Presidential Politics

We don't talk much about partisan politics here at Abu Muqawama, which suits its authors just fine. Which is not to say we don't care about them: while AM was avoiding Iowa coverage last week, Charlie was knee deep in YouTube videos of the candidates speeches having spent the previous evening watching her beloved Jayhawks with the freaking Orange Bowl. (Will wonders never cease?!)

We'll continue to keep this a election-free zone (for the most part...occasionally policy toward Pakistan or Iraq creeps into the process, though it's interesting how absent the latter has been as of late). But the New Hampshire primaries are tomorrow, so for those of you jonesing for a couple more additions to your ever-growing book list, let Charlie recommend two of her favorites:

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail, '72. A whiskey soaked account of the 1972 election by Hunter S. Thompson. HST loathed Nixon, but his thoughts on the process, the Democratic party, the lure of hope, and the role of the media are astoundingly prescient. It's vintage, but lucid, Gonzo journalism.

Boys on the Bus, by Timothy Crouse. Same election, same Rolling Stone editor, but much more detailed account of media life in a presidential campaign. And a good history of the genesis of modern presidential campaigns.