Due to the temper of the times, these days we are inundated with political books. How to choose between them?
Most obviously, eliminate the self-serving drivel written, or supposedly written, by politicians running for or holding office. At best, it’s mindless spin, but often it’s riddled with lies. One recent White House occupant even amalgamated girlfriends, choosing their skin colors for “dramatic” purposes, in his putative autobiography.
Harder to decide is what actually to read. I would suggest two categories. One, and this is exceptionally rare, the theoretical when it is original, seeing things in a new way. The Demon in Democracy by Ryszard Legutko — a book that elucidates the uncomfortable similarities between communism and liberalism — is an excellent example. (Legutko, a Polish professor who has lived under both, knows whereof he speaks.)
The second, somewhat more common yet still rare, is the book that has new facts or arranges those facts in a new way. This emphatically does not include those that rely on confidential conversations and informants (i. e. leakers) of any kind because we have no way of judging their veracity. This includes authors that range from the “august” Bob Woodward to the sleazy Michael Wolff. Don’t waste a penny on their salacious gossip. If you want to be titillated (okay, you’re excused), the juiciest items will appear on the Internet within moments of publication anyway.
Instead, read and purchase Trumping Obama: How President Trump Saved Us from Barack Obama’s Legacy by Matt Margolis. It is entirely fact-based and meets my criterion of arranging those facts in a new (and extremely useful) way.
The book is a must-have for Trump supporters for the coming presidential election. It is the best compendium I have seen of all the president’s achievements in overcoming what we might call Obamaism and more. It is also done with remarkable concision, all accomplished in 138 pages that are followed by a thorough 66 pages of footnotes to demonstrate where the author’s facts come from, no gossip here.
It’s all here in Margolis’ book from the obvious (pulling out of the Iran Deal and the Paris Climate Accords) to the obscure I couldn’t remember having happened at all (reversing Obama’s military surplus rule, whatever that was). You are reminded just how much Obama actually did with his phone and his pen, as he put it, and just how hard Trump had to work to reverse it. Thankfully, Barack almost always bypassed Congress, so Trump could too.
The ways this book will be useful during the campaign are myriad. Readers will be prepared for any and all talking points.
Many think almost no one can be persuaded anymore. The whole country has chosen sides. That’s not entirely true. Most of the opposition to Trump is based on rhetoric and bogus accusations of racism. As the election draws nearer, the facts and, of course, the economy will come into closer focus. People who are concerned about their economic welfare (i. e. virtually everybody but Tom Steyer) will, secretly or otherwise, want reasons to vote for Trump. Those who have read Margolis’ book and keep it at hand will be prepared with the facts to bring the waverers over the line. Get it now.
[DISCLOSURE: Margolis is a PJMedia colleague, so feel free to factor that in. But also factor in my reputation rests with everything I write.]
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