(Originally Published 2013, Hardcover Edition 482 pages)
Clearly, "Double Down" is not meant to be the ultimate book of what
occurred during the 2012 campaign. The most glaring example is the
reporters, Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, completely ignore Ron
Paul's quixotic quest. Heck, the libertarian is mentioned even less
times than Sarah Palin. And "Mama Grizzly" wasn't even running in the
darned thing. That ought to cause many of Ron Paul's more zealous
supporters to blow a blood vessel or two. The reporters focused mostly
on the background drama that unfolded in the Obama and Romney camps.
While their previous work "Game Change" seemed to center more on the
historic primary battle between Democrat Senators Obama and Clinton,
"Double Down" leans in the direction of Mr. Romney's travails. This
makes sense. As the incumbent, President Obama was focused on the
general election. There's not much really there. But Mr. Romney? I felt
bad for the guy. He had to contend with such loose-cannon lightweights
as Representative Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Texas
Governor Rick Perry and blowhard Donald Trump. In addition, New Jersey
Governor Chris Christie has a whole chapter devoted to him potentially
being a fly in the ointment of Romney's aspirations. Also, odious Newt
Gingrich's antics are given quite a bit of attention. Oh, and let's not
forget a Republican party in the middle of a civil war about the
direction to take the GOP. Yeah, good luck with that, Mitt.
What "Double Down" does very well is humanize the individuals and clearly shows the compromises they must make in an effort to sit in the White House. President Obama and Mr. Romney are decent men, but holy ham hocks, presidential campaigns bring out the worst in people. The book's overall tone is gossipy. There are countless examples of staffs manipulating potential voters through negative ads, sabotaging the opponent's rallies, political back-scratching and power-plays, constantly obsessing about campaign contributions, and the shallow nature of debates. Also, no matter how well prepared a campaign staff and the candidate may be, "Double Down" shows that things are going to mess with your plans. Some were self-inflicted and others were completely out of their control.
The most depressing thing about "Double Down" is that going negative against your opponent works very well and many citizens are easily swayed by superficial appearances. Every four years, it's the same thing. Voters and candidates of both persuasions get all hyped-up and starting believing that if the other person wins then it will usher in the End of Days. It takes a special kind of wingnut to put themselves through our presidential-campaign process. If they win, they're considered brilliant or cheaters. If they lose, everybody throws their two cents in on how you messed up. The book successfully shows the ups and downs of running through this media-saturated gauntlet. "Double Down" is an extremely fun, informative read, but the thing made me question (once again) our nation's sanity.
What "Double Down" does very well is humanize the individuals and clearly shows the compromises they must make in an effort to sit in the White House. President Obama and Mr. Romney are decent men, but holy ham hocks, presidential campaigns bring out the worst in people. The book's overall tone is gossipy. There are countless examples of staffs manipulating potential voters through negative ads, sabotaging the opponent's rallies, political back-scratching and power-plays, constantly obsessing about campaign contributions, and the shallow nature of debates. Also, no matter how well prepared a campaign staff and the candidate may be, "Double Down" shows that things are going to mess with your plans. Some were self-inflicted and others were completely out of their control.
The most depressing thing about "Double Down" is that going negative against your opponent works very well and many citizens are easily swayed by superficial appearances. Every four years, it's the same thing. Voters and candidates of both persuasions get all hyped-up and starting believing that if the other person wins then it will usher in the End of Days. It takes a special kind of wingnut to put themselves through our presidential-campaign process. If they win, they're considered brilliant or cheaters. If they lose, everybody throws their two cents in on how you messed up. The book successfully shows the ups and downs of running through this media-saturated gauntlet. "Double Down" is an extremely fun, informative read, but the thing made me question (once again) our nation's sanity.
(Meyers - A few years ago, I started writing, under the pseudonym Franklin the Mouse, short reviews at Amazon's web site. This is my most recent review #388)
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