Customer Reviews

Buck Up, Suck Up . . . and Come Back When You Foul Up: 12 Winning Secrets from the War Room

5 star:		(43)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Caution: This book features lots of coarse language. If that sort of thing offends you, skip this book.

The two Democratic strategists combine to describe the key elements of how they feel that political candidates (whether Democrats or Republicans, conservatives or liberals) can win elections, and successfully pursue their agendas in office.

The general advice is to take the offense, and stay on it, even when on defense.

Let me paraphrase the key points into a shorter list to make the concepts more understandable:

1. If you keep trying your hardest to get elected, someday you will succeed. Abraham Lincoln is the prime example.

2. Honestly seek out allies when you need them to get elected. John F. Kennedy taking on Lyndon Johnson as his vice presidential candidate is the main example.

3. Attack your strongest candidate in the general election constantly above the belt. Attack first, attack hardest, and counter-attack first. The first Clinton presidential campaign is the main example.

4. Pick the issue where the strongest general election opponent is most vulnerable, and don't let go! "It's the economy, stupid!"

5. Tell your story unceasingly in a brief, emotional, unique, and relevant way. "Are you better off than you were four years ago?"

6. Be quick to lead with your mistakes, weaknesses, and flaws by realizing that people want to hear it from you first. They will find out anyway, and you can gain credibility and trust this way.

7. Once you are in office, use your political capital wisely where it will make a difference. Build on success!

I suspect that most of these points are not new to you. Why read the book, then? Actually, it's main appeal is in the self-deprecating humor the authors use in describing how determined people on both side of the political spectrum verbally wrestle for power. If you are a Republican or a conservative, you probably won't enjoy the book because there's lots of positive things said about the Democratic candidates the authors have assisted. The book also refers to Republicans, especially President Reagan, but much less intensively.

As examples of the humor, Mr. Carville tells how his mother used to sell encyclopedias to help support the family by looking for men with lots of kids and a bass boat, the book has chicken salad and French toast recipes, and the authors tell about their own personal awkward moments in campaigns.

Will you read about the political issues surrounding the most famous White House intern? Oh, yes. Perhaps more than you want to.

Why should you want to be in office? I suggest that you have a pretty good reason . . . or you won't want to live like this.

The authors leave it up to you as to whether the book applies to other fields. The section on Rule 7: Know How to Communicate was the only section that I thought provided any insights that you might not know already. But that section is quite well done, with vivid examples.

If you are like me, your biggest take-away from this book is how effective open, self-deprecating humor is.

Help others in all the ways you can!

In an abrubt version of "Failing Forward" by John Maxwell, with a dose of Machivelli and a smidgen of Covey's "Seven Habits...", "Buck Up, Suck Up...and Come Back When You Foul Up: How to Fight and Win...in Business, in Politics and in Life" explains for the hundreth time what Horation Alger knew all along...

Work hard, play smart, and be honest. That, with a little bit of luck, things will work out.

Unfortunately, Paul Begala and James Carville are not afraid to explain that tenacity need not always be focused on what's best. Their adage of "It's the economy stupid" only shows that being simplistic can win the war.

They do emphasize wisdom. Know your assets, increase them when you can, and spend them wisely. Whether this is a budget, polital cachet, or people devoted to your cause... use them wisely.

I recommend "Buck Up, Suck Up...and Come Back When You Foul Up: How to Fight and Win...in Business, in Politics and in Life." The title is long, but the book is good.

Anthony Trendl

The dynamic duo of James Carville and Paul Begala have teamed up to compose a manifest of the strategies essential for the ever famous "War Room" operations. The tweleve winning secrets, as Carville and Begala deem to be, are: 1.) don't quit, 2.) kick [butt], 3.) kiss [butt], 4.) frame the debate, 5.) understand the difference between strategy and tatic, 6.) be open, 7.) know how to communicate, 8.) work your [butt] off, 9.) turn weakness into strength, 10.) be nimble, jack, 11.) know how to recover when you really screw up, and 12.) know what to do when you win.

The book gives the lesson of each secret along with stories and examples which exemplify how the secret proved to be successful in their experiences within the War Room. It is always fascinating to read the real life applications of such strategies and to be inspired by such action.

As usual, Carville and Begala write with such flair and style that it is nearly impossible for a reader not to laugh and love the book!

My being a loyal follower of Carville and his work, this book certainly is recommended with the highest regard.

For those of you unfamiliar with the book's authors, James Carville and Paul Begala are well-known vets of the political campaign wars, most heralded for their handling of Bill Clinton's Presidential run. While Carville is known as the "Rajun Cajun" and typically receives the majority of the press, Begala is razor sharp in wit and tongue alike. Together, they're a relatively lethal combination. While I didn't purchase this book for their political insights and regaling of campaign successes, one can't help but be a bit impressed with the message they've composed in BUCK UP, SUCK UP. But, only a bit.

Carville and Begala, fresh out of current campaign work, decided to collaborate on their combined experiences in the election process and extrapolate it to the business/self-help genre. In the end, the principles they gleaned from their experiences are condensed into a 220 page book providing the self-help denizen with new fodder. The result is, well, somewhat chaotic and mixed.

The subtitle of the book, "12 Winning Secrets from the War Room" suggest that Carville and Begala will provide the unsuspecting reader with insightful suggestions to "beat the game." Well, not really. While some of the 12 Secrets are thought-provoking, others fall short of anything but basic common sense. Let's look at a few: 1) Kiss {Tail}; 2) Kick {Tail}; 3) Be Open; 4) Know How to Communicate...you get the idea. (By the way, my bracketing {} was necessary to appease the censors.) While its easy to see that some of the suggestions Carville and Begala offer are clearly gleaned from their political experience ("Frame the Debate," "Understand the Difference between Strategy and Tactics"), others appear to be simple rules of life. In short, BUCK UP, SUCK UP is less a book of "Secrets" exciting to the politicos and wannabes than one of basic, simple rules of thumb for politics, business, and life.

One area which hits home for the business crowd is their rant on micromanaging. Carville and Begala tutor the reader on campaign failures as a result of candidates and staff becoming hung up on the minutiae. For instance, one sure-fire issue on the road to failure is "how campaign headquarters answers the phone." They go on to inform us that many candidates spend the lionshare of their strategic thinking(?) on these types of issues and never think about how average voters are perceiving them. This holds true for most professions and those operating/managing businesses. While being a detail person has its merits, the big picture is the entrepreneur's path to success. Hire the detail guys; you can't hire visionaries.

BUCK UP, SUCK UP doesn't meet the traditional definition of a political read by a long shot although it is written by two VERY, VERY political individuals. Regardless, it is quite obvious that Carville and Begala had great fun writing the book. It is laced with anecdotes and stories which hold the reader's attention. This, by itself, earned a couple of stars.

At 220 pages, BUCK UP, SUCK UP is a very quick read. The book is designed to be a basic, quick-and-dirty self-help guide. If you're well-versed and experienced in political offerings, this book holds nothing for you. If you have political aspirations, this book is probably a reasonable primer. If you are looking for inspiration in the form of a self-help book, this book is simply adequate.

Once again, Carville and Begala have proven how their success is a direct result of some of the many mistakes they've made. Equally as critical and complimentary to Democrats and Republicans, they provide entertaining insight to the political process and great lessons learned that can be applied to everyday life.

A quick and humorous read, I found it to be motivating. Follow their advice, learn from their mistakes and you're sure to be a success in anything you do.

Look these guys won and they keep winning. If you are on a mission, if your life or your business means something then you will find this book helpful. You will find that Begala and Carville are your biggest cheerleaders. After you've picked the fight that you plan to win, the authors help keep you focused on tactics that speak to your message, keep you open and rally the troops.

Perhaps the title suggests that the book is about apologies and recent political history. It's not. It's not history rehashed. This book is for doers, people moving ahead and how they get the rest of us to travel with them.

5 stars and plan to take notes.

At the conclusion of his lament on life, Ecclesiastes says to work hard, and honour god. Carville and Begala come to the same conclusions by a more indirect route. Beneath the jokes and the outright political bias, are two very clear minds giving very sound advice. The book is worth purchasing for their chapter on hard work alone. It advises no short cuts or get rich schemes. Success requires focus and commitment. The only thing that the authors skate over is a moral purpose. They clearly forgive Clinton for lapses, but they do not forgive politicians - of any side - for abandoning their moral beliefs. Hence I would have liked one more chapter on ethics, but I cannot deny the immense value and wisdom of this book.

Say what you want about James Carville, he is honest about who he is, how he got to this place in his life, and what he belives in. As this book shows, Carville has very strong beliefs on everything, which he bases on his Cajun background. He is smarter than he gives himself credit for (his self effacing humor is part of his charm) and he is very passionate for what he believes in.

That being said, if you forget that he's a far left liberal, you anyone can actually get something from this book. The basic premise is how you let life give you the experiences you need to be successful in the political arena. By getting into the game and even "fouling" up, you learn more about how to handle adversity, and even how you handle yourself. However, you substitute your profession instead of politics, you can see a lot of parallels.

If it seems like I have been concentrating on Carville and ignoring Begala its because this book is really Carville's doing. Those who have seen him in the various media outlets can see his fingerprints all over this book.

I may not agree with Carville's ultra liberal posture, but he frames his discussion in such a way that everyone can understand and get something out of it.

Buck Up, Suck Up is a good read. Not because of any literary merit (your average High School junior has more writing talent than these two)and certainly not due to anything that might pass as substance in the content (there is not one new idea anywhere in the text). The value in this book is the joy of the ride into battle with Carville and Begala.

These are two men who know what they are good at and clearly love their work. Carville and Begala give you a front-row seat to view how they run a battle for power. And you will enjoy the show they put on. Their strategies for winning are laid out in twelve "rules" illustrated with amusing anecdotes and cautionary tales. Although the rules are pretty basic Management 101 (work hard, communicate well) it is motivating and interesting to see Carville and Begala's thinking laid out in an engaging voice that is really, really fun to read.

This book is worth reading but don't expect touchy-feely self help or a tome about the nobility of leadership. The folksy good ol' boy tone of the book does not disguise the strong message that strategies of aggression work, that anyone who wants to get (and hold) political power today needs the biggest, baddest, ugliest, junkyard dogs on the block to help them do it and that, if you decide you want to win, then for pity's sake be willing to get in there and fight. Oh, and if you get nothing else from Carville and Begala the recipe for chicken salad (page 154) is worth the price of this book!

My wife gave this to me for Christmas. I loved it! It's not perfect, but some of the chapters are gems: strategy vs. tactics, how to communicate, and frame the debate. Those chapters alone are worth the price of admission! They're not very precise or technical, but that's the beauty of this book. They've honed it down to the simplicty on the OTHER side of complexity. That takes genius. It also helps that my politics happen to line up nicely with theirs.