Political Hack's Bookclub - Politics Lost

Since I'm going to be doing all this reading over the next four to five years pursuing my PhD I figured I'd start writing a few short book reviews of books I've read and provide other reviews of the same book. If you have also read the book, please leave your comments or send me an email because I'm interested in feedback.

This week: Politics Lost, by Joe Klein - ISBN: 0385510276

Joe Klein is an excellent writer. For a non-fiction book, Politics Lost is entertaining and engaging, bringing the reader into the world of political consultants and American politics. Made famous by Primary Colors, Klein sets out on a crusade against the almightly political consultant. He argues, and quite successfully in my opinion, that American politics is being ruined by political consultants.

One of my favourite examples is of the 2000 Presidential election and Al Gore. In the book, Klein explains how Gore was taken off his message by consultants who wanted him to focus on core Democratic Party issues like education, jobs and healthcare. Despite it being good politics, Klein argued that these issues, while important, were not key passion drivers for Gore and thus his often robotic, boring tone. Klein believes that had Gore been allowed to talk about global warming, the environment and other issues he has worked on his entire political career, his public persona would have been different and he would have won the election. According to Klein, in 2000, Al Gore didn't loose the election, his political consultants did.

The book was very good and a fairly easy read. It goes through American elections from the 1960s to 2004 and John Kerry. It is a strong critique of American politics and the pundits and politicos that drive politicians away from speaking their mind and towards speaking to a select group of voters that will ensure their reelection.

At the end, the basic argument is that politics and our political leaders are no longer authentic. It’s authenticity that separates winners from losers, good politics from bad, and he-man leader types from consultant-directed puppet boys. Real politicians say honest and heartfelt and down-home things while the shames listen to the consultants and utter simple cliches and market-tested drivel.

The AH HA Factor

While reading this book I couldn't help but think of Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party. Instead of presenting Canadians with a broad vision for the country, he has focused almost obsessively on his five key priorities which were undoubtedly market tested with his key target - middle class families who live in suburban ridings across Canada - particularly in the GTA and around Montreal.

Klein would harshly critize this approach and even suggest that it may backfire eventually.

What others say about it:

History Wire runs a review: "One of the book's most interesting sections discusses the phenomenon of the political maverick, from John McCain and John Anderson to Ross Perot and Howard Dean. Their initial appeal usually comes from the fact that they are not handled at the outset -- probably can't afford a handler -- so they say what's on their mind, something voters often find refreshing. Soon, they're winning primaries, which convinces some candidates they really are the Second Coming."

"Then, either they decide to employ political consultants, who script them beyond recognition. Or they insist on going it alone and, inevitably, flame out because they have underestimated the complexity of the system and the land mines that will be thrown into their paths. Politics Lost is, at once, substantive, anecdotal and stimulating."

Other Reviews

New York Times Book Review by Jennifer Senior

The New Republic Review by Jonathan Chait

A review by George Will at the Washington Post