Thomas F. (hardtack) -
An interesting book about the kind of stuff that goes on in political campaigns. Makes you wonder why we endure politicians and campaigns. Of course, it's not all their fault. A lot of the people running the campaigns know they'll have a nice job if their candidate wins and so they step waaaaaaay across the line to ensure that.
While the author relates the kind of sleazy tactics used by both parties, and even third parties, if you pay attention---especially while reading about the campaigns of the late 20th and early 21st centuries---you get a good idea which party has the author's allegiance.
Frankly, the people responsible for all these shady tactics are the voters. Most Americans now days are more interested in following the movements of rock stars than taking the time to seriously reflect on the candidates. For some reason they believe rock stars have a greater influence on their lives than politicians. Perhaps they are right. An old adage states that occasionally even fools are right. And it's a rare election now when 50% or more of the eligible voters bother to go to the polls. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy, and they are us."
As one of my degrees is in Political Science, and I read a lot of history, I had problems with some of the statements the author made about campaigns in the 19th century. For example, several times the author makes the claim that legislatures in Southern states during Reconstruction were corrupt, as they were controlled by carpetbaggers. This is right out of the book of Southern Mythology. Sure there was corruption, but not as much as he'd like us to think. Still, many 19th century states---both North and South---had legislatures with levels of corruption anyone would find disturbing. This is why Mark Twain wrote during the latter part of that century, "If I was a newly elected legislator, and had not yet been bought....." while describing what laws he would support.
But now I'd like to related one fun fact from the book. In the spoil systems of early American campaigns, when one party won the presidency, government job holders of the losing party were replaced by members of the winning party. After the 1848 election.... "...When the Whigs won, a Democratic appointee named Nathaniel Hawthorne was fired from his civil service position at the Salem Custom House. At which point the poor man had no choice but to write The Scarlet Letter..." to provide for his family.
While the author relates the kind of sleazy tactics used by both parties, and even third parties, if you pay attention---especially while reading about the campaigns of the late 20th and early 21st centuries---you get a good idea which party has the author's allegiance.
Frankly, the people responsible for all these shady tactics are the voters. Most Americans now days are more interested in following the movements of rock stars than taking the time to seriously reflect on the candidates. For some reason they believe rock stars have a greater influence on their lives than politicians. Perhaps they are right. An old adage states that occasionally even fools are right. And it's a rare election now when 50% or more of the eligible voters bother to go to the polls. As Pogo once said, "We have met the enemy, and they are us."
As one of my degrees is in Political Science, and I read a lot of history, I had problems with some of the statements the author made about campaigns in the 19th century. For example, several times the author makes the claim that legislatures in Southern states during Reconstruction were corrupt, as they were controlled by carpetbaggers. This is right out of the book of Southern Mythology. Sure there was corruption, but not as much as he'd like us to think. Still, many 19th century states---both North and South---had legislatures with levels of corruption anyone would find disturbing. This is why Mark Twain wrote during the latter part of that century, "If I was a newly elected legislator, and had not yet been bought....." while describing what laws he would support.
But now I'd like to related one fun fact from the book. In the spoil systems of early American campaigns, when one party won the presidency, government job holders of the losing party were replaced by members of the winning party. After the 1848 election.... "...When the Whigs won, a Democratic appointee named Nathaniel Hawthorne was fired from his civil service position at the Salem Custom House. At which point the poor man had no choice but to write The Scarlet Letter..." to provide for his family.
