Are you a political junkie feeling restless now that the election excitement is over? Are you craving the intrigue of smoke-filled war rooms and rousing populist speeches, but have to settle for C-Span or MSNBC? Or maybe you just want to know what the heck happened for the past three months?
Let me help you ~ here are ten books about politics, candidates and campaigns with all the electioneering you crave, plus a big boost of history to put everything about 2012 in context. Some are about the left, some about the right, but all are fascinating.
Note: Both links and pictures will take you directly to Amazon.
The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail-but Some Don't
Numbers guy Nate Silver is either a hero or villain depending on your political views. Starting out as a progressive diarist on Daily Kos then rising to New York Times blogger status, he correctly predicted the outcome of both the 2008 and 2012 down to the exact states and number of electoral votes won by Obama, McCain, and Romney. While other statisticians may claim the same success, Silver was the most outspoken on the internet both times, which made him a lighting rod for criticism from all sides.
Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin gives behind-the-scenes details about the White House of President Abraham Lincoln. This is a great book if you crave more Lincoln after watching the movie of the same name, which comes out in theaters Nov. 16.
Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime
This book by Republican writers John Heilemann and Mark Halperin gives you the two-fold story of the 2008 presidential race, starting with Hillary Clinton's tough primary fight against Barack Obama, then moving on to John McCain's stunning pick of running mate Sarah Palin and all the drama that followed.
The Selling of the President: The Classical Account of the Packaging of a Candidate
In this age of 24-hour television, we forget that at one time voters had no idea they were being subjected to marketing ploys thought up by Mad Men types. Author Joe McGinniss was the first to expose how presidential candidates are "packaged" for the public. Learn how Roger Ailes, who went on to be president of Fox News, was once just a TV producer trying to put a better and more voter-friendly face on Richard Nixon.
The Voting Wars: From Florida 2000 to the Next Election Meltdown
The long, long lines of the 2012 campaign made everyone wonder why some states run elections so smoothly while others are in a big mess. Author Richard Hasen was an adviser to the Al Gore campaign during the 2000 recount fiasco in Florida and has made it his mission in life to parse and explain our rather byzantine voting system.
Why Romney Lost
Republican pundit David Frum believes Mitt Romney lost through a combination of factors, but mainly because the candidate and party were seen as out of touch with a new diverse America. But he has suggestions for how to fix that in coming elections.
1948: Harry Truman's Improbable Victory and the Year that Transformed America
If we think 2012 was a wild ride, then consider the election battle of 1948 with President Roosevelt's successor Harry Truman running in a primary against previous VP Henry Wallace and Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond. In the general election, the race was so close that some newspapers made the now-famous mistake of reporting that Thomas Dewey had won instead.
The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism
This is probably the most even-handed look at the divisive Tea Party to date. Authors Theda Skocpol and Vanessa Williamson of Harvard University took time to interview ordinary people across America who identify with the Tea Party movement, which is based on the premise that half of society pays taxes to give "free stuff" to the other half. Whether you are part of the elite 1% or the more common 47%, this book is enlightening.
Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age of Discontent
E.J. Dionne is a liberal, but he tries to strike a balance here while explaining the causes of our "divided" government. This is also a good book to read if you know nothing about politics but are planning to vote in the next presidential election. How did things ever get so confusing?
Presidential Campaign Posters: Two Hundred Years of Election Art
This coffee-table book put out by the Library of Congress is a lush look at campaign art, plus each of the 100 political posters may be removed from the book and framed. There is also ample backstory for each election. The message - candidates haven't changed much over the decades - they just want you to vote for them!
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