It’s Not Happening

This book changed the way I see politics when I read it in college, and I re-read it every four years or so to refresh my memory. It’s been especially helpful this year.

Those expecting Las Vegas shenanigans get a few bright/dark moments, but are largely setting themselves up for disappointment. Thompson knows what he’s writing about, and managed to get access that even the most deeply embedded reporters could only dream of these days. He uncovers nuggets of weirdness that show how politics really works on the ground (or did – things have changed somewhat, mutatis mutandis, etc.), and his depiction of the conventions in Miami that year are rightfully legendary.

He lost steam after the primaries were over, but it wasn’t much of a general election anyway (McGovern suffered nearly the worst loss in American history), so we can forgive him. I urge pretty much everyone to pick this up and read it ASAP – it will both make you fear for November and realize just how right Obama is playing it, and has played it all along. The shout-outs to many people who would become much more important in later years (especially Gary Hart, who was McGovern’s campaign manager, and a hilarious one-line write-off of then-Gov. Jimmy Carter) are often mind-blowing. Get it or borrow mine.

Paul made me think about Freakonomics again yesterday, and since I hadn’t checked out their blog in a long while, I returned to see if it was worth reading again.

Turns out it is.

I never get any of those insane anti-Obama emails that have been circulating for so long, but my mom does all the time, as do many of her friends. They’ve been driving her bats, and she tried responding earnestly and apparently lost some of her more fragile friends as a result. Since that’s going to happen anyway, she’s decided to push it even further with this response:

Thank you for your kind words, in appreciation I have just contributed $25 to the Obama campaign in your name. I am sure you will be receiving a letter of appreciation from both the Obama campaign and the Democratic party. I also include a copy of your thoughtful email.

That doesn’t sound so bad. Here you go, while I’m thinking about it. Or, if you want to be like Junior and give to the DNC instead, go for it! Give what you can, as soon as possible – while I think O’s going to blow this thing out, it won’t happen unless we turn our rage into $$.

PS Oh yeah I just remembered that Mom said she and Dad were both refraining from making political donations this year (it would be sort of a wash), so feel free to back up her words with your $$. Maybe we should treat it like a walkathon – for each anti-Obama spam she gets in September, you pledge to give $5?

My dear friend Bethany is an awfully talented writer.