September 24, 2004
Taking the Temperature of the Dee Cee Political Culture
Don't say this Llama isn't afraid to get his hooves dirty doing a little field research. I pass by the Olsson's Books on 7th Street next to the Shakespeare Theatre every day. Olsson's, for those of you not familiar, is a local chain of four or five stores that considers itself to be a cut above Borders, Barnes & Noble, et al.
Here is a list of the political books prominantly displayed in their window today:
Bush Must Go - Bill Press
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy - Greg Palast
Sore Winners - John Powers
America the Vulnerable - Stephen Flynn
Wreckage Begins With "W" - Jeff Danzinger
The 'I Hate George Bush' Reader - Clint Willic
Bush's Brain - James Moore & Wayne Stater
Plan of Attack - Bob Woodward
Worse Than Watergate - John Dean (nb, no, he's not talking about Dan Rather)
House of Bush/House of Saud - Craig Unger
Bush League Diplomacy - Craig Eisendrath & Melvin Goodman
Rise of the Vulcans [Bush's Cabinet] - James Main
What's The Matter With Kansas? - Thomas Frank
Obliviously On He Sails - Calvin Trillin (nb, no, this isn't about Kerry's time in swift boats)
Bush-Whacked - Molly Ivins
The Book on Bush - Eric Alterman & Mark Green
The George W. Bush Quiz Book - Paul Slansky
Cronies (Oil, The Bushes and the Rise of Texas, America's Superstate) - Robert Bryce
The Lies of George W. Bush - David Corn
The Dick Cheney Code - Henry Beard
I exclude the various buttons, cards and novelties of a similar bent that are also offered.
Now Olsson's is a private company. It has a perfect right to sell whatever it wants. It also has an obligation to sell what people are willing to buy. I offer this list not because I think Olsson's should be boycotted or protested, but rather, because I think it is a very accurate reading of the mentality of folks 'round here. It is also a useful indicator of why the Dems are so gob-smacked that their boy is not doing better against Dubya. Call it a mass case of Pauline Kael Syndrome - everybody they know is going to vote for Kerry. How could anyone vote for that eviiil moron Bush? Heavily tilted collections like this one just reenforce that attitude.
Talk about obsessive! They probably don't realize that the Woodward book is quite well-liked at the White House.
Also, the James Mann book, Rise of the Vulcans, is actually very, very good. I read it this summer and found it to be fascinating and illuminating. It is shockingly reasoned and objective. No one comes out of the book looking bad, in fact, it puts to bed notinos that Wohl-vo-vitch, et al are raving lunatics.
I'm sure no one in the store has actually read it to know that it isn't a Bush bashing book, and that the name Vulcans was actually coined by the people involved. After all, it isn't chock full of explitives and exclamations!! BUSH LIED!! PEOPLE DIED!!! OIL!!! HALLIBURTON!!! DADDY'S WAR!!!
Posted by: Misspent at September 24, 2004 10:43 AMInteresting. I wonder what kind of reaction I would get if I bought that together with a copy of "Unfit for Command" (assuming they stock it)? Heh.
Posted by: Robert the LB at September 24, 2004 10:54 AMThe last time I went in there, I nearly fainted from the scent of patchouli oil and quickly hustled on over to Borders.
Posted by: Bill from INDC at September 24, 2004 12:31 PM
