Matt Welch’s Book on John McCain
Matt Welch has a book out — his first book! — about John McCain. You can buy it here. Welch really has McCain’s number, in distinct contrast to the media usual slavering over McCain’s supposed Incredible Honesty and Maverick Status. Having declared myself a mortal enemy of McCain, I would not be able to bear reading another media personality servicing McCain in prose. This book does not do that, I am pleased to report.
Matt’s writing style is very snappy and entertaining. He comes at the issues with a point of view, but discloses it up front — just like you wish journalists would do. And he really, really lets McCain have it.
You might be thinking: why would I want to buy a book by a young whippersnapper like Welch? Well, Matt and I recently discovered that we were born within minutes of each other. So although he may superficially appear to be a young punk, he’s actually a wise old fella like myself.
Go buy it.
UPDATE: I almost forgot to tell you the title. “McCain: The Myth of a Maverick.” I like it.
Patterico, I apologize for this comment because the only tie-in to the thread is that John McCain is competing for a job as president… and that isn’t much of a tie-in at all.
But I know you’re interested in the Los Angeles Times and I think you have to give credit where credit is due… amidst all the crap they are producing some good stories this election cycle. As Bryan at Hot Air just said this morning:
My on topic comment to redeem my interruption somewhat is I am inclined to agree with you about McCain, but to add that the other Republican nominees are so uninspiring thus far this primary season that, were I a citizen of your country (fortunately mine has an awesome leader) I’d consider McCain. And that’s by elimination, not enthusiasm.
The worst bloody part of it is that it’s McCain’s damnable and I’d argue unconstitutional Campaign Finance Reform law that makes it hard to get good candidates… since, without major name recognition, you simply can’t raise enough funds to get your message out. So no competent governors from smaller states need apply. But:
• Fred Thompson, actor? Check.
Christoph (92b8f7) — 10/19/2007 @ 5:52 am• Rudy Guiliani, America’s mayor? Check.
• Mitt Romney, rich businessman loaning money to his own campaign? Check.
• John McCain, media whore? Check.
Patterico, are you going to be at Matt’s book event on Saturday in Silverlake? If so our paths will FINALLY cross.
David Ehrenstein (b743cb) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:21 amRead Welch’s book (Christian Johnson lent me his copy) and I thought it was good. I might have some quibbles with some of Welch’s political science, but as a biography I thought it was very, very good.
One question I had, though, was, in so far as the psychological explanation, i.e., McCain’s relations to his father and grandfather and the “McCain Legacy”, is valid and interesting, why did Welch only have one quote from McCain’s brother? Was there nothing more there to be mined? Do Billy Carter, Anthony and Hugh Rodham, and Roger Clinton (to give some notorious examples) tell us anything interesting about their more famous sibling?
Fritz (d62210) — 10/19/2007 @ 7:29 amIf either McCain or Giuliani are the R nominee, I will not vote R at the general election.
Milhouse (f10fb3) — 10/19/2007 @ 9:16 amMcCain panders to the Media, and they gush over him in return. Most of the time. But his Presidential ambitions are toast, he’s just too proud, or too stubborn, to admit it. He’s alienated too many Republicans, and isn’t Left-wing enough for the Democrats, to get a major party nomination.
LarryD (feb78b) — 10/19/2007 @ 9:27 amHaving declared myself a mortal enemy of McCain…
Why?
Robert O'Brien (dfd5db) — 10/19/2007 @ 11:49 am@#5:
IIRC, it was the “Gang of 14” thing.
For me, it was a combination of that, and McCain-Feingold, and the sucking-up-to-the-media.
Plus, he’s a U.S. Senator who’ll be 72 by November 2008 — which doesn’t give me reason to dislike him so much as a damn good reason why he shouldn’t be running for president even if he were acceptable to me on the merits.
McGehee (25adee) — 10/19/2007 @ 2:10 pmHmmm. When I posted my comment, Robert O’Brien’s comment was #5…
McGehee (25adee) — 10/20/2007 @ 1:12 pm