The Accidental President: How 413 Lawyers, 9 Supreme Court Justices, and 5,963,110 Floridians (Give or Take a Few) Landed George W. Bush in the White House [Hardcover]

David A. Kaplan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2001

How 413 Lawyers, 9 Supreme Court Justices and 5,963,110 Floridians (Give or Take a Few) Landed George W. Bush in the White House; Not since the Watergate summer of 1973 have Americans followed a political drama as they did with the post-election 2000. David Kaplan's narrative will begin on election night and end sometime after the historic Supreme Court decision that won the presidency for George W. Bush. It will take readers from Washington to Palm Beach and Miami, from the Naval Observatory to the Governor's mansion in Austin, from network newsrooms in New York and D. C. to the statehouse in Tallahassee, from counting dimples and chads to counting court victories and defeats. He will go behind-the-scenes with the principals like Katherine Harris, David Boies, William Rehnquist and Warren Christopher (and the candidates themselves). But will also introduce lesser known but equally eccentric characters, such as Judge Lee in Broward County, clerks at the U.S. (and Florida) Supreme Court, the Miami-Dade canvassing board, rank-and-file lawyers in Boies's firm and the campaign aide who yanked Gore off the stage just in time. All of this will be told with sense of legal, political and historic perspective, but also healthy dose of humor at the absurdity that became Election 2000.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A wonderful ride, filled with landmarks, history, and histrionics, and the voice of an intelligent, witty guide.” (New York Times )

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1st edition (October 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0066212839
• ISBN-13: 978-0066212838
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #866,557 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

73 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book, especially now, September 27, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Accidental President: How 413 Lawyers, 9 Supreme Court Justices, and 5,963,110 Floridians (Give or Take a Few) Landed George W. Bush in the White House (Hardcover)

Because of what is going on in the world now, maybe the 2000 election does not matter anymore. But I have a different opinion. Because George W. Bush is our president, it is that much more important to understand how he got the job. This book tell you how, and does so better than all the other political books prior to it this year.

...I couldn't resist on this one, after I noticedthat a few of the other reviews attack this book as being pro-Gore and anti-Bush. That just isn't so. The book has a lot of critical things to say about everybody involved in the 2000 election, but is remarkably fair-minded. Bush's advisers do very well when compared to Gore's. Where there are criticisms, they are supported by evidence and example, most of it told in a sweeping narrative style that made it a pleasure to read.

Perhaps the title of the book upsets some readers. Too bad for them. It is an accurate title, regardless of whether Bush or Gore won the election. Or perhaps Bush supporters think that anything written about their man that is not all warm and fuzzy isn't being patriotic. That would be too bad. But I still bet any objective reading of this book would leave a Gore supporter just as unhappy as a Bush supporter. Either way, in my opinion, it's a great read.

52 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive story, told with zest and humor, October 1, 2001

By 

Harvey Ardman (Rockport, ME USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Accidental President: How 413 Lawyers, 9 Supreme Court Justices, and 5,963,110 Floridians (Give or Take a Few) Landed George W. Bush in the White House (Hardcover)

Years from now, historians will wonder how in the world George W. took the Presidency from Al Gore. This book explains the inexplicable. But it is hardy a dry history. It is gossipy, as a book like this should be but rarely is, and it is filled with humor and wit, which is more than readers interested in politics have any right to expect. It's often said of well-written books about events like this that "it reads like a novel." Well, this one doesn't. It reads like a story the ultimate insider would tell his best friends. In writing "The Accidental President," David Kaplan has made a significant contribution to our understanding of the way politics and the judiciary works. He's also provided his readers with a damn good time.

39 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful. I saw it first in a recent Newsweek cover story., September 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Accidental President: How 413 Lawyers, 9 Supreme Court Justices, and 5,963,110 Floridians (Give or Take a Few) Landed George W. Bush in the White House (Hardcover)

Of all the books this year about the presidential election of 2000, this is the best one I have read. It combines brilliant reporting (the Newsweek excerpt had all these great scoops about the Supreme Court), sharp writing and a sense of humor about things so many other authors start pontificating about. I saw the author with Katie Couric on the Today Show and then on the Charlie Rose Show.
The author has an understanding of politics and law, and an appreciation of history and how things fit together. I think that is what makes this book different from the other election books.
I heard some conservative radio commentators say they thought this book was another anti-Bush diatribe, but I don't think they read the book. It has little negative to say about Bush. What is negative is about BOTH the Bush and Gore campaigns, and the Supreme Court. I don't think anyone looks good after the election and this book explains in detail why.
The World Trade Center tragedy means we should be supporting President Bush. But we should still understand how he became president after a very important and controversial election. This book tells us better than any other how and why.
The title of the book, "The Accidental President," may sound like criticism of President Bush, but I don't think it is. If Gore had won, he would also now would be "The Accidental President."