Rating: 
Summary: The American Presidency
Review: This is one massive tome. Clocking in at over 1000 pages, in dense ten point font, Richard Ben Cramer packs an enormous amount of information into his account of the 1988 presidential race. The scope of the book is amazing. We don't just get to see the candidates on the campaign trail, but we learn about their lives, and what experiences they endured that have created the right balance of traits that make them want to run for the American Presidency. Cramer starts out by looking at George Bush and Bob Dole, and then concentrates on Democrats such as Michael Dukakis, Richard Gephardt, Gary Hart and Joe Biden.Cramer has a cocky and cynical writing style that doesn't hesitate to shoot daggers at those deserving of scorn. One of his biggest targets is the media, and the so-called power brokers that can make or break presidents (Cramer calls them "big-feet"). People like David Broder, Jack Germond and Howard Fineman all fall under Cramer's critical eye. Cramer shows how the media obliterates people for their own benefit. Bringing down a candidate isn't done for the good of the country over serious issues, but rather to build careers and increase the salaries of the media darlings. The question "Who is watching the media?" looms large in this book. Cramer also targets the campaign teams who mold and buff a candidate so that he can be elected, no matter what the cost. These are the folks who are brought in to dig up dirt, lie, and raise lots of money so they can buy elections. People like John Sasso and Lee Atwater are the most prominent of these figures, and are painted in less than flattering terms by Cramer. Some of Cramer's observations can get tiresome. How many times do we need to hear about George Bush making new friend because it "will be neat"? His cynicism can get old too, but since he's dealing with politics, it's totally understandable. I've seen several of the people talked about in this book on TV recently, and I immediately thought of them in terms of this book (Hey! There's Joe Biden! I wonder if he's buying a new house!). I also laughed out loud whenever Cramer talked about Elizabeth Dole. He would write her words in North Carolina accent, and you could almost hear her talking! Only those interested in politics will probably enjoy this book. Since some of the people in this book are still involved in politics today, this book still has merit. I read the other day that Joe Biden might be an early prospect for president in 2004. Clear your calendar, too, as this is a long read. Recommended.
Rating: 
Summary: THE campaign book
Review: Time magazine called 1988 "the year of the handler." The political handlers were so good, we didn't get to know the candidates very well. So thank goodness for What It Takes, a very detailed and lively look at the '88 candidates as 3-D Human Beings, faults and all. Cramer pulls back The Oz-like curtain of flag factories, pumped up biographies, and blitzkreig sloganeering. Cramer provides the Big Picture, so the reader can contrast the headlines of the day (simplistic) with the mainstream media's REAL feelings on the candidates (not quite so simplistic), and with Cramer's more detailed and colorful take. The book is epic in its number of characters, sweeping in its biographical information, educational in its look at campaign machinations, and best of all, laugh out loud funny. Believe me, you'll be reading episodes aloud to family and reciting them for coworkers. From 'The Bobster's' action walk, to Gephardt the Eyebrowless Martian, to Biden the Ultimate Charasmatic throwing up from nerves before speeches, going from Kennedyesque to Shaken Shell, to Bush the Boxer going toe to toe with Dan Rather and saying "Take that Dan! Didn't lay a glove on me!"
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