Too Close to Call: The Thirty-Six-Day Battle to Decide the 2000 Election

gripping page turner

As a technical writer, I enjoyed the way the writer switched scenes, it added to its drama and readability; had it been a chronological read the book would have been boring. However, experienced writers/readers pick up on his Gore slant from the beginning, from the tone of certain sentences to his word choice. The book leaves you wondering why anyone would believe any vote count total from either side with all these partisans running around counting over votes and undervotes. Machines are not biased and unless they malfunction no vote should be looked at twice. If people can't vote properly than that should have been it. We all know people, the vote counters, were biased whether they realized it or not; they have emotion and history, things we cannot ignore even when we are on a jury. Given the fact votes that counted changed from day to day makes those partial counts that were added to totals before certification incredulous. Toobin purposely does not address this thoroughly, which weakens the books premise and in his last few paragraphs he reveals himself to be exactly what I thought he was from the beginning. He left a few unanswered scenarios which left me looking for another book on the same topic.

Painful for a Democrat to Read but the Truth!

This is one of the clearest, most even accounts I have read of the Bush-Gore election debacle. Toobin goes out of his way to present what both side did and what their political strategy was. And although he tries mightly to be be even-sided, and as a Democrat, I wanted to cheer Gore on, the disaster Gore and his folks made with both their political strategy and actions are clear and obvious. Gore and his hapless team (William Daley and Warren Christopher) were sadly outplayed and out-maneuvered by a relentless and focused political operation headed for Bush by James Baker. Even sadder are the politically accurate inflections from Bill Clinton, a man who had already beaten Baker and Bush Sr and whose valulable political input was totally ignored by Gore and his people. It is hard even as a Democrat to walk away from this book and other accounts and have any respect left for Al Gore's political skills. Throughout the book although it is even, I got the impression the writer was more pro-Bush which made the final paragraphs of the book all the more stunning but inescapably accurate--and something Al Gore will have to live with his political incomptence forever. This is a a book any politically inclined reader will enjoy and savor.

Surprisingly, simplistically biased

I was shocked at how overtly slanted this account proved to be. Although this author has been brilliant in the past, his latest work is just a sop to the Left; there's no real news here, little hard analysis, and the whole thing reads like a PR release for the Gore camp. Even those who are sympathetic should look elsewhere.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Who cares?

Toobin does a literate job of reiterating how (but not necessarily why) Gore chose to lose in the courts rather than the House of Representatives. However, after 9-11, I can't believe this book receives the slightest bit of attention, and I am disappointed with myself for thinking this is/was still a viable concern. What I learned about myself is far more important than what was presented in this book... that there are more important things in today's volatile world to be concerned with than how supposedly 'informed' voters screwed-up their ballots, and all the whining that went on afterwards.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A Must Read for all (former) Americans...

...and those who have that vague feeling that they are. Toobin once again does what he does well. Takes a complicated chain of events, much of it unfolding in the legal arena, and simplifies it for the casual reader. And he speaks the truth about who was honorable and principled, who was not, and who the 'consent of the governed' would have had as their elected leader (as opposed an appointed ruler) if America had remained a constitutional democracy, a nation of laws not men. Anyone who claims this book has a bias is likely in the employ of the RNC, because Toobin treats the bush machine quite gingerly in far too many instances. For example, he marvels at James Baker as a 'superior strategist,' bringing no skepticism to fact that his first comment on the election was 'it's going to be decided in the Supreme Court,' or to his (related?) plan to forgo any pro-bush vote counting in or to 'send the message that the election was over,' by filing a Federal suit to stop any further counting. Notwithstanding the fact that the automatic recount was ongoing and Baker should not have known how it would come out. Toobin does however point out the 18 counties that failed to conduct that recount, putting the (Big) lie to Baker's 'counted, and recounted' mantra. There are other faults, but far more unique reporting of behind the scenes activity, crucial facts 'missed' by the mainstream media, and exposition of the ruthless actions of the grinches who stole democracy. If after reading this book, you're not in mourning for a once-great nation, consider yourself hopelessly and permanently duped by the DC/Media elite propagandists. Yes, they really stole it. Yes, 'everyone' knew it, but nobody told us.

A book that hammer's Gore, and the election

Toobin gives a good overview of the publically available data on the election of 2000 - pulling no punches in showing the Republican Party's theft of the election, and the Gore campaign's hapless defense. No one comes out smelling like a rose: 'Al Gore's performance raises a question that is simple to pose but difficult to answer: Was the vice president a statesman or a sap? Running away would have been admirable only if the accusations against him had merit, but not simply because they were raised.' The hard truth is the election was stolen by the Republican party, but the other hard truth is that the institutions that were supposed to be the guardians of democracy - rolled over and let it happen. Which is worse is hard to say.

First-rate account of events we still need to come to terms with

Toobin was one of the few sane, balanced voices during the election fiasco, and this lucid, meticulously researched and argued book is in the same vein. The writers below seem to think that 'unbiased' is synonymous with 'blaming both sides equally.' It's not. Toobin doesn't have any special fondness for Gore, and he turns the same neutral, critical eye to both camps. He just happens to conclude that the Bush side (partly because of superior tactics) was the more duplicitous.

The tilte should be 'A democrats View On A Race Too Close To Call'

The title and the jacket cover of the book is really misleading. After reading the first few pages I realized this was a very biased opinion of the post presidential election in Florida. This was not an attempt to inform the reader, as the jacket suggests, of events both good and bad from the Democrat and Republican camps during the 36 days in Florida. It is simply propaganda.

0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

No text was provided for this review.