. In it Michael Lewis brings to the political scene the same brilliance that distinguished his celebrated best-seller about the financial world, Liar's Poker.
Beginning with the primaries, Lewis traveled across America--a concerned citizen who happened to ride in candidates' airplanes (as well as rented cars in blinding New Hampshire blizzards) and write about their adventures. Among the contenders he observed: Pat Buchanan, a walking tour of American anger; Lamar Alexander, who appealed to people who pretend to be nice to get ahead; Steve Forbes, frozen in a smile and refusing to answer questions about his father's motorcycles; Alan Keyes, one of the great political speakers of our age, whom no one has ever heard of; Morry Taylor--"the Grizz"--the hugely successful businessman who became the refreshing embodiment of ordinary Americans' appetites and ambitions; Bob Dole, a man who set out to prove he would never be president; and Bill Clinton, the big snow goose who flew too high to be shot out of the sky.
We watch the clichés of this peculiar subculture collide with characters from the real world: a pig farmer in Iowa; an evangelical preacher in Colorado Springs; a homeless person in Manhattan; a prospective illegal immigrant in Mexico. The politicians speak and speak, often reversing positions, denying direct quotations, mastering the sound bite, dodging hard questions, wreaking havoc on the English language. Spin doctors spin. Rented strangers (campaign workers) proliferate. One particular toe sucker goes awry. Ads are honed to misrepresent and distort. Money makes the world go round.
And the citizens are left dumbfounded or cheering empty platitudes. When trail fever breaks on Election Day, half of America's eligible voters stay home.
This book offers a striking look at us and our politics and the mammoth unlikelihood of connection between the inauthentic modern candidate and the voter's passions, needs, and desires. In telling the story, Michael Lewis once again proves himself a masterful observer of the American scene.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, even at ten years old.......2007-05-16
My copy is titled "Trail Fever", but it's the same book. I picked it up in the library lobby self-service carousel for a buck, mainly because I recognize Mr. Lewis as the author of MoneyBall. Boy am I glad I did - provided you're old enough to recall the 1996 presidential campain, this is a great read, telling you everything that newspaper editors refuse to. He could write about paint and make it fascinating, sort of like a witty John McPhee. I've polished it off over a number of evenings and it's been eagerly turned to. Of course, now that I'm done it's going back to the carousel.
Different and Entertaining.......2005-08-26
Entertaining book following the Republican Primaries of 1996. You learn a lot about the candidates that you may have never known, and even more so about the candidates you never even knew. There is a lot of focus on Morey Taylor. For some reason, I never remembered him, but liked a lot about him after reading this book. Good entertaining read. Primarily for political junkies.
Delightful.......2005-07-25
In Losers, Michael Lewis gives the reader a fun ride on the campaign planes and busses of the also ran candidates in 1996.
He provides insights and humor about those candidates and the political system we use in our fair land to elect our presidents.
Whether your political preferences tilt to the Left or the Right, you'll learn from and enjoy this book. You'll laugh out loud a few times, too.
I am a Yellow Dog Democrat and finished the book with a real appreciation of one of Lewis' heroes, John McCain. Oh, that McCain had prevailed in 2000 instead of the person who did.
Morry Taylor for President!!.......2004-04-15
This is a pretty typical Michael Lewis read: exceptionally descriptive, hilarious and insightful. He does great work seeing the various campaigns for what they are; and is able to stay objective throughout the experience, though obviously he forms a special connection to Morry Taylor.
This is an entertaining book from a skilled writer.
Could Not Stop Laughing.......2003-01-02
I have read the authors other two books and found them average at best. I tried this book because of the good customer reviews here and that it was very inexpensive used. What a side splitting, could not put down book this turned out to be. His wit hit high form with this book, I really fell in love with his descriptions of the race and candidates. Funny and smart comments kept coming at the reader almost if a comedy team were working on the book instead of one writer. OK the book is not the dry step by step look at the campaign that you would get with some other authors but that is part of the fun. If you read this book with say The Choice by Woodward, you get a great look at the election process and the probably would gain a better understanding of American politics.
My only gripe would be that he did not spend as much time on the Democrats as he did on the Republicans, but I understand that the Republicans really had the race and the characters for the book. I guess I just wanted more being the greedy person I am. This was a funny book and just keeps moving the whole time you are reading it. A great lighter book to read if you are interested in politics.
Book Description
The Choice is Bob Woodward's classic story of the quest for power, focusing on the 1996 presidential campaign as a case study of money, public opinion polling, attack advertising, handlers, consultants, and decision making in the midst of electoral uncertainty. President Bill Clinton is examined in full in the contest with Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the Republican presidential nominee. The intimacy and detail of Woodward's account of the candidates and their wives show the epic human struggle in this race for the White House.
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The 1996 Presidential Campaign: A Communication Perspective (Praeger Series in Political Communication)
Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
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ASIN: 0275961524 |
Book Description
Political campaigns are highly complex and sophisticated communication events: communication of issues, images, social reality, and persons. They are essential exercises in the creation, re-creation, and transmission of "significant symbols" through human communication. As voters and others involved with the campaigns attempt to make sense of the political environment, "political bits" of communication inform voting choices, world views, and legislative desires. The essays in this text examine the key elements in that process throughout the 1996 presidential campaign. Each focuses on a specific area of political campaign communication: the communication functions and activities across the campaign phases from nomination conventions through the debates, political advertising, the discussion and framing of issues, images of the candidates and their wives, the role and impact of network and local news, political cartoons, and the digital/on-line arena. This text will appeal to students and scholars alike as well as to concerned citizens involved with presidential politics and political campaigns.
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The New Republic Guide to the Candidates, 1996
Manufacturer: Basic Books
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ASIN: 0465098304 |
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- Half The Way
- Inside a Prediential Election
- Plan Of Attack
- The Choice shows the nitty-gritty of a Presidential Campaign
- Love The Detail
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The Choice
Bob Woodward
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
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ASIN: 068482616X |
Amazon.com
This latest offering of novelistic political reporting from Washington Post bigfoot Bob Woodward, a behind-the-scenes look at the Clinton and Dole campaigns, from the 1994 congressional elections to the final days of the '96 White House race, is just out in paperback. There's updated reporting and a new afterword, in which Woodward focuses on how Clinton won, and draws a portrait of Dole in defeat. This is the book that broke the story that Hillary communed with Eleanor Roosevelt. Sort of--it was actually a brainstorming exercise, not a seance, and besides, Hillary copped to it in a speech long before the book came out. Interestingly, according to Woodward it's a lot harder for Elizabeth Dole to talk to her husband--she has to get on his appointment calendar first.
Book Description
The intimacy and the detail of this book render human the 1996 race for the White House, showing its personal toll on the candidates and their wives. The Choice also exposes how political money, public opinion polling, attack advertising, handlers, consultants, and staff too often drive modern presidential politics. It is the essential story of the nation's most intense political drama.
Customer Reviews:
Half The Way.......2006-03-15
For good newspaper reporters like Bob Woodward, earlier is better than later as far as filing a story is concerned. But book authors operate under a reverse logic, which is where Woodward's 1996 "The Choice" goes wrong.
The last sentence in this account of Sen. Robert Dole's challenge to Bill Clinton's run for a second term as president explains the situation more starkly than I can: "The election was 174 days away." In other words, most of the story had yet to take place, including the conventions, the debates, the last-minute ads, and of course the voting itself.
Woodward didn't even know who Dole's running mate would be, blindly offering up a number of Republicans, including Dick Cheney, a chapter after Jack Kemp endorses Dole's rival Steve Forbes and is quoted saying "I'm done" with the GOP. After "The Choice" went to print, Dole chose Kemp.
Woodward had his own choice, between writing for posterity and for "Nightline." Alas, those looking to get a complete accounting of the 1996 election better look elsewhere.
Woodward's book suffers in another key way; of the two candidates, only Dole would talk with him. This Dole did at length, and the book benefits from a warmer portrait of the last major Republican of the Nixon era than mainstream media usually provided. Dole is seen as a tough guy with a good heart he wears on his sleeve more often than you expect, and an understanding of politics and their purpose which comes to the fore most impressively when he teams up with Clinton to help stop ongoing carnage in Bosnia.
Dole's fatal flaw is an inability to change, even in the face of wise counsel from his aides. Former vice president Dan Quayle presciently describes Dole's platform as "competence, not ideology, not passion." As the campaign develops, Dole's failure to communicate a single compelling theme leaves him vulnerable to such oddball challengers as Steve "Flat Tax" Forbes and Pat "America First" Buchanan, men well to the right of not only Dole but any other Republican senator, not to mention the national mainstream.
With Clinton, message discipline was a less fatal problem. His reliance on flaky advisor Dick Morris's pleas for "triangulation" leaves his more left-leaning staff huffing, but with no primary challengers and a big war chest, he can carry the ball to the end zone without breaking a sweat.
At one point, after Clinton plays him over a budget deal, Dole tells an aide "that he believed Clinton would say and do anything to get reelected." It's a more revealing comment on Dole than Clinton, who I'm sure would counter with the comment: "And why not?"
Even Hillary Clinton's consultations with a psychic, where she holds imaginary conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt and Gandhi, do little to liven the book up, though it was responsible for much of the press "The Choice" got when it was published. Since Hillary had actually shut herself out of the policy loop for once in her husband's presidency, feeling the martyr after her failure to socialize health care, Woodward's focusing on her seems excessive and unfair, not to mention oddly dry.
Woodward's writing here is surprisingly sloppy. He never claimed to be a prose artist, but it really shows up with the kind of slack yarn you have here. Of Dole at one speech, he writes: "If tension could be bottled, he would have kept a bottling plant busy all night."
He was rushing to write this, and you will be rushing to read it, only to get it over with. Think about it: How much fun is it to read a book where you know more than the author? You know who won. He doesn't. It's like Deep Throat in reverse.
Inside a Prediential Election.......2005-02-06
Bob Woodward did a great job of giving us a view of what the candidates and their families have to go through during the political process of getting elected. All the decisions that must be made. From whether or not to even run. When to announce, who to hire on staff, raising fuds and advertising. Woodward had direct contact and interviews with all the candidates excpet Clinton. Where he had to rely on the President's staff and friends.
The book covers all the candidates that try for the nomination, including those that would have been considered but chose not to run. A very interesting insight into the process of running for our most powerful elected office. The book eventually comes down to the campign between Dole and Clinton.
Woodward is known for being very accurate and tapes all his interviews. This is the first book of his that I have read. And I will now try to pick up and read the Agenda next.
Plan Of Attack.......2004-11-10
I recently finished, "Plan of Attack" by Woodward... I couldn't put it down!! He turned Mr. Bush, Powell, Rice and all others into real people with real feelings. I felt as if I were right there and I can still feel the pulse of all of Mr Bush and his cabinet as they worried over and worked with all players for the Iraq war. Great Book!!!!!!
The Choice shows the nitty-gritty of a Presidential Campaign.......2002-10-10
The Choice, written from November of 1994-early summer of 1996, is all about the decision making, staffs, fund-raising, advertisements, and financial tumbles of a presidential campaign. Woodward capture the essence of two campaigns and strategies. The two being, President Clinton, and Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole.
For the coverage of President Bill Clinton, it is very fascinating! In many ways this book follows up where Woodward leaves off with The Agenda. Only in the portrayal of Clinton here is of a President who has regained not only his confidence, but ultimately control of his White House and presidency. The Clinton White House of the first two year of the administration, as mostly everyone knows, was a disaster in the works. The Clinton White House of the last two years of the first term (1995-96), was much more controlled and disciplined. In The Choice, we see the emergence of political guru Dick Morris make his presence felt and heard through the Clinton camp. You get an illustration of how other Clinton staff and advisors such as White House Chief of Staff Leon Pannetta, George Stephanopolus, and Press Secretary Mike McCurry have their head-on collisions with Morris and his triangulation strategy, of polling the issues
most important to the American people and advising Clinton to follow that path to reelection. Which he ultimately did.
In The Choice, we also learn of a new key figure that will make his rise in the Democratic political process fundraising guru and mastermind Terry McAullif (now chairman of the DNC, handpicked by Clinton right before he left office). You see the mass fundraising effort led by McAullif who raised unprecedented amounts of cash for both the DNC, as well as the Clinton-Gore 1996 reelection bid. The money that was used to fund the now infamous Medicare-Scare television adds that dominated key voting districts and states. The adds that would turn the tide for Clinton, stopping the roaring tide that was giving the Republicans and the "Contract with America" such momentum throughout 1994-95, and going into the election year of 1996. The Medicare adds that would scare seniors into thinking that Gingrich and Dole were going to eliminate Medicare, Medicaid, social security. Woodward gives in his final analysis, that these adds are what would give the Clinton his reelection.
The Choice also tells the story of the rough and tumble of making the decision and running of a presidential campaign. The enormous amounts of key staff people, ect. The Choice, gives you the view of the campaign of the Republican front-runner, then Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. All I could really say to this, is I now know, more than ever, on why I felt even then (in 1996) that the nominating of Bob Dole by the Republicans in attempt to bring down Bill Clinton, was a complete debacle. We get an image of a candidate who was a good, honest, man, but whom was too wishy-washy on the issues, and his past voting record throughout his congressional career. It shows how Dole
was a horrible speaker, and how disarray his campaign and staff was. Dole would have on so many occasions, be in the position of having to make an important stump speech, and his speechwriters wouldn't be giving him the material until moments before he was to take the podium. It also waists no time explaining on how Dole wasn't exactly the best communicator in the world either. But ultimately, Woodward's conclusion, which is no surprise the same conclusion of this reviewer, as well as most of America, that Dole just didn't have a message for what he wanted to do and more importantly, why he wanted to be President. The age factor didn't help either.
The Choice also covers many other interesting people and names that dominated the political scene and captured the minds and imaginations of most politicos throughout this era. As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, the book also gives you an idea of the decision to run for President, or not. Through this, we hear of many other people's decision and weighing in on whether to run, or not. We go through California governor Pete Wilson, Tennessee Senator Lemar Alexander, former Vice President Dan Quayle, Texas Senator Phil Gramm. The spoilers also are mentioned in this book with no punches held, such as right-wing zealot Pat Buchannan, Ross Perot, and Steve Forbs. You also learn of, why the most sought after candidate, decided not to run. That possible candidate is non other than the former Chairman of the JCS, Colin Powell.
Other's mentioned were Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and his childish charades and temper tantrums, which helped add to his unpopularity and eventual demise. We also get a fly-on-the-wall view of the infamous budget battle between the Clinton White House and the congressional GOP of 1995, and then the government shutdown. Also included is Clinton's desperate dealing to get a peace accord in Bosnia. Bob Dole's decision to sacrifice his Senate seat and status of Majority Leadership, for his campaign. So The Choice, goes beyond just the campaign.
For me, what I came away with from this book more than anything else, was the way Bill Clinton grew-up so the speak, and into the Presidency. Now, I'm obviously not referring to his personal conduct, but as a leader, and the power that was within his grasp. The power that the office of the American Presidency gives to anyone to potentially use who occupies the Oval Office. It also gave me a different view of the man!!! Normally, and in the past I have always viewed Clinton like many of his campaign staffers, and of his generation. A person who is arrogant and unappreciative of the old and those past who have paid their dues. In The Choice, Woodward gives you a vision of a man who often at times would tear into his staff members, for taking cheap shots at people such as Newt Gingrich. For instance, Clinton ripped into Mike McCurry once for taking a pot shot at Speaker Gingrich in a White House press briefing. So it portrayed
a side of the man, that I never knew, or thought possibly existed.
The portion that I enjoyed the most, was how behind the scenes both Clinton and Dole (even throughout the campaign of 1996) had a very cordial relationship, and tremendous respect for one another. At one point, Clinton.....after a major budget meeting in the Cabinet Room, pulled Dole aside and proposed that they find a solution on how to reform welfare, under the table, no politics involved. Another fascinating tale, was when Clinton stunned people like George Stephanopolus and others in his close inner-circle, on why he really wanted Bob Dole to win the Republican Nomination during the Primary season, because he felt that if something were to happen to him, or if he lost reelection
due to a crisis, he believed Dole was the only rational and able leader in the GOP. That shocked me!!!
In the end, it just goes to show, how interesting the world of American politics truly is! The relationship between
Clinton and Dole, even in spite of something as heavy as a presidential campaign and election, was very, very impressing.
The Choice, no doubt proves once again on why Bob Woodward is considered to be, perhaps the best political writer
in our times. I plan to soon read his 2000 best seller The Shadow: The Tale of Watergate and Five Presidents. of Clinton, Reagan, ect. Woodward is also due to come out with his latest book sometime in November, and the title is to be called Bush At War, I'm sure it will be revealing and a bestseller. I will send a review of the TR book when I am finished.
-Nicholas J. Vertucci
Love The Detail.......2002-04-19
Ok, I admit it; I am a big fan of Woodward. I will read everything he puts out and probably enjoy it. With that being said here is another book of his that I will profess to really enjoying. For my money he is the best political writer in the business today. He has so many contacts that many times in reading the book you could swear he has the White House bugged. This book follows the Clinton team through the two years leading up to the 1996 presidential elections. He does a great job of following both campaigns and paralleling the issues so that you get both sides. You get all the standard Woodward items with the book, great details, wonderful he said - she said conversations that really make you feel like a fly on the wall, an easy to follow and well laid out book.
I have read the book All Too Human that George Stephanopoulos wrote and in the book he describes the interviewing technique of Woodward, he stated that Woodward has a great style of getting you comfortable with him and then before you know it you are spilling all the secrets. What was also interesting is that Stephanopoulos wrote that Woodward audio tapes all of his interviews so that leads me to believe that the information in his books has not gone through a reporter taking notes loss of detail. One last bit of info is the Stephanopoulos said that once "The Agenda" came out the Clinton's got so mad at George for all of the info he told Woodward that they basically shut him out for a year. That must mean Woodward got it right.
A good follow up to this book is the Woodward book "The Agenda" which is the Clinton White House the first two years and the Elizabeth Drew book "Showdown: The Struggle between the Gingrich Congress and the Clinton White House", it picks up where The Agenda leaves off. This is an interesting book that I really enjoyed. If you like Woodward you will like this book, if you are interested in the first two years of the Clinton presidency then this is also a good source of information.
Average customer rating:
- Comedy Hour
- Fresh, informed, irreverent take on politics
- how do we change this?
- A riot! And revealing, too.
- Bully with a poison pen
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Show Time:: The American Political Circus and the Race for the White House
Roger Simon
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0812929632
Release Date: 1998-02-03 |
Amazon.com
Modern political campaigns--and seemingly politics in general--have devolved into a sort of circus, with many sideshow acts vying for the position of ringleader. No election exemplifies this as clearly as the race for the "big top": the White House. Syndicated columnist Roger Simon takes readers behind the scenes of what is surely the greatest political show on earth, exploring the 1996 presidential campaign between the incumbent, Bill Clinton, and the Republican candidate Bob Dole, and touching on other serious primary contenders such as Pat Buchanan, Lamar Alexander, and Steve Forbes. In the vein of such campaign classics as Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 and the more recent Trail Fever by Michael Lewis, Show Time reveals the true nature of those who help--or fail to help--their guy rule the polls. From White House spokesman Mike McCurry to talk-show host Larry King to political rule-breaker Ross Perot, Simon reintroduces readers to already familiar politicos, providing often humorous, sometimes tragicomic glimpses of the charismatic (and not-so-charismatic) people who helped make a potentially forgettable political match-up a fascinating, hilarious study of the production that American presidential campaigns have become.
After the cursory but delightful examination of the primary elections, Simon delves into the race between the chosen ones: Clinton and Dole. He paints vivid pictures of these very different men, all the while showing how their personalities helped--or inhibited--their chances of success. Simon claims that "the candidate who refuses to entertain is doomed to defeat." In this case, this candidate was Dole. Simon maintains that Dole's campaign suffered greatly for its lack of focus, an assertion supported by many of the candidate's own comments: when asked by a reporter what he considers the most important thing voters should know about him, Dole replied, "Beats me." In turn, Clinton's flexible, eager-to-please-and-entertain staffers helped propel this immensely likeable candidate back to his temporary home on Pennsylvania Avenue for a final term, and Simon documents their almost religious fervor and uproariously funny foibles with an equally insightful eye. Although many of us may remember the 1996 presidential election with disinterest or apathy, Show Time reminds us why living in a democracy is never boring.
Customer Reviews:
Comedy Hour.......2003-04-26
A laugh on every page, the author just kept the jokes coming. He missed his true calling, he should write comedy. Who would have thought that a dull political campaign that was almost decided from the start could be this funny? The author takes us through the 1996 presidential campaign with the main focus on the Dole campaign. The author was as brutally honest about the inept Dole campaign as he funny. Looking at the Dole campaign now you really see just how badly they performed from speeches to talking points. The author also included verbatim transcripts of some Dole stump speeches, and what a mess they were. Small children can put together more coherent thoughts. I really started to feel sorry for the guy after awhile. What a contrast the Clinton campaign proved to be, they scripted everything from backgrounds during speeches to person placement on stage during the debates.
I think the only complaint I could have is that the book stayed focused on Dole for about 60% of the time leaving the rest for Clinton and the other contenders. This is understandable given that the Dole campaign appeared to be the biggest mess and that is the way reporters handle a campaign by following the same guy around most of the time. I just would have liked the authors quick wit focused on some of the other unique personalities that also ran that year. Overall the book is great for its humor content alone. It also gives the reader an interesting insight to this campaign and campaigns in general. If you are a political junkie then this book will really make you smile.
Fresh, informed, irreverent take on politics.......2000-11-07
Thoroughly enjoyed this book by a source I wish the talking head gabfests would include in their panels more often. I couldn't imagine how anyone could make the sad, tedious 1996 presidential campaign interesting, but Mr. Simon did it and then some, with wit, humor, and penetrating insights throughout. A refreshing new take on the standard after-action election history. Highly recommend.
how do we change this?.......1998-04-22
Roger Simon certainly proves that presidential campaigns are a show orchestrated by skillful advisors to the candidates. What he fails to do is tell the reader what exactly he finds wrong with political campaigns being a show. Moreover, if he finds that this show is bad, he should at least tell us what we can do to change this or if there is no hope of changing the way political campaigns are run he should also tell us.
A riot! And revealing, too........1998-03-21
Roger Simon is the anti-Elizabeth Drew. Show Time is bursting with life, laugh-out-loud funny, and just the right length; it probably makes the 1996 campaign seem more interesting than it really was. (Although Simon doesn't have much to say about candidates other than Dole, Clinton, and Perot -- for the scoop on Morry Taylor and Alan Keyes, you'll need to read Michael Lewis's Trail Fever.) Simon's book on the 1988 campaign is worth tracking down, too; I hope we don't need to wait until 2004 for his next work.
Bully with a poison pen.......1998-03-11
I read Simon's earlier book "Road Show" and found it humorous, but this book is venonmous. His mean-spirited view exempts only the media (naturally), as he skewers the voters and candidates with Nat'l Enquirer-style gossip and furnishing additional reasons to feel cynical. (As if! as if there aren't enough...)
Book Description
America at the Polls 1960 - 1996 is the second of two volumes covering elections from Kennedy through Clinton. This new edition brings the election data for this invaluable set up to the latest election of William Jefferson Clinton.
Book Description
A timely history of national conventions held in Chicago from the Civil War era to the latest 1996 convention at the United Center.
Customer Reviews:
Informative Political History .......2006-04-15
This narrative looks at each one of the more than two dozen Presidential conventions held in Chicago from 1860 through 1996. Readers learn about each convention, the candidates, issues, and the outcome that followed in the November election. We see where each convention was held (the Wigwam, Chicago Coliseum, Chicago Stadium, etc.), plus there's illustrations, photos, and interesting anecdotes. The first convention in 1860 saw the Republicans pass over their front runner to select a country lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. Other Presidents nominated in our city include Theodore Roosevelt, William Taft, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman (as FDR's running mate), Dwight Eisenhower and Bill Clinton. Some famous people nominated here that lost in the fall election were William Jennings Bryan, Theodore Roosevelt (in 1912), Thomas Dewey, Richard Nixon (in 1960), and Hubert Humphrey.
Chicago has hosted far more Presidential nominating conventions than any other city, and this book does a nice job of describing each of those conventions.
One of the best histories of the Windy City.......2002-12-27
There are a lot of books on Chicago history; Inside the Wigwam takes a unique approach at the Windy City as a political powerhouse for the rest of the nation. It tells the stories of presidential nominating conventions from the unlikely candidacy of Republican Abraham Lincoln in 1860 to the bloody battle of the 1968 Democratic convention. Sautter and Burke have put together a magnificent tome, full of fascinating anecdotes and lively illustrations. The result is a popular history that never fails to entertain as it informs. This is my favorite book on Chicago history.
A "Must Have".......2001-12-22
INSIDE THE WIGWAM is the "must have" book for anyone interested in political science and/or government. Authors Burke and Sautter have packed this fascinating book with the insights necessary to truly understand the American election process. This book should be required reading for every American voter.
Amazon.com
Given the call-girl scandal that ended Dick Morris's career as Bill Clinton's chief political strategist, maybe they should have called this one "Under the Oval Office." The book is recommended because in Clinton's "Wilderness Years" of 1994 and 1995, when Newt Gingrich's Republican Revolution was in full flower, Morris undeniably had Clinton's ear. And what he was constantly whispering in it--that the president should effect a strategy of "triangulation," in which he would disassociate himself from both the Republicans *and* the Democrats in the Congress--proved winning advice. After all, Clinton was reelected even though both houses remained Republican. But perhaps it's a mistake to claim, as Morris does, that the scandal should be separated from his job performance. Wasn't it a case of not only compromising his position, but compromising principles as well? Isn't this the real danger of relying on nonpartisan political consultants?
Book Description
Dick Morris has written the ultimate inside story about the dramatic reelection of President Clinton, one that is certain to stir controversy about the way politics really works in America today. No one before has so vividly described what policy advisers, pollsters, and advertisers do behind the scenes in the Oval Office. And no one has so acutely identified the new political forces that are dominating America today.
Dick Morris was, as
Time magazine put it, the most influential private citizen in America. He was President Clinton's secret election strategist, invited to advise the demoralized president in the wake of the midterm debacle of 1994 that gave Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole control of Congress and, it seemed, a certain Republican victory in the 1996 presidential campaign. It did not turn out that way. Clinton made the biggest comeback in the history of modern politics, and he did it largely because of his partnership with Dick Morris, the man whose remarkable political insights helped Clinton become governor of Arkansas in 1978 and rescued him from defeat in 1982. They had a rapport that Clinton himself has called "probably unique in American history."
The assignment after the 1994 Republican congressional victory began in utmost secrecy. Morris, who had to cross the road from being adviser to Republicans such as William Weld, Dan Coats, and Trent Lott, was for months known only as Charlie, an unknown source calling Clinton's private White House telephone number. None of Clinton's Cabinet or inner circle knew anything about this, and they could not understand why Clinton began speaking in a new voice. When Clinton decided he needed Morris in the White House working with others, Morris became an object of intense scrutiny, speculation, and envy. He was Washington's great mystery man. He refused on-the-record press interviews. He was controversial. But he succeeded brilliantly. He laid the foundation for Clinton's return to the White House for a second term. He decided to write a book about it all--about his view of Clinton, his own role, and his perception of a change in the mood of the voters. In August, the president asked Morris to wait until after the election to write this book and to make it "right for Bill Clinton and right for Dick Morris."
And then Morris blew it.
On a day to savor his triumph, on the day when a resurgent Clinton addressed the Democratic Convention, Morris was on the way out in disgrace: revealed as having had a relationship with a prostitute who claimed he talked freely of his work for the president.
In
Behind the Oval Office, Dick Morris makes no excuses for his personal conduct. He is candid about it--painfully so--contemplating the wreckage of his career and the damage to his marriage. But with his book he achieves something significant on three levels. Shedding light on the unseen forces that drive politics today, he reveals just how the Republicans were routed by a combination of a Democratic shift to the center and an unprecedented and secret selling strategy. We have a box-seat view of the struggles in the White House for the soul of the Democratic party. We are taken deep into the hidden relationship between President Clinton and Republican Senate leader Trent Lott. The author explains how the deals they cut formulated the laws they passed--laws that doomed Dole's bid for the presidency.
And then there is William Jefferson Clinton. Morris gives us a three-dimensional portrait of the man and the politician. He draws on their twenty-year relationship to explain Clinton to us so vividly, with such new perspective, that we meet him as if for the first time. Morris lets us finally understand Bill Clinton and gives us vital clues about what he will do for the next four years. And we see Hillary Rodham Clinton at work and at home, facing up to political storms and adding her voice to the disputations about which way the Democrats should go.
Finally, Morris, the master of polling, gives us a surprising perspective on the values and desires of America, the key that enabled Clinton to respond and unlock the door to a second term in the White House, the first Democratic president to achieve that in fifty years.
This is an extraordinary book with a compelling narrative and incisive analysis by a political operator of unparalleled experience. It is filled with insights, touched with pathos. It is must reading for everyone who cares about the future of American democracy.
Customer Reviews:
Captivating Read....And I Can't Stand Bill Clinton.......2005-02-19
I was expecting a "Bill Clinton is a genius" book and prepared to dislike it. I've never cared for Clinton because the guy is so obviously out for himself - and at the same time decrying people for that very trait. As a President, Clinton confused personal victories with leadership (need I say impeachment?).
But regarding the actual race, I want to say that this book reads better than almost all of those campaign journal books by Teddy White and Jack Germond/Jules Witcover - and especially those of Elizabeth Drew. Morris makes clear his admiration of Clinton while leaving the reader with the conclusion that Clinton had a split personality - Morris calls one the policy wonk and the other the Eagle Scout.
Morris is NOT a conservative. Anyone who gets on his case about that is seriously misguided. Yes, he was (perhaps is) a Republican, but he covered that in detail, too. After all, how many people voted for BOTH George McGovern AND Ronald Reagan?
The book left me captivated as Morris clearly understands the ideological differences between the two parties. I think Morris is on somewhat less stable ground that the GOP would never nominate a Colin Powell, but I agree with virtually all of his other points.
Sadly, Morris hubris sunk him. Readers will remember that during the 1996 campaign, Morris got caught with a hooker and thrown out the door. Given Clinton's peccadilloes, I would think this behavior would get Morris nominated VP. But give Morris credit - he blamed himself and ONLY himself for that one.
The one bad thing out of the book is that Morris did the entire country a disservice by getting Clinton re-elected. While Morris may have felt that it was the right thing to do at the time, history shows Clinton to be just the way Morris saw him in his book - weak and namby-pamby and without a central core of beliefs of what he actually wanted to do as President. This is unfortunate given how history unfolded: if Clinton had had some guidance and actually run on issues of what he was going to do (that was tough since he did almost nothing he promised in 1992), he would have had some political cover when the Lewinsky scandal broke.
The book is must-read for political junkies or for somebody who wants to know Bill Clinton from the inside.
Surprisingly Captivating.......2004-02-14
Bill Clinton hired Dick Morris as a consultant for his 1996 reelection campaign. His role as an advisor to the president was kept a secret for several months, and eventually ended in a tabloid-driven scandal that cost Dick his job. Behind the Oval Office provides an account of this time from Dick's perspective.
The account is told in a surprisingly linear and story-like fashion. It makes for a captivating literary experience (which is a real accomplishment considering that this is a political book). It also serves as an outlet for Dick to apologize for, and make peace with, the scandal that cost him his job (and almost his marriage).
I found the book to be quite fair in describing the principals of the Clinton administration and Republican leadership in Congress (Dick Morris had also consulted for many Republicans over the years and briefly served as an information conduit between Bill Clinton and Trent Lott).
The bottom line is this: If you're looking for some sort of a hatchet-job on the Clinton administration, look elsewhere. If you're looking for starting revelations and juicy details, try the tabloids. However, if you want to know more about one of the most unique relationships a president has ever shared with an advisor, this is the book for you.
the man behind the victory.......2003-11-11
Part campaign chronicle, part autobiography, part political strategy primer, Behind the Oval Office is Morris's look at the period from about November 1994 through August 1996 when he worked as a consultant for Bill Clinton. Morris includes some background information, such as his earlier history with the Clintons and his relationship with Trent Lott, but the primary focus is how Clinton won the presidency after the 1994 midterm elections, to many observers, turned him into an apparent lame duck.
Morris takes great pains to point out that he is (or at least was) an equal opportunity consultant, advising both Republicans and Democrats. Indeed, when he got his first call from Clinton in 1994, he was working on a handful of Republican campaigns, including Tom Ridge's race for governor in Pennsylvania. Previously, he had worked for Trent Lott, whom Morris deeply respects, and, surprisingly enough, for Jesse Helms, a job which, not too surprisingly, ended with Morris's being fired. There's something a shade Machiavellian about this, about caring for victory above all else. But Morris also goes to great lengths to explain his "craft." It is not simply spin or slander or attack or government-by-polls; rather, it is about issues and substance. Morris insists that he merely examines a candidates repertoire of positions and, based on polls, picks the ones to emphasize.
It is an interesting book by an obviously brilliant man. Clinton's reversal of fortunes between 1994 and 1996 is nothing short of stunning, and much of it was Dick Morris's doing. That is, until he encountered his own scandal during the 1996 convention. (Of course, Dick Morris's strategies would continue to reap benefits after he left.) If there is a negative of this book, it is Morris's constant apologies for his trysts with the prostitute. It's a refreshing stand--to admit his wrongdoing, apologize for it, and recognize that he hurt others more than he hurt himself. But it was such a constant refrain in the book as to detract from its overall impact. Still, the book is insightful not only into the 1996 campaign but also into campaign strategy in general. It is a fascinating read.
Snowing the Electorate Against All Odds.......2003-08-15
Clinton's use of television advertising in his 1996 reelection bid was unprecedented in American history. Political consultant Dick Morris was highly influential in managing this campaign, and retracing his collaboration with the Clintons back to the Arkansas gubernatorial campaigns, he peeks inside Clinton and his White House.
Morris was also the one who gave the American political world 'triangulation'. If (as he insists too many times) triangulation is not really shaping of policy by polling but merely the shaping of presentation by polling, it would still be terribly disingenuous toward the voter. But I think even he realizes that cherry-picking other people's policies in order to win elections is not leadership.
In fact, a lack of leadership is indicative of the Clinton White House itself. According to Morris, Clinton suffers from a chronic inability to fire under- or misperforming members of his staff (inadvertently giving another clue as to who really was responsible for firing the travel office staff). He creates chaos and infighting, then drifts around waiting for someone to move in his direction whom he then supports. Morris describes a permanent near state of war between White House chief of staff Leon Panetta and deputies Harold Ickes and Erskine Bowles. Such is the manner that Clinton exerts control.
But then he isn't much of a team player-- he even keeps Morris out of sight from his staff because he wanted him to himself. Later, paranoia erupts when Clinton accuses Morris of hogging Al Gore, and fearing abandonment by his boss, Gore accuses Clinton of the same.
Clinton spent an astounding $85 million in his reelection campaign. In the previous presidential election, both candidates spent less than half that amount. Obviously this war chest drained an enormous amount of time and energy from Clinton's other job as president. Quoting Clinton: "I can't think. I can't act. I can't do anything but go to fund-raisers and shake hands. You want me to issue executive orders; I can't focus on a thing but the next fund-raiser. Hillary can't, Al can't-- we're all getting sick and crazy because of it."
Interestingly, Clinton doesn't even watch television news-- or read newspapers, with the exception of the New York Times and Washington Post op-ed pages.
Morris describes the reason for not supporting a cut in the capital gains tax. Their own experts had agreed with President Ronald Reagan's rationale that such a cut not only would not cost anything but would even raise revenue, but they still opposed it because it would make them look "too Republican." So they screwed American workers for cosmetics' sake. He describes Clinton's strategy to pass a welfare reform bill to help his election, but then force changes in it after being locked into the White House. Morris has many good words for Trent Lott, but being a good Senator couldn't save him from being lambasted over an off-hand remark at Strom Thurmond's centenary.
Not much is mentioned about foreign affairs, but what is doesn't speak well for Clinton's grasp of it. On the victory of Prime Minister Netanyahu in the 1996 Israeli elections, Clinton flatly concludes that the "Israelis are not ready for peace," forgetting that following countless terror attacks on its citizens after the disastrous Clinton-sponsored Israeli/Palestinian peace agreements, Israelis voted Netanyahu in office precisely because he was the only one who could credibly bring peace.
Sooner or later everyone strays into Hillary's dark side, and Morris commits the sin of recounting how she wanted a swimming pool in their taxpayer-funded Arkansas governor's mansion. It is fairly amusing to read the fawning and sycophantic groveling he had to endure to be restored in her favor.
Behind the White House is a fairly interesting read, though it suffers from sloppy editing. Are "honesty, honor, reliability" really adjectives in the Democratic lexicon? It has its share of political correctness: why does 'Arab terrorists' need quotes? Truman 'lost' China, but Clinton didn't want to lose Russia.
Dick Morris seems a generally honorable professional who is good at what he does, though I'm left to wonder whether this is good for the electorate or the country. In order to raise the astronomical amounts of cash needed for the marketing of what Morris calls the "first fully advertised presidency in US history," Clinton by his own admission was incapacitated from his duties. As we now know, the methods used to raise the cash were illegal, sometimes damaging to our national security, and always reprehensible.
The political genius.......2003-06-18
The undisputed master of polling, political stratagem, geopolitical sagacity, and, er... prostitutes writes an amazingly candid look into the Clinton White House worth reading years later. Morris chronicles his triangulation strategy that unfortunately led to Clinton's improbable 2nd term. Morris operated largely in secret as "Charlie" over the phone and later in and out of the East Wing while Clinton's staff worked separately in the West Wing.
Morris tells how Clinton instructs Morris to continue with the subterfuge to avoid the largely ineffective and overly quarrelsome Leon Panetta and Harold Ickes. Without Morris and his insight, Clinton no doubt would not have signed the Republican-sponsored Welfare Reform Act and would have lost in 1996. Morris, who is a foot shorter than Clinton, was tackled by Clinton while in Arkansas, only later to be consoled by Hillary as she told him that Bill only does that to people he loves. With friends like that...
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