Series in Elections
Books in Elections
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72
The best account yet published of what it feels like to be out there in the middle of the American political process.
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72
The best account yet published of what it feels like to be out there in the middle of the American political process.
How to Win an Election
The 2019 Australian election produced a surprise result showing, not for the first time, that every election is there for the winning — including the next one. Labor's surprise loss in 2019, like the Liberal and National parties' defeat in the so-called 'unloseable' 1993 election, showed how careful attention to basic political craft can yield big dividends – and how inattention to it can turn apparently certain favourites into losers. With the vast challenges of climate change and social and economic equity in the post-pandemic world ahead of us, Australia cannot afford any more costly election accidents. How To Win An Electionspells out the ten things a political leader and their party must excel at to maximise the chance of success, and against which they should be accountable between and during elections. Better performance in even a few of the areas canvassed in this book can change an election outcome, so full attention should be paid to each of them, all the time, every time, without fail, Wallace argues — in real time when it counts. How To Win An Election is a crucial insurance policy against overconfident leaders imposing learner errors on their supporters over and over again, and for getting the best results from Australia's democratic system. 'Journalist and biographer Chris Wallace's How to Win an Election can be read two ways. Firstly, as an autopsy of Labor's shock 2019 defeat, and secondly as a witty yet Machiavellian explainer of how to win at contemporary politics. While the book's tone is often playful and tongue-in-cheek, its aim is deadly serious...How to Win an Election is essential reading for politicians and their staffers; it will also greatly appeal to voters of all ages and persuasions.' — Chris Saliba, Books+Publishing 'Elections in Australia are often decided by remarkably tight margins – a few thousand votes shift in some key seats and you get a different outcome. The campaigns parties run are complex and yet need to coalesce around strong, simple core messages. From the inside they are high-wire acts, often winner-take-all-bets. Chris Wallace brings original thinking and clarity to understanding the dynamics of elections and offers practical suggestions on how to win — including some that could probably only have come from an astute outsider.' — Geoff Walsh, ALP National Secretary (2000–2003), former adviser to Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating and Premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby, veteran of nine Australian election campaigns and journalist 'Scott Morrison believes in miracles, but this book suggests 10 commonsense rules could do the job for Labor.' — Laurie Oakes
Losers: The Road to Everyplace But the White House
Losers is a wickedly funny, unflinching look at how America really goes about choosing a President. "A fresh, hilarious must read... [ Losers ] is a winner."- Time Michael Lewis is a master at dissecting the absurd: after skewering Wall Street in his national bestseller Liar's Poker, he packed his mighty pen and set out on the 1996 campaign trail. As he follows the men who aspire to the Oval Office, Lewis discovers an absurd mix of bravery and backpedaling, heroic possibility and mealy-mouthed sound bytes, and a process so ridiculous and unsavory that it leaves him wondering if everyone involved—from the journalists to the candidates to the people who voted—isn't ultimately a loser. The contenders: Pat Buchanan: becomes the first politician ever to choose a black hat over a white one. Phil Gramm: spends twenty million dollars to convince voters of his fiscal responsibility. John McCain: makes the fatal mistake of actually speaking his mind. Alan Keyes: checks out of a New Hampshire hotel and tells the manager another candidate will be paying his bill. Steve Forbes: refuses to answer questions about his father's motorcycles. Bob Dole: marches through the campaign without ever seeming to care.
Political Sign
Finalist for the Big Other Book Award for Nonfiction 2020 Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. In an election year, political signs can be impossible to avoid. They're in front yards, on bumper stickers, and in some places you might never have expected. Tobias Carroll chronicles the permutations and secret histories of political signs, venturing into the story of how they came to be and illuminating how the signs around us shape us in ways we often fail to appreciate. In an era of political polarization and heated debate, what can be learned from studying how our personal space becomes the setting for both? Understanding political signs can help us understand our current political moment, and how we might transcend it. Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic .
The Elephant in the Room
"This is a deeply salient read." -Nick Offerman “But Hillary is a known Luciferian,” he tried. “She’s not a known Luciferian,” I said. “Well, yes and no,” he said. In The Elephant in the Room , Jon Ronson, the New York Times -Bestselling author of The Psychopath Test , Them , and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed , travels to Cleveland at the height of summer to witness the Republican National Convention. Along the way, he reunites with an old acquaintance—the influential provocateur and conspiracy talk-show host Alex Jones—who draws him, unexpectedly, into one of the most bizarre presidential campaigns in American history. From the private Winnebago where conspiracy theorists and fearmongers discuss key campaign decisions, to a chance encounter with notorious political operative Roger Stone, Ronson’s picaresque journey into Donald Trump’s atmosphere introduces us to the people who orbit the campaign machine, and discovers what makes them tick—and what ticks them off. Whimsical, hilarious and often downright terrifying, The Elephant in the Room captures a defining moment in our time as only Jon Ronson could see it. ** Jon Ronson's nonfiction books So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed , The Psychopath Test , Them: Adventures with Extremists , Lost at Sea and The Men Who Stare At Goats have all been international and/or New York Times bestsellers, and have been translated into more than 26 languages. The Men Who Stare At Goats was adapted into a film starring George Clooney. The film adaptation of The Psychopath Test is currently in development starring Scarlett Johansson, directed by Jay Roach, and with a screenplay by Kristin Gore. Ronson’s original screenplays include “Frank,” which he co-wrote with Peter Straughan. “Frank” won the 2014 best screenplay award at the British Independent Film Awards. His latest film, “Okja,” which stars Tilda Swinton, Jake Gyllenhaal and Paul Dano, and is directed by Bong Joon-Ho, will be released in 2017. Ronson is a regular contributor to The Guardian , This American Life , the New York Times magazine and GQ magazine, and has appeared as a guest on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “Conan,” and “Inside Amy Schumer.” His many UK documentaries include “Stanley Kubrick's Boxes,” “The Secret Rulers of the World,” and seven seasons of the award-winning BBC Radio 4 program “Jon Ronson On…” He lives at the moment in New York, where he’s working on an audio series for Audible called The Butterfly Effect.
The Odds Against Obama
Most Americans instinctively assume the President will cruise to reelection in November. This notion has been bolstered by the Obama campaign's relentless efforts to portray the president as unbeatable and to characterize Mitt Romney as a hapless loser. THE ODDS AGAINST OBAMA provides the tools to shatter that impression, and to put the campaign in proper perspective based on the iron rules of history and logic. Based on columns that appeared originally in The Daily Beast, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal and on Townhall.com, with annotated new election tables that highlight the key differences between past presidential winners and losers, these essays show that the patterns of our politics strongly favor conservatives in the crucial election of 2012. This eBook never argues that Mitt Romney can’t lose. But the notion that Romney can’t win is illogical and unsupportable, when history and common sense argue powerfully to the contrary. The president admits that this election will prove closer than the last one -- which means he plans to become the first incumbent in all of American history to win a second term after four years of losing, not gaining, support. If most people believe our nation is headed in the wrong direction then why wouldn’t they choose to change drivers? THE ODDS AGAINST OBAMA offer a stimulating road map for taking the right turns to make that change. Includes a special Appendix describing why Paul Ryan is an excellent choice for Vice President. Also contains election data from 24 historical Presidential elections.
The Republican Choice for 2018
In this four-part political strategy paper, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich draws on decades of political experience and insight to outline a path for Republican victory in the 2018 midterm elections and beyond. As a master strategist, historian, and architect of the 1994 “Contract with America” that led to capturing a Republican majority in the House for the first time in 40 years, there is no better expert to define the future of conservatism and the importance of the fall election. In The Republican Choice for 2018: Win or Lose, Gingrich describes the two competing alternative universes that define the 2018 election – and the big, bold choices that will determine the fate the Republican Party – and every American.
You Can Lead a Politician to Water, But You Can't Make Him Think
And Kinky Said Unto the People: Why the Hell Not? So the good people of Texas weren't able to get the Kinkster into the Governor's Mansion in 2006. It was a solid race, and he fought the good fight. Getting on the ballot as an independent -- a feat that had not been achieved in over a century -- was a victory in itself. And with ideas like "slots for tots" (legalized gambling to pay for education), the five Mexican generals plan (bribes to enforce border protection), and a firm stand against the "wussification" of the state, he would have done a helluva job. If that 2006 election was any indication -- and it was -- the political landscape in both Texas and the country at large needs a significant overhaul. The hucksters, the wealthy, and the twofaced rule; there is no room for Truth, and the little guys are quickly forgotten in all the muck. But Kinky, (briefly) down yet certainly not out, is still looking out for his fellow Americans, and he has much wisdom to impart. In this hilarious, thought-provoking manifesto, Kinky lays forth his ten commandments for improving the state of Texas and politics everywhere, and for restoring order, logic, decency, and above all a sense of humor back to this country. It's classic Kinky in a brand new way. And he might just have a point.