The write stuff (McManus critiques GOP Primary book authors' efforts)

Los Angeles Times ^ | July 31, 2011 | Doyle McManus

[Cincinatus' Wife]

....As a public service, I took a pile of these literary works on vacation and dug in. (Now you know one more difference between Washington policy wonks and normal Americans.) And here's what I found:

In their own telling, all these politicians are fiercely patriotic, devoted to their families and humble.

.....Then there's Perry, who's almost as angry as Gingrich. "We are tired of being told how much salt to put on our food, what kind of cars we can drive, what kind of guns we can own, what kind of prayers we can say … [and] what doctor we can see," Perry writes in "Fed Up!"

And, of course, Palin, who manages to sound both slashing and cheerful at the same time. "We have allowed the left, with its unconstrained vision, to convince us that America's current woes were caused by too little government involvement," she writes. "This is nonsense. We got into this economic mess because of misplaced government interference in the first place."

There's a long list of issues all these candidates agree on. "We need to have a more limited, more accountable government," Pawlenty writes.

"The road to success is lower taxes [and] smaller government," echoes Perry.

But once in a while, a bit of daring comes through, in this case from Romney: "Government can promote opportunity or it can crush it," he writes. "To a point, even taxes can foster opportunity." No wonder "tea party" adherents are suspicious...............

.....this reviewer's bottom line:

Most readable: Sarah Palin, "Going Rogue."

Least readable: Mitt Romney, "No Apology."

Most difficult political tightrope act: Romney, "No Apology."

Most intriguing new author: Rick Perry, "Fed Up."

Most appealing life story: Tim Pawlenty, "Courage to Stand."

Most terrifying jeremiad: Newt Gingrich, "To Save America."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Newt Gingrich: Rick Perry's book "almost came too late" [Forward to "Fed Up!"]

[MestaMachine]

Most readable: Sarah Palin, “Going Rogue.”

Most intriguing new author: Rick Perry, “Fed Up.”

Now that’s .... intriguing.

[faucetman]

jer·e·mi·ad noun \ˌjer-ə-ˈmī-əd, -ˌad\ : a prolonged lamentation or complaint; also: a cautionary or angry harangue

[maine-iac7]

Oh, golly gee.

Thank you for educating us...

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....a prolonged lamentation or complaint....

That's Newt! LOL

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I’ve read “Going Rogue” but not “Fed Up.”

[Russ]

These candidates have every reason to be “angry”, Doyle. Just look at what is happening to their country.