Whistlestop

The Face the Nation moderator eases our fears about the 2016 presidential campaigns by showing other historical horrors related to our highest office.With a delightful conversational style featuring casual asides and plenty of incisive commentary, Dickerson (On Her Trail: My Mother, Nancy Dickerson, TV News' First Woman Star, 2006) relates historical blunders and boondoggles concerning our "national conversation about what we believe, our national purpose, and how to keep ourselves on track." The comparisons to our current state can't be missed, as Dickerson references attempts to repair an American system operated as a republic by elites. He states that America was not created as a democracy. The Founding Fathers looked to check the popular will using the Electoral College, state election of senators, limited suffrage, and the nominating caucus. Across the years, candidates acting as people's champions have tried to change that, with little success. Dickerson's many years of experience covering politics informs his intriguing inside looks at how certain stories begin and how they grow. He says a story moves around the campaign trail with a new expletive added every third telling. Throughout the book, the parallels to today's news are unavoidable. The fight to stop Barry Goldwater in 1964 featured George Romney, and the current #NeverTrump movement involves his son Mitt. What is most fascinating is how one moment can absolutely kill a campaign; witness "Dukakis in the tank," Howard Dean's scream, and Ed Muskie's tears. Sometimes, a strange campaigning style can be a candidate's best asset--e.g., middle America loved Harry Truman's off-the cuff attitude and his whistle-stop tours. At the beginning of the book, the author includes a helpful "Timeline of U.S. Presidential Elections," which lists election years, the winner, and other major candidates. A politically astute, timely book that will also have great historical value for future campaigns. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from September 1, 2016

Dickerson's timely compilation of stories from 18 presidential campaigns are rousing moments in campaign history yet also present some enduring truths about ambition, image, emotion, power, national direction, party identity, elite power brokers, and disaffected voters. Dickerson (moderator of TV's Face the Nation, columnist for online magazine Slate) witnessed a few events as a campaign reporter. Some were shared by other journalists and campaign workers--possibly, he claims, embellished in the retelling. Others are historical. The accounts demonstrate the evolution of standards and expectations for presidential campaigns, ranging from when Thomas Jefferson paid an unscrupulous journalist to defame his opponents in 1800 (and who later revealed Jefferson's scandalous liaison with Sally Hemings) to Harry Truman's 1952 precedent-setting whistlestop campaign to convince common voters that he was no different from them, to the nontraditional 2004 popular movement that created Howard Dean's campaign. Dickerson covers bribery, scandals, spin, theatrics, sabotage, and other ugly aspects of American king-making and weaves throughout the theme of voters' efforts to have some say over the uncompromising political system. VERDICT Political junkies and all readers will be enlightened by Dickerson's well-documented, engaging, and at times whimsical text. The connections between past campaigns and the wild 2016 season might offer readers promise for the future.--Margaret Kappanadze, Elmira Coll. Lib., NY

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.