Mike's Election Guide 2008: Your handy dandy book for November 4th

This year has been one of the crazier ones in politics that I can remember -- and I've been voting for over thirty years now, having seen a great many politicians come and go -- mostly go. And sadly, trying to keep up with it all on the television or the Internet is an exhaustive chore, beset with mind-numbing propaganda and enough spinning to make a spider look like a lazy bum.

As I've been a fan of Michael Moore since he released The Big One, I figured I would give his latest book a try to give me some understanding of what I'll be facing when I step into that booth come November 4, 2008 and make my selections. Given with his usual tinge of sarcasm, and is this really happening? angle, I found Mike's Election Guide 2008 to be a dizzying turn through the issues.

The cover, in brilliant primary colours, and a beaming Mr. Moore on the front, is presented in a mock-tourist-guide format. It's a blend of very tongue-in-cheek and more than a little seriousness dished up in a series of essays and occasional rants.

This time, Mr. Moore goes after the Republicans in a big way, and at times, in way that made me a little uneasy. At times the tone gets a bit on the crazed side, but if you sift, there's still some nuggets of true inspiration and knowledge in here. More importantly, there's some information that everyone in America should think about.

The first section, "Ask Mike!" is a series of questions and answers, mostly by (I hope) fictional people and a quickie lesson in basic civics for those of us who were too tired to pay attention in high school. Little bits such as what are the Electoral College, why Canadians think we're the crazy neighbors living downstairs, and other burning topics such as gay marriage, McCain's temper, and other delights. I felt that most of it was downright silly, but there are a few bright spots.

The second section, however, is pretty likely: How to Elect John McCain... or How Many Democrats Does It Take To Lose the Most Winnable Presidential Election in History? And it's pretty much that simple. My usual cynical nature kicked in at this point, and I just read in grim horror at where things are likely to go in the next 54 days.

Ten Presidential Decrees for His First Ten Days and Six Modest Proposals To Fix Our Broken Elections are interesting, and thought provoking. These, and the last chapter, I found the most interesting to go through, and I found myself agreeing with some of them. Here Mr. Moore does cycle back the ranting a bit, and at least, what he mentions here will give the reader some food for thought.

One Last Job To Do When the Election is Over: All I am going to say about this one is that I can't agree more. You'll have to read it and decide for yourself.

Why you need to read this book:
Go to page 157, and look at the lists of candidates that are up for reelection this year in the House of Reprensentives and Senate. Yes, it's that important -- remember, if you don't get out there and vote this year, whether to put them back in, or get someone new into the seat, you're pretty much saying hey, I think they're doing a great job in Washington, DC! And that's fine by me; it's free country, and you can pretty much do as you like.

But if you're not happy, and you want to see someone from your state get his or her rump booted out, go on and see if your senator or representative is listed here. It's edifying reading, and Michael Moore makes no secret of his displeasure at the Republicans (mostly) who are up for reelection.

To be honest, I don't blame him. Our poor country is in dreadful financial shape, and Our Fearless Leader makes Tricky Dick look like an upright moral politician. More time and money and lives have been wasted in the last eight years, and the American people more abandoned than ever, and I for one would love to see a change in this country.

So, summing up, this makes a good concise, if a bit on the tinge of screaming at the choir, reading. Myself, I don't much care which party is running the country, as long as they hunker down and do their job and at least attempt to make things right. I personally feel that a person's politics are their own, and none of my durn business. But I also feel quite strongly that if you don't vote, then don't whine to me about how awful things are. Didn't vote in the last general election? Then you cast a vote for the incumbents. Period.

Educate yourself. There's still time to register to vote in the next election. If enough angry people step into the booth, and make their choice, then there's a fighting chance.

This book is in largish type, and is a very quick read -- I was through it in less than an hour and a half, and found myself nodding in agreement in spots. Other times I was cringing, but I was also thinking. If you can handle Michael Moore's style of rhetoric, then by all means take this one in.

Five stars. Or not. Depends on your point of view.


Mike's Election Guide 2008
Michael Moore
2008; Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 978-0-446-54627-5