Rating: 
Summary: A bittersweet romantic novel for the serious political wonk.
Review: A masterpiece of hard-core political fiction, following on the heels of (and dovetailing into) Klein's earlier blockbuster, Primary Colors. Running Mate is not just for "inside the beltway" types, although it surely resonates strongest with them. It's also a love story that asks hard questions about those in public life, with no easy answers.
Rating: 
Summary: Much like a politicians speech....a bit too long
Review: After being captured by Primary Colors, and the "who wrote it?" mystery behind its author, I thought I'd try the book Joe Klein put his name on. It is the tale of Senator Charlie Martin,(John McCain or even Bob Kerry) and his quest for the possible VP spot with Jack Stanton (he's back and as slimey as ever). Of course the road to success does not run smoothly, there is a percieved sexual harrasment problem and a romantic entanglement to contend with. Our hero(?) also tries to keep control of his staff, contend with the ever encroaching press and keep a lid on secrets, his and those of his opponents. There are many twists and turns. the story line does take some unpredictable roads. It is a well paced political thriller and an enjoyable read. It does lack the "who wrote it?" cachet that boosted Primary Colors. I found it just a little bit too long and a wee bit convoluted.
Rating:
Summary: Much like a politicians speech....a bit too long
Review: After being captured by Primary Colors, and the "who wrote it?" mystery behind its author, I thought I'd try the book Joe Klein put his name on. It is the tale of Senator Charlie Martin,(John McCain or even Bob Kerry) and his quest for the possible VP spot with Jack Stanton (he's back and as slimey as ever). Of course the road to success does not run smoothly, there is a percieved sexual harrasment problem and a romantic entanglement to contend with. Our hero(?) also tries to keep control of his staff, contend with the ever encroaching press and keep a lid on secrets, his and those of his opponents. There are many twists and turns. the story line does take some unpredictable roads. It is a well paced political thriller and an enjoyable read. It does lack the "who wrote it?" cachet that boosted Primary Colors. I found it just a little bit too long and a wee bit convoluted.
Rating: 
Summary: Unreadable
Review: As I had devoured "Primary Colors" I could not wait to read "The Running Mate". Much to my chagrin, it was awful. After a week of attempting to get through the book I just gave up--the hokey characters, contrived dialogue and mind-numbing inside the beltway details turned me off completely. Luckily for me I found it at the local library so my investment in this book was minimal!
Rating: 
Summary: Very enjoyable
Review: I actually liked this BETTER than Primary Colors and enjoyed seeing Stanton from a different perspective. Charlie Martin was a great character and Klein hides a great love story in the midst of two exciting campaign stories. The book benefits from the advantage of hindsight now that we can see the presidential election of 1992 and the congressional elections of 1994 in their historical contexts. I enjoyed the story a great deal and hope Klein;s next novel picks another one of the characters as the centerpiece as he did here.
Rating: 
Summary: Not nearly as good as it should be
Review: I admit that Primary Colors was a GREAT book, personally because it showed the essense of the Clintonian mystique and mythology. I was excited upon hearing that he had a new book. I was quite surprised. Charlie/McCain/Kerry is about as venal and cynical as the people he berates. He was a true military hero, a Democratic Senator, and a 1992 presidential contender against Stanton/Clinton (who is as repulsive and charming as ever). We are again immersed in the power politics of the Democratic Party and ethical and personal quandrums along the way. (Why do political thrillers always feature Democrats? This is especially galling when there are 31 GOP governors and they control Congress.) The story picks up at Primary Colors (1992) and the choice of Clinton/Stanton's running mate. The description of Al Gore was priceless. The heavy use of DC inside talk is soon burdensome to anyone outside the Beltway and while Capitol Hill and media folks may have chuckled at the "inside" jokes, it was a swamp to most. I was left scrambling to match the fictional and actual personas. The plot slowed to a snail's pace in the middle. My problem is this: He attempted to portray Charlie, the war hero, as a political hero but he was certainly uninspirational. He rationalizes bad votes, criticizes the left while accepting their aid, pouts, throws tantrums, pontificates, deprecates, whines...to me he was such a typical politician that I was thinking, "Am I supposed to feel something for this guy?" He was an anti-hero of sorts. One pleasing aspect of Klein's work is the voice he gives to the opposition - exemplified in a quiet speech by the Muffler Man, Charlie's senatorial opponent. It is perhaps the most credible prose in the book. I hate to do this, but only read this book if you have something else to do.
Rating:
Summary: Shallow, preachy, semi-captivating, predictable
Review: I admit that Primary Colors was a GREAT book, personally because it showed the essense of the Clintonian mystique and mythology. I was excited upon hearing that he had a new book. I was quite surprised. Charlie/McCain/Kerry is about as venal and cynical as the people he berates. He was a true military hero, a Democratic Senator, and a 1992 presidential contender against Stanton/Clinton (who is as repulsive and charming as ever). We are again immersed in the power politics of the Democratic Party and ethical and personal quandrums along the way. (Why do political thrillers always feature Democrats? This is especially galling when there are 31 GOP governors and they control Congress.) The story picks up at Primary Colors (1992) and the choice of Clinton/Stanton's running mate. The description of Al Gore was priceless. The heavy use of DC inside talk is soon burdensome to anyone outside the Beltway and while Capitol Hill and media folks may have chuckled at the "inside" jokes, it was a swamp to most. I was left scrambling to match the fictional and actual personas. The plot slowed to a snail's pace in the middle. My problem is this: He attempted to portray Charlie, the war hero, as a political hero but he was certainly uninspirational. He rationalizes bad votes, criticizes the left while accepting their aid, pouts, throws tantrums, pontificates, deprecates, whines...to me he was such a typical politician that I was thinking, "Am I supposed to feel something for this guy?" He was an anti-hero of sorts. One pleasing aspect of Klein's work is the voice he gives to the opposition - exemplified in a quiet speech by the Muffler Man, Charlie's senatorial opponent. It is perhaps the most credible prose in the book. I hate to do this, but only read this book if you have something else to do.
Rating:
Summary: Hugely entertaining, wise, and sobering
Review: I begin with a bias whenever I read anything written by Joe Klein. I think he's the best political journalist around, and an immensely gifted novelist. My bias re-asserts itself in my comment about "The Running Mate": It is a hugely entertaining book, very wise, very sobering, and just beautifully written. I couldn't put it down, and I was sorry that the book ended.
Rating:
Summary: Not worth it, in my opinion
Review: I had high hopes with this book. Reading the summary it sounded to me like it had all the necessary elements to be a hit. I didn't care for any of the characters, and that's not just because they are cut-throat politicians, but because they just didn't seem to me to have any worthwhile attributes. I didn't even make it to the end of the book!
Rating:
Summary: Not worth it, in my opinion
Review: I had high hopes with this book. Reading the summary it sounded to me like it had all the necessary elements to be a hit. I didn't care for any of the characters, and that's not just because they are cut-throat politicians, but because they just didn't seem to me to have any worthwhile attributes. I didn't even make it to the end of the book!
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