I’ve enjoyed the author’s short satirical headlines online for a long time, so I thought I should check out this book outlining some of the examples of the deterioration of intelligence in politicians over the last 50 years.
I got what I expected – lots of clever riffs on the blunders by various politicians over the years. The book is well-researched and although there are no sources listed for the quotes, I’m guessing that they are all authentic. Some were taken out of context to make the author’s joke work, which I understand – this book is filed in the comedy section.
On the downside the format of the humor – quick one-liners after a short setup, and callbacks to previous jokes – this pattern got old for me after a while. I’d have liked to see more variety in the types of humor, but I guess that this is sort of his comedy style and he’s sticking with it. It works well in brief doses, but less so in a full-length book.
I had the vague sense that these blunders were cherry-picked to fit the theme of the book – it wasn’t an accident that so many Republicans were mocked. It felt a bit unfair to lampoon just one side of the aisle, but the author addresses why this is so and I think he is justified. To me some of the criticisms felt a bit unfair, and I’m sure somebody could write a book exactly like it just focusing on Democratic gaffes and blunders.
Besides the jokes a theme that runs through this book is how did we get to the point where ignorance in politicians is not only tolerated but embraced, and the author posits a few ideas. This part was much more interesting but in the end it takes a backseat to the jokes. Identifying the right balance here must have been tough for the writer, and I wished I could read more about what happened and what we can do to escape it. A little deeper dive is what I was hoping for. Maybe that is too much to ask for a comedy book.
Particularly the book ended on a poignant note – and I don’t want to give it away here. Maybe because things had been so lighthearted throughout I was very impressed with how the writer finished.
The next book I am reading is Under Lock & Skeleton Key by Gigi Pandian.
