Slate's Field Guide to the Candidates 2004 [Mass Market Paperback]

Will Saletan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2, 2003

Which 2004 presidential candidate was found liable for defamation?

Which one dumped someone else's combat medals at an antiwar protest?

Which two voted to ban abortion?

Which four are divorced?

If traditional coverage of the 2004 presidential election is leaving you with more questions that answers, turn off your TV and pick up Slate's Field Guide to the Candidates. From the candidates' views on key issues such as foreign policy, gun control, and abortion, to their worst flip-flops and favorite buzzwords, to their pet issues and personal quirks, Slate's Field Guide to the Candidates delves deep to answer the questions readers didn't even know they had. This is the source for every American who hopes to be truly informed about the 2004 presidential election.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

William Saletan is Slate's chief political correspondent and the author of Bearing Right: How Conservatives Won the Abortion War. He is a former editor of the Hotline and a contributor to numerous publications including, The New Republic, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, National Review, and Mother Jones. A graduate of Swarthmore College, he lives with his wife and their two children.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Plume; 1 edition (December 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452284996
• ISBN-13: 978-0452284999
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,650,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Slight but informative, December 2, 2003

By 

Steven Martinovich (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Slate's Field Guide to the Candidates 2004 (Mass Market Paperback)

Clocking in at 124 pages you can't expect an indepth treatment of each of the candidates but I can see this being useful for anyone who hasn't been thinking about the 2004 election since 2002. All the candidates are represented -- even Bob Graham who dropped out -- and each is subjected to a quick profile that includes policy flip flops, best and worst moments, biographical information and some analysis of their positions. Instead of some recycled Slate.com content, I would have preferred a little more new analysis but this after all is meant as a quick and dirty guide to the people gunning for the big chair in 2004, not an encyclopedia.

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting look at the 2004 candidates, January 1, 2004

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Slate's Field Guide to the Candidates 2004 (Mass Market Paperback)

This quirky little book was created by the Slate magazine people, to give the non-politically astute reader a good feel for the men and woman running for the nomination of the two major parties, for the 2004 American Presidential election. The eleven candidates (ten Democrats and George W. Bush) are each given their own chapter, which begins with a quick list of important information (age, experience, personal and professional histories, and more), and then moves into such sections as the candidates agenda, worldview, buzzwords, best and worse things done, flip-flops (yep, they all have them!), gaffes, and a quick Slate article. The weakest part of the book is the chapter on Wesley Clark; as Clark only announced his candidacy as the book was going to press, he did not get the full treatment that the other candidates did.

Overall, I found this to be an interesting look at the 2004 candidates. The book is irreverent, with no candidate being given a free-ride. If you already have your mind made up about a candidate, then you will probably not like this book. But, if you are unclear about the candidates and would like a frank look at who they are and what they believe, then this is the book for you.