Books: Recommended Reading

Subject: Recommended Reading
From: Hollowfox
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 03:24 PM

Well, there's no stopping it, the Fourth Summer is nearly upon us. While I can't do anything about the coverage of the Summer Olympics, I can recommend a little something for the presidential campaign. The book is called "I'd Rather be President: A Handbook for Expectant Candidates" by Charles Ellis (probably a pseudonym, since he died in 1868) and Frank Weir Simon & Schuster, 1956, illustrated by Walt Kelly (but not with his Pogo cartoon characters). During the last campaign, I alternately laughed and cringed at how little the rules of the campaign game had changed since Eisenhower ran for president. Both Clinton and Dole were lifting their techniques straight from the book: "Never let the press see you tired; have your staff members confide to the reporters that you're running them ragged with your stamina." "Visit the graves of your relatives. Do this in as many states as you can. If you can manage to have one dead relative on each side of the Civil War, so much the better." And my favorite: "They say that the advent of television will shorten the length of the national conventions. They also said that the advent of the crossbow would shorten wars." To be sure, there's a little bit of updating. Bill Clinton was inspired to go into politics by his meeting with John Kennedy, not Teddy Roosevelt, but that's a detail. My library's copy can go out on interlibrary loan, and there must be more elsewhere. For those of you outside of the United States, if you'd like some news commentary a bit more independent than CNN or MSNBC, try Moplly Ivins' newspaper column. She's a newspaper columnist from Texas, admittedly a liberal, but not brainless about it. (Besides, I think it was Theodore Bikel who said that it was hard to find a right-wing folksinger.) She follows up on facts, and is a good wordcrafter. Her website is http://www.star-telegram.com/columnist/ivins2.htm Sorry that I haven't mastered the blueclickything...someday, perhaps. (BTW, I enjoy the Manchester Guardian's website, just to keep my news from being totally North America based. Any other site suggestions?)

Subject: RE: BS: Recommended Reading
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 03:38 PM

Thanks! Love Molly's stuff. You can access her and many more columnists, as well as news from around the world at the Drudge Report a href=http://www.drudgereport.com/>here.

You can also buy copies of the book, Hollowfox mentions, here.

Oh...and shameless self-promotion....you can also subscribe to this publication and read not only Molly, but many other fine columnists, as well as yours truly.:-)

Thanks,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Recommended Reading
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 04:53 PM

Molly Ivins RULES!!

Subject: RE: BS: Recommended Reading
From: Caitrin
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 05:26 PM

Yes she does.

Subject: Woody Guthrie Biography
From: Joe Offer
Date: 27 Apr 00 - 06:23 PM

Here's an online Woody Guthrie Biography for your reading pleasure.
-Joe Offer-