The Running Mate

Rating:
Summary: A Hunorous Adult Read
Review: I had initial reservations about reading the book. I am not a fan of American literature harping on about the ghosts of 'Nam' and especially not politicians so doing. However, I was pleasantly surprised with how Klein handled it. The book itself has fantastic witticism, intelligent prose and was introspective. I liked the manner in which Klein initially portrays the senator aas a 'golden boy' only for this image to be felled in our eyes during the Senatorial election race. I like the fact that the love interest had a history and complications that came with it. I further loved the 'best friend' who is disillusioned by the Senator when he falls in love and 'loses his head' because it implies certain characteristics of a successful Presidential candidate and also about focussed politicians in general.

I enjoyed this book tremendously and recommend it to all. I must admit I liked this book more than I did Primary Colours. It is more mature and I think better executed.

Rating:
Summary: A Book that Improves on Every Mistake of Primary Colors
Review: I heard Joe Klein speak at my school, Millsaps College, and was impressed enough with his insider knowledge to give Primary Colors a second read. Knowing who "Anonymous" was didn't change the context of the book much. It was still a novel about wondering who wrote the novel. The guessing game of which politico he was tabloiding overshadowed any literary aspects of the novel.

This speaks volumes to why THE RUNNING MATE is so much smarter that PRIMARY COLORS. The characters are composites of our favorite pundits, but the most important dynamic of the book is character and truth, not shock and satire.

The character portraits are as compelling as the political portraits. We open as our character has his marriage proposal rejected, while fighting a sexual misunderstanding and failing at a run for the presidency. The descriptions of the veteran Senator returning to Vietnam afterwards are particularly powerful.

THE RUNNING MATE is delightfully complex. You voyeuristically watch the Senator as he manipulates the people that watch him. We love the characters for the traits that make them great Americans, while simultaneously watching those same traits damn them. I particularly like how Klein uses many of the events from original novel as a backdrop. The events of Primary Colors seriously affect the new characters. It makes Klein's political timeline a universe of its own.

When he spoke at Millsaps, Klein mentioned that he wanted to "write the great modern novel about politics." And this time he has succeeded. This one is definitely a serious work that deserves another read, to catch the subtleties of Klein's observations of modern politics.

Rating:
Summary: A Book that Improves on Every Mistake of Primary Colors
Review: I heard Joe Klein speak at my school, Millsaps College, and was impressed enough with his insider knowledge to give Primary Colors a second read. Knowing who "Anonymous" was didn't change the context of the book much. It was still a novel about wondering who wrote the novel. The guessing game of which politico he was tabloiding overshadowed any literary aspects of the novel.

This speaks volumes to why THE RUNNING MATE is so much smarter that PRIMARY COLORS. The characters are composites of our favorite pundits, but the most important dynamic of the book is character and truth, not shock and satire.

The character portraits are as compelling as the political portraits. We open as our character has his marriage proposal rejected, while fighting a sexual misunderstanding and failing at a run for the presidency. The descriptions of the veteran Senator returning to Vietnam afterwards are particularly powerful.

THE RUNNING MATE is delightfully complex. You voyeuristically watch the Senator as he manipulates the people that watch him. We love the characters for the traits that make them great Americans, while simultaneously watching those same traits damn them. I particularly like how Klein uses many of the events from original novel as a backdrop. The events of Primary Colors seriously affect the new characters. It makes Klein's political timeline a universe of its own.

When he spoke at Millsaps, Klein mentioned that he wanted to "write the great modern novel about politics." And this time he has succeeded. This one is definitely a serious work that deserves another read, to catch the subtleties of Klein's observations of modern politics.

Rating:
Summary: A Book that Improves on Every Mistake of Primary Colors
Review: I heard Joe Klein speak at my school, Millsaps College, and was impressed enough with his insider knowledge to give Primary Colors a second read. Knowing who "Anonymous" was didn't change the context of the book much. It was still a novel about wondering who wrote the novel. The guessing game of which politico he was tabloiding overshadowed any literary aspects of the novel.

This speaks volumes to why THE RUNNING MATE is so much smarter that PRIMARY COLORS. The characters are composites of our favorite pundits, but the most important dynamic of the book is character and truth, not shock and satire.

The character portraits are as compelling as the political portraits. We open as our character has his marriage proposal rejected, while fighting a sexual misunderstanding and failing at a run for the presidency. The descriptions of the veteran Senator returning to Vietnam afterwards are particularly powerful.

THE RUNNING MATE is delightfully complex. You voyeuristically watch the Senator as he manipulates the people that watch him. We love the characters for the traits that make them great Americans, while simultaneously watching those same traits damn them. I particularly like how Klein uses many of the events from original novel as a backdrop. The events of Primary Colors seriously affect the new characters. It makes Klein's political timeline a universe of its own.

When he spoke at Millsaps, Klein mentioned that he wanted to "write the great modern novel about politics." And this time he has succeeded. This one is definitely a serious work that deserves another read, to catch the subtleties of Klein's observations of modern politics.

Rating:
Summary: Save your money and wait for the paperback
Review: I love politics and picked this book up on a whim at the local bookstore. However, the first 200 pages are horrible. Senator Martin is an ok character, but his friends are dry, boring and useless; not to mention hard as hell to keep track of with those stupid nicknames the senator uses. After the first pages of tooth-grindingly boring Washington parties and receptions. I put the book down for a month. Thank God the book, puts Martin back on the campaign trail, because that is what saved the book for me. The last 100 pages are good, but is a little too little too late.

Rating:
Summary: Is Senator Charlie Martin really a hero ?
Review: I loved the portrait of a charming, ambitious, amoral young Southerner - Jack Stanton AKA Bill Clinton -, on his way to the White House - as given by Joe Klein in "Primary Colors". So I obviously bought "the Running Mate":

Politics isn't about policies, it's about artful Machiavellian maneuvers, backstabbing, and feeding scandals to the press.

So far, so good :-)

Joe Kleins hero is a democrat, so what are the values that is lost when "our" hero loses (to a political opponent - Republican - who has no scruples) ? I don't really think the "Running Mate" tells us, but of course we know - it is those liberal values your High School teacher loved ???

A) Human worth is intrinsic and doesn't depend on success or power.

B) All human conflict and striefe between human beings can be ended whether by political revolution, social change or better education.

C) All inequalities are due to discrimination, prejudice, oppression or social conditioning.

D) You should stand by the traditional values of the left by being on the side of the weak, poor and oppressed.

???

Obviously the slime Jack Stanton (AKA Bill Clinton) did terrible things to this agenda by totally confusing what it is all about (drowning it in slime). So now we have a hero, Charlie Martin, who should be able to fight for the cause. He is supposedly honest and "good" - and his opponents are not. Whether they are Comcon - compassionate conservatives, who preach that abortion is murder, while their own wifes have them performed quietly - or they are democrats like scumbag Jack Stanton - it doesn't really matter - they are all scum in this universe. - And it is a delight to read about :-)

But as Joe Klein doesn't really tell all that much about "our" heroes political agenda (I assume it to be as stated above) - I somehow come to think that our hero senator might have these values, but it doesn't really mean that damn much to him. - And then, in my book, he must be a scumbag as well.

Even though I don't agree with such a traditional left world view - I can respect if it is "felt" deeply. I can't respect it, if is only kind of half thought through and taken on because it makes for a good career (Jack Stanton like) - and perhaps because it gives you an alibi as a human.

But, to Joe Klein senator Martin is a hero.

When his opponent runs "oppo" on him - We, the readers, are told the inside story to this and is appaled that the opponent can do a thing like that. And tired about this a part of political life - somehow we are already betting with ourselfes on what the scandals are going to be in the nonfictional presidential campaign of autumn 2000, Bush vs. Gore.

Still does it really make senator Martin a hero to suffer attacks of this kind ? To loose to an opponent who uses such tactics ? Does it make the senator a hero that he finally cares about having a family and plans to gets married (BTW. - is that why the book is called the running mate ?)

???

Ok, it makes a hero to overcome trouble, But in politics you should also be about something. And somehow senator Martin seems as forlorn as his opponents to me. I am not entirely convinced that he is now a devoted husband or that he really has some solid ideas about where the world should be headed. If Joe Klein intended for me, the reader, to have these feelings - then it is really once again a brilliant book :-) But somehow I think he liked this Charlie Martin guy perhaps a little to much :-) Maybe Charlie Martin simply got derailed by his own confusion - that is not hero stuff ? is it ?

-Simon

Rating:
Summary: Primary Colors readers might well like this book less.
Review: I stayed away from "Primary Colors" as the "Anonymous" gimmick was deserving of many adjectives, none of them positive. I did see the movie adaptation hence the title of this review. Allowing for the tendency for the movie to be less than the book, I'm confident it was a good read.

This is an extremely well written work by a great writer with a sharp political eye, and a subtle and not so subtle, savage wit. There is repetition in this book and that's where "Primary Colors" readers might feel annoyed. There were very similar events between this book and the movie of the first novel.

I thought this was one extremely well written tale, but as another wrote, "only fiction can do justice to the truth", this was commentary on not only our electoral system, and those who seek office but the confirmation process as well. And as nauseating as the performance of most of the characters are, as you read you will draw parallels to real life events, and politics in general.

Calling this book fiction is a stretch. It would be too easy to say that the behavior this book describes is why only 43% of eligible voters showed up at the last Presidential Election, or would it? Same comment for why anyone would want to go through a confirmation hearing, or for that matter subject himself or herself to a National Campaign for office without it being the only alternative to a very long maximum security prison sentence.

The book is satirical; the book is full of extremely clever humor, as in wondering if a square dance step has anything to do with El Alamein. But as you read keep reminding yourself this is fiction, and if you convince yourself this truly is pure fiction, you are either a greater patriot than I or one who actually would enjoy being part of the circus that is Washington.

More morality tale than comedy, entertaining but sobering to say the least.

Rating:
Summary: Not nearly as good as it should be
Review: I was a fair-weather fan of Primary Colors--I kind of liked it when I was reading it, but in conversations I found myself doting on its shortcomings as both a novel and a reflection of the political scene. Yet I was amused enough by PC to give the Running Mate a chance.

Unfortunately, I find this tome more of a chore to slug through than I had hoped. Gone is the whimsical, behind-the-scenes air that PC gave on nearly every page; now, it's just a laundry list of Vietnam Vets/political staffers, their names and backgrounds, and pick-your-choice dialogues from press conference transcripts. Everybody, from protagonist Charlie Martin, the seemingly gratuitous affirmative-action staff, to his family relations, are shallow. I've always disliked Rules of Book-Writing, in that the reader must love the protagonist, but this novel just leaves me flat. I don't like anyone and could care less how anyone ends up. I didn't learn anything and was not inspiried by anything. Had it not been for PC, this would have been yet another Political Thriller that wasn't imaginative enough to create their own characters.

Rating:
Summary: A political junkie's fix
Review: I'm the first to admit I've waited for this latest work by Joe Klein. I'm a political junkie, and love to read about the inner workings of contemporary political life.

Running Mate is a good read; the Great American Novel it's not, but who cares? We don't get enough political fiction (unless you count thrillers, which I don't). I devoured Primary Colors when it came out and, while waiting for Running Mate, was reduced to reading nonfiction -- Katherine Graham's autobiography -- to satisfy my need for political knowledge. Needless to say, novels are more fun to read and Running Mate does not disappoint.

Another piece of political fiction I enjoyed recently was a lighthearted look at the motivations of people who get into political activism -- a novel called Love Songs of the Tone-Deaf by Asher Brauner.

Rating:
Summary: Dreadful!
Review: If the upcoming Presidential election is anything like this book, God help us. This book is simply dreadful. It was hard to turn a page, let alone finish one without questioning why I invested money and, more importantly, my time into it. It was hard to follow, the writing disjointed at times, and not very fun. There was nothing educational nor entertaining about it!