Customer Reviews

Anyone Can Grow Up: How George Bush and I Made It to the White House

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This book can be summed up in one word: weak. If you've ever been out to lunch or at a party with someone who wouldn't stop talking about themselves and condescendingly giving you their opinion on every single topic that comes up, then you've already, in essence, read this book. I think the fact that, as of this writing, there are exactly 7,572 other books ranked higher than this one despite her media friends constantly hyping her book tells you all you need to know about how interesting this book is. I'm upset that I spent $$ dollars on it. There's nothing new here you haven't heard her say on Imus or Hardball of any one of a number of places she seems to always be. Believe me, I love politics, but this was a BIG disappointment.

How this woman ever got to be a reporter is beyond my understanding. I take it that she is good at being able to spot things that interest the casual reader of Time magazine. Her analysis of the Bush Gore election is that Bush should win because he served better food than Gore. In the end, this book is dreadful yet interesting because it speaks volumes about what passes for thoughtful `political commentary' theses days.

Take a bunch of old TIME magazine columns, string them together with anecdotes (meant to be heart-tugging) about Carlson's brain-damaged brother and working-class Irish-Catholic parents, and slather them with goo intended to soften her sharp elbows deployed during her singleminded ascent to the tippy-top of Georgetown s**thouse aristocracy.

Whadda we got? The unfortunately buyer gets a book that in truth merits no stars at all.

Carlson's brownnosing of the Washington Post's Katherine Graham is sickening enough without a half-dozen mentions of how Carlson's daughter was married at "Kay's" Georgetown mansion. Did you catch that? If you didn't, Carlson will remind you.

Oh, and George W. Bush made silly faces and served fancy food on his campaign's press plane. Maybe that's how both he and Margaret, as the book's subtitle reads, "made it to the White House." By being dim and opportunistic? Must be.

I thought this might be interesting or have some insight but it is really just a tired rehash of her time magazine columns along with a few chapters of original material. Making things worse is her 'Jayson Blairing' of the facts. She misquotes people so horribly that it totally distorts the meaning and it is done in such an obviously bias way that there is no question about her motives. If you really want to know about the president you are better off with Molly Ivins than this.

Is Margaret Carlson as much of an airhead as she seems to portray herself in this book? I've seen her on the Sunday gab shaws, and she always seemed just mildly clueless. I started skimming this book in a store and was so blown away by its utter shallowness and stupidity that I had to buy a copy for myself.

First of all, the "book" is a bunch of her columns strung together with lazy narrative. Many of the columns are out-of-date and inaccurate.

Similarly, in her ENDLESS complaints about the Clintons (they talk to much) and Gore (he's just too smart), she fails to recognize that she's the one who looks foolish. Below is a verbatim quote from the book (with some elipsis to shorten up her windy prose..and probably a typo or two, since I'm trying to write this review up fast)!

"Joe Klein, then at Newsweek, and I got a joint interview with the First Lady. She used up our time with chatter about the Taj Mahal and the ambassador's gardens...About midnight, an aide showed us the door, literally. Our time was up. Valiantly, Klein reeled her back in with a question about health-care reform. As we descended into the swamps of single-payer insurance...I leaned against the open door-and fell asleep."

Oof! The first lady gives a several hour interview. Margaret complains when she isn't substantive. Then when she is...she falls asleep!

I can only assume this is a highlight of Carlson's brilliant reporting career -- why else include it in the book? Odd that she's so proud of falling asleep during the policy portion of an interview.

There's more of this, but I'm coming up against the 1000 word max. Only read this book (don't give Margaret money -- buy a used copy or check it out from your library) if you really want to be able to laugh at this pathetic excuse for a reporter each time you see her on TV..

Her columns were interesting the first time, but they don't wear well with age.

This woman's job is to write editorials on the day's major issues. Unfortunately she is clueless about those things, happening in our nation and world, which are important.
We have a name for people who will publish biased, banal, garbage to make a buck. We call them mediawhores.
By the way, the way Bush made it to the White house was by stealing an election. And look what a mess he has made with his squaters presidency.
Anyone who claims to be left or center left poltically, as Carlson does, should be able to say that quite clearly.

Reading this book you feel embarrassed for Margaret Carlson. She brags about being a member of the Sally Queen Special Class in Washington. She shows contempt for ordinary people and their concerns. She hated Al Gore because he talked about issues on the campaign plane, issues that effect the lives of millions. She liked Bush because he served lobster ravioli on the campaign plane and made funny faces instead of boring her with discussion of issues. She recycles her columns from Time magazine. No original insights in her columns. Just conventional wisdom. No wonder Time magazine cancelled her column.

God, what a hack! She really should give up writing and devote herself to sewing patches on Tucker's Toughskins.

All too often, it is all too easy for Washington insiders to fall prey to common opinion of their peers and colleagues. Carlson bucks this trend by inviting us into actual dialogues taking place as decisions are made and implemented. Her book allows us insight into the workings of Washington and the minds of the very people responsible for decisions and policies affecting the direction of our country and our lives. A must read for those who wonder what drives our leaders. Like it or not.