Politics Lost

In POLITICS LOST, Washington insider Joe Klein laments the state of politics in America, saying that the life blood of campaigning--and a lot of the fun--have been taken away by handlers, managers, and micromanagers--and we, the people are the ultimate losers. Politics has always, for better or worse, attracted larger-than-life characters. Now, says Klein, any candidate who has a view, or any semblance of individuality, needs to stifle it, or he or she will be snuffed by their advisors and Stepfordized. Both Democrats and Republicans, including Al Gore and John Dean, have suffered from this problem, and even incumbents such as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the holders of the most powerful office in the world, have had to always stay on message --indeed, the message itself is now micro-managed. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.