It could be thought ironic that in the lazy days of summer political storytelling and partisan ramblings are currently dominating the best-seller list. Americans are embracing politics in the sultry months typically overrun with beachside romances and murder mysteries. It seems appropriate that many of these political anecdotes have similar issues with credibility and theatrical value. The season offers kiss-and-tell features from former administration officials and journalistic voyeurism for those eager to peek into the inner workings of our government.
Leading the pack is Bob Woodward with his most recent insider account, Plan of Attack. True to form, Woodward blends countless off-the-record interviews with aggressive research to tell the story of America's path to war in Iraq. While he creates an engaging story, it remains only a narrative without aspirations of a historical account. Woodward's integrity however, is unshakable and, despite the book's lack of citation, Plan of Attack likely contains more unverifiable truth than gossip.
Richard Clarke details the history of America's war on terror in Against All Enemies. Chronicling federal counterterrorism policy since Jimmy Carter's administration, Clarke offers prescriptions for change and criticism of past policies.
Though Clarke's book had the most potential of the politically bent best-sellers, he loses some credibility due to circumstance. Having been promoted to National Coordinator for Counterterrorism under Bill Clinton and demoted under George W. Bush, his harsh treatment of the latter and lenient handling of the former appear motivated by personal feelings at times.
Long anticipated (and long winded), Clinton's memoir My Life disappoints some with its lack of juicy details and infuriates others with his "me against them" depictions of politics in the 1990s. What is certain from this piece is that Clinton is a talented writer, as his book offers lucid depictions of his childhood and inner struggles. A fine book for policy wonks, its 900-plus pages may leave a casual observer feeling more like Clinton's psychiatrist than his constituent.
Mixed with these bookstore blockbusters are a legion of partisan attacks by both Democrats and Republicans on "the other side." Appealing to only the most loyal party devotee, these books are filled with stinging rhetoric and massive logical leaps. Attacks on the Bush administration like Bushwhacked: Life in George W. Bush's America by Molly Ivins and Worse than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by John Dean provide ample ammunition for devoted Democrats to assail the President. Similarly, Rewriting History by Dick Morris and Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry, and the Bush Haters by Bill Sammon continue the assault on the Clinton administration and go to the trenches for George W. Bush.
There is a presidential election in four months, but is this a bit much? Certainly, the emotional and divisive nature of this election has prompted many of these publications, but never before has politics overshadowed all other form of popular literature. Nine of the top 20 non-fiction books on Amazon.com concern politics, with the last remaining summer blockbuster Checkpoint, a fictional work that centers on a discussion about assasinating President Bush, due out in August from writer Nicholson Baker. Unfortunately, these books aren't attracting a new group of people to politics; they're catering to activists who already hold strong opinions. Rather than offering objective analysis and raw data, they present polarizing commentary that only reinforces the readers' perspectives. While these books' impact on the election remains unseen, they are further pushing us along a course of diametric political discordance without offering much in the form of solutions. Don't hold your breath for the book that takes us in the other direction.
The author is the president of Campus Council and a guest contributor to RECESS.
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