This author is known for his incisive look into politics and journalism. His writing often focuses on the behind-the-scenes of political campaigns and the workings of power. With extensive experience from Washington and New York, he brings authenticity and deep understanding to his works. Readers will appreciate his ability to uncover the complex mechanisms of political life with sharp intelligence.
Was waren das für Zeiten, als Franz-Josef Strauß und Herbert Wehner wort-gewaltig über die großen Fragen der Politik stritten, für ihre Überzeugungen fochten mit Florett, Degen oder Kanonen. Sie sind längst vorbei. Die Kunst der politischen Rede ist auf den Hund gekommen und damit die Politik selbst. Überzeugungen wurden durch Meinungsumfragen ersetzt, Charisma durch Wahlkampf-Management, politischer Instinkt durch Zielgruppenforschung und Medienanalysen. Politikberater beherrschen das Feld, die Politiker sind so austauschbar geworden wie ihre Parteien und Programme. Was im 'Mutterland der Demokratie' beklemmend weit vorangeschritten ist, greift auch bei uns lähmend um sich.
How American Democracy Was Trivialized by People Who Think You're Stupid
272 pages
10 hours of reading
People on the right are furious, the left is livid, and the center is fraying. A consensus emerges: something is fundamentally wrong in Washington, where pollsters dominate and politicians struggle to earn voters' trust. Cynicism pervades the political landscape, prompting urgent questions about the causes and potential solutions. Few are as qualified to address these issues as Joe Klein, a seasoned observer of politics. With clarity and insight, he critiques the current state of affairs, expressing his frustration and determination to effect change.
Klein begins with a poignant recounting of Robert Kennedy’s speech in Indianapolis following Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination, highlighting a rare moment of courage and spontaneity in American politics. From this foundation, he analyzes the decline of political integrity through various campaigns, examining the evolution of strategies from McGovern to Nixon, Reagan to Clinton, and beyond. He illustrates how politics has shifted from ideology to a focus on power retention, culminating in the disheartening 2004 Kerry campaign.
In a compelling final chapter, Klein resists offering simplistic solutions, recognizing that such approaches have contributed to the current crisis. Instead, he presents thoughtful strategies that could potentially steer the political landscape toward a more hopeful future, particularly for the candidates of 2008.
Not forgetting Monica Lewinsky, this account explores every aspect of the Clinton presidency, both personal and political, and how the decisions made during his tenure affect all of us today. Klein explains how the White House functioned on the inside, how it dealt with the manoeuvres of Congress and the Gingrich revolution, and who held power and made the decisions during the endless crises that beset the administration. Klein's access to the White House over the years as a journalist gave him a prime spot from which to view every crucial event, and here he gives us his view of the period.
Hailed as 'astonishingly powerful' by the New York Times, 'a superb novel' by the Daily Telegraph and 'written perfectly' by the Washington Post, PRIMARY COLOURS was the most talked about political novel of the last decades of the twentieth century. It capitulated Anonymous- aka New Yorker Washington correspondent Joe Klein into the public eye as a novelist of the first rank. Now, in RUNNING MATE, Klein takes the reader on an exuberant, wicked and unerringly wise political journey with Senator Charlie Martin, a decorated Veteran of the war in Vietnam. The experience of combat and his easy dominance of home state politics have mad e Charlie fearless. He's a hot if occasionally reckless, political property dashing honourable and irreverent. No observer of contemporary politics has a clearer eye then Joe Klein, or can so effortlessly show the moral complexities that arise when public and private lives intertwine. In his superb new novel, he takes one man's attempt to come to terms with the brutality of the modern political arena-and gives us a book that reverberates with truth about the way we govern ourselves.
§Charlie Martin ist erfolgreicher und beliebter Vollblutpolitiker. Dennoch oder gerade deshalb hat er sich eins bewahrt: seine Ehre. Die steht aber plötzlich auf dem Spiel: Unversehens findet Martin sich inmitten schmutziger Intrigen und Skandale. Als er dann noch einer charismatischen Frau begegnet, die jeder Form von Politik mehr als skeptisch gegenübersteht, sieht er sich im Kreuzfeuer widerstreitender Gefühle.§Eine packende Story. Brillant erzählt. Eine große ungewöhnliche Liebe. Eine Achterbahnfahrt der Gefühle.§
The biography explores the life of Woody Guthrie, an iconic American folk singer whose experiences were marked by both tragedy and resilience. His profound impact on music and culture inspired a generation of songwriters, including legends like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. Through his struggles and artistry, Guthrie's legacy as a voice for the marginalized and a champion of social justice is vividly highlighted.
A brilliant and penetrating look behind the scenes of modern American politics, Primary Colors is a funny, wise, and dramatic story with characters and events that resemble some familiar, real-life figures. When a former congressional aide becomes part of the staff of the governor of a small Southern state, he watches in horror, admiration, and amazement, as the governor mixes calculation and sincerity in his not-so-above-board campaign for the presidency.From the Hardcover edition.
