No Way to Pick A President: How Money and Hired Guns Have Debased American Elections

by Jules Witcover

Overview

As the United States marks its first presidential election of a new century, Witcover shows us how professional mercenaries -- with little party loyalty and diminished political principles, driven by an insatiable need for money -- are poisoning public life. At the same time, politicians themselves have condoned and even encouraged these developments, responding to the demands of a media-driven age in which the press corps pursues its own quest for celebrity and financial reward.

Sharp, revealing, and rich with anecdotes, No Way to Pick a President offers a wealth of presidential history, from the role of the vice president's office to campaign funds, television and the electoral college.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781135312114
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/23/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	544 KB

About the Author

Jules Witcover, a nationally syndicated columnist for The Baltimore Sun, has been covering Washington politics for almost half a century. He is the author of ten books, including the best-seller Marathon, about the 1976 Carter/Ford race. He is also the co-author of four works with Jack Germond.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Then and Now 1. Me for President 2. The Era of the Hired Gun 3. Television Raises the States 4. Main Street to Madison Avenue 5. Sour Mother's Milk 6. Anything Goes 7. The 800-Pound Gorilla 8. Watchdogs and Laptops 9. A Process Gone Berzerk 10. Coronations, Not Conventions 11. Rolling the Dice 12. The Grand Facade 13. Moments of Truth 14. An Accident Waiting to Happen 15. Whither the Parties? 16. Time for an overhaul Bibliography Index

Editorial Reviews

"Praise for the hardcover edition of No Way to Pick a President(0374223033):."
"Provacative.Witcover blasts virtually everyone and everything associated with presidential elections." — Washington Post Book World
"An angry uncompromising survey of the steady debasement of the political coin." — David Broder, Washington Post
"Vintage Witcover, which means strong reporting, sharp analysis, and well turned anecdotes, revealing interviews, and an abiding love of the game, warts and all. Witcover is a great political reporter." — Paul Taylor, The Washington Monthly
"If you're despairing about the country's politics, this volume will provide intellectual ballast to your feelings." — Matthew Cooper, New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher