Customer Reviews

The Perfect Tie: The True Story of the 2000 Presidential Election

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

 

 

James Ceaser and Andrew Busch have been writting thought provoking, scholarly books about U.S. Presidential elections since 1992,and this book is no exception. The Perfect Tie lives up to its subtitle;it is the "true story ' of the presidential election.Anyone who still takes Alan Dershowitz or Vincent Bugliosi seriously should read Ceaser and Busch's clear,dispassionate-and amusing- account of Bush vs. Gore,and of the Suprem Courts reasons for voting as it did.Almost every page of this very fine book contains some insight or bit of information not to be found anywhere else.

If you want an almost totally unbiased overview of the ENTIRE election of 2000 (including the primary season) this is the definate work on the subject. We have facts presented here IN CONTEXT, and in full. We have some opinions given at the end, but not before the entire history of the primary season, the general election and the post election are given such a solid going over that this should be the FIRST book you read on the subject before you read the books on the left or right.

Unfortunately it seems by the number of reviews and the sales rank of this volume, facts deviod of opinion don't sell. People seem to want to affirm their own beliefs (I plead guilty on occasion) rather that deal with all the facts. As a political junkie, and one with a great love of history. This book feeds me and leaves me full and happy. This is not to say that other books on the election are not worthwhile (I enjoyed Sammon's AT ANY COST, and accepted Greenfield's OH WAITER ONE ORDER OF CROW), some are some aren't but history is made of facts, and facts are what this book delivers.

If you want a complete and fair picture of the 2000 election buy this book, if you want a tilt to affirm the opinion you already have on either side then I urge you to try this as an alternative.

The authors are professional political scientists, so if you're looking for a book to reaffirm your own prejudices regarding the 2000 election, you ought to look elsewhere. The reading can be a bit dry at times, but if its the facts you want, you'll find them here. This objective book should be read before tackling the more partisan accounts of the election; it will put them in perspective.

I read this book because I was looking for a balanced review and analysis of the 2000 election. It's possible this is the most balanced account at this time, but I still detected bias.

I give the authors credit for supplying footnotes with citations to back up their facts or to give credit to other analyses they cite.

However, I think a lot was left out about the 2000 election, mostly negatives about George W. Bush. The book is thorough in describing the defects in Al Gore's personality and campaign, but gives Bush kind of a pass.

There is no mention of the push-polls that Bush used against McCain. There is no mention of the glee with which Bush described executions (which disturbed many of us at the time). There is no description of Bush's non-specific responses during the debates. I remember all of these things, but the book is much harder on Gore.

I'm not saying that Gore doesn't deserve the criticism, but why are they being so easy on Bush?

This is an exhaustive, and I mean EXHAUSTIVE, look at virtually every aspect of the 2000 Election, from the primary season all the way to Bush's inauguration speech. The most refreshing thing about the book is how objective and unbiased it is. Both candidates are both heavily criticized and are given due praise not within the context of their respective political views, but instead within the context of campaign strategy. The analysis of the four Supreme Court decisions near the end is also first rate. The reading gets a bit dense at times, and you'll often find yourself skimming through certain portions. Nonetheless, if you want the strict facts about the 2000 Presidential Campaign, you won't find a better resource.

This is one of the most boring books I have ever read. If you want to see the facts, look no further, but if you want to stay awake long enough to finish, that's another story. I only recommend this book if you have insomnia because, it will put you right to sleep before you finish the prologue.
P.S. I had to read this for a U.S. history class.