6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
How Bob Dole won the 1996 primaries, November 3, 2001
This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)
Woodward carefully documents the early stages of the 1996 presidential election, covering mid-1994 to April 1996. Note that the book's coverage ends before the national party conventions. Woodward tries to give equal treatment to both parties, but Republicans clearly cooperated with him much more than Clinton's staff (who no doubt feel burned by Woodward's earlier exposé of Clinton, 'The Agenda'). More than anything else, this is a character study of Bob Dole, who candidly shared his thoughts with the author throughout the period. We also learn a great deal about Powell, Forbes, and Dick Morris.
Woodward's style is not for everyone. He carefully reconstructs various meetings, explaining who said what to who. However, Woodward uses paraphrases instead of direct quotes, unless he's sure of the exact words spoken. Many readers will find the result to be incredibly tedious, although I appreciate Woodward's concern for accuracy when quoting people. The book gives the reader a real sense of being in the room when important conversations occur regarding the federal budget or campaign strategy.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Read for Anyone, November 24, 2002
This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)
If you want to read a book about politics, this is the book to read. Even if you are skeptical or apathetic towards American politics, I would still recommend this book to you-- it might make you more interested in the subject. Woodward takes us behind the scenes of the 1996 presidential elections, showing us the intricacies and complexities involved. He does a powerful job of keeping this potentially flat topic lively and engaging. The first time I read this was in 1998, and I am still raving about it.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Choice, March 9, 2009
This review is from: The Choice (Hardcover)
ISBN 0684813084 - Amidst my piles of current political books, there are many like The Choice: no longer current "current event" writings that might seem outdated but actually offer an interesting perspective on today's politics. As I read my way through them, I'm surprised to find that they're still enlightening, informative and entertaining.
In 1994, the campaign for the 1996 Presidential election began. Bill Clinton was pretty clearly the Democratic candidate, but the field was wide open in the Republican Party. Woodward spent time with candidates and potential candidates - Colin Powell, Pete Wilson, Lamar Alexander, Steve Forbes, Pat Buchanan, etc - for the Republican nomination, as well as their family, friends and staff. He shares the results of innumerable interviews and gives the reader a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the political landscape.
We know how this one turned out. In fact, Woodward published what looks like his "
Ball Four Plus Ball Five" (if The Choice is "
Ball Four") with
The Choice: How Bill Clinton Won. This book ends with 174 days to go to the general election; the other, based on the title, goes further. There's still much of interest in here. Candidate Dole gets much more ink than President Clinton, for whatever reason; considering the way things turned out, that might be a good thing because it's a bit like his political epitaph. On the other hand, the Clintons come out looking a bit insane - Hillary's friendship with Jean Houston and Bill's campaign's misuse of DNC funds, for example, and the hiring of Dick Morris and his rather childish-semming fighting with George Stephanopoulos, all add up to make the reader marvel that the Clinton presidency went as well as it did.
There's some moments that only have their "aha!" impact in retrospect. At one point, Dole talks about running for just one term with Powell as his VP, leaving Powell as the virtual incumbent. Had that scenario played out, Colin Powell, perhaps the most widely respected voice on foreign affairs, would have been president on September 11, 2001; it makes for an interesting alternative history to wonder about.
Worth a read for the politics junkie, in particular. The similarities between Clinton and Obama range from obvious to surprising; the things Dole and McCain have in common are interesting, which leaves the reader wondering how many times the Republicans will try running an "old man" military veteran against a younger, inspiring Democrat. The more things change, the more they stay the same... in politics, perhaps, more than in any other arena.
- AnnaLovesBooks
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