One Car Caravan: The Amazing True Saga of the 2004 Democratic Race From its Humble Beginnings to the Boston Convention

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Summary: The Democrats, Live and Unplugged
Review: Walter Shapiro tells us in this book that when his mother placed her copy of Theodore White's "The Making of the President 1960" in his hands, it was a life-changing event. Now, more than four decades later, Shapiro has become White's spiritual heir with this book. White's great innovation was to be the first one on the ground, on the road and in the air with the men who were in pursuit of the presidency. Naturally, he spawned generations of imitators, who had the ability to jump on the campaign bus early but lacked White's gifts for insight and analysis.

In "One Car Caravan," we find Shapiro on the campaign trail with the leading Democratic contenders from mid-2002 to mid-2003, a time when they were only attracting sporadic coverage in the national media, and more importantly, a time when the handlers and professionals had not completely gained the upper hands in their campaigns. As a result, we see John Kerry, Joseph Lieberman, Howard Dean, Dick Gephart and John Edwards in their homes, in their offices, in the living rooms of New Hampshire Democrats, appearing as supplicants before possible donors--in short, at a time when their candidacies still have some spontaneity left in them. We gain the benefit of Shapiro's insights honed through many decades of political reporting, and it's leavened by flashes of his gift for humor as well. (Once Al Gore removed himself from the race, clearing the way for the proudly Jewish Lieberman's candidacy, Shapiro observed that "The yarmulke was in the ring.")

Supporters of Carol Mosley Braun, Al Sharpton and Dennis Kucinich probably won't find much to like about this book, as Shapiro dismisses them as vanity-driven candidates "...who clutter up a presidential race that they have no chance of winning." But after 40 years on the trail, Shapiro is calling them like he sees them. He offers what he admits is a very personal view of these potential presidents. But it seems to be based on an honest evaluation, based on his own values--most important among them, a belief in the value of this process, as strange, expensive, lengthy and cluttered as it might seem at times.