Customer Reviews

Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell

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

 

 

The author, a Harvard-educated Louisville attorney, has written a somewhat interesting account of McConnell's political life. There's very little serious political or economic analysis and it's critical pretty much only when McConnell (in pre-publication interviews) is critical of his own past actions. However it's still a good addition to the paltry material about the Minority leader who has been so highly effective in keeping his caucus together and in spearheading much of the opposition to the Obama administration. It's a shame that there's so little detailed objectivity, though. If Dyche had spent more time interviewing past political foes, and digging deeper, he'd have produced a far better book. This is what you'd expect a son to write about his father. Interesting, fascinating in places ... but overall a shallow, somewhat pedestrian book. McConnell deserves better. Republican Leader: A Political Biography of Senator Mitch McConnell The Senate of the Roman Republic

The book goes into a lot of detail and shows a man's heart, his beliefs. He is a conservative man who grabs onto the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s under Republican John Sherman Cooper. It is a great reading for the author shows no bias because the subject is a Republican. If you read it be prepared to shed those Democratic beliefs about the Republican party.

Samuel F. Crow

As a former Louisville native and a former Democrat, reading Republican Leader was like going back 15 years and revisiting the names and issues of Jefferson County and Kentucky/National Politics. Democrats were jealous of McConnell because he was an effective politician. His signature political passions led to more efficient Metro government at the state level and the ongoing debate on campaign finance reform (or not!) at the National level. The sub-text of this biography is that Kentucky Democrats both fear and respect the McConnell political machine. Even better, the respect is apparently mutual.

This is a very well written book about the most powerful Republican in Washington DC. I would suggest that all political operatives read this book to have a fine understanding of the Senate Republican leader.

This is a very well written book. It gives insight to how McConnell approaches his campaigns and his ability to win. A nice historical account of the rise of Mitch McConnell.

From the moment I read about Senator McConnell's habit of signing all official correspondence with his feet, I was hooked. And while a fair portion of the book concerns McConnell's desire, and eventual mastery of foot-writing, there are many interesting and heart-warming anecdotes to savor. I was surprised by the Senator's fascination with American Girl dolls, and the pictures of the Senator with his "girls" was an added bonus. That story about his delaying the Senate vote on the Iraq war, so he could go to the grand opening of the American Girl store was priceless! And who would have thought that he consists on a diet solely of potatoes, and shaves all his body hair twice every day! Whether it's leading the charge against mortgage derivative regulations, or painstakingly recreating Monet's "Girls at the Piano" with his doll collection, Senator McConnell never fails to impress.