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Liberal populist Jim Hightower has a knack for naming books; before
If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote... came
There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road but Yellow Stripes and Dead Armadillos. Even the chapter titles of the current volume reveal Hightower's way with words as well as they underscore his themes: "Some Say We Need a Third Party, I Wish We Had a Second One" and "Plutocracy Is Not Government by a Far-Off Planet." Hightower speaks for angry, disaffected Americans who view both Democrats and Republicans as sleazy money-grubbers who do the bidding of wealthy multinational corporations. He is one of the sharpest voices on the Left, and also a very funny one. Even right-wingers will find themselves laughing at some of his jokes, and the Pat Buchanan set may see a few points of agreement. Ultimately, though,
If the Gods Had Meant Us to Vote... isn't a book for conservatives, but for liberals who feel that not even the Democratic Party can represent them in the era of Bill Clinton and Al Gore. Hightower's enthusiasm is contagious: "Hey, let's gut it up, decamp from Washington, put our resources in the countryside, slug the corporate bastards right in the snout, and get it on with a grassroots politics that gives regular folks a reason to be excited and get involved." Readers already inclined toward these views will be eager to join Hightower's crusade by the time they finish his energetic book.
--John J. Miller
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
With a disarmingly folksy charm, writer and former Texas agriculture commissioner Hightower skewers George W. Bush, Al Gore, America's moneyed interests, the presidential selection process, corporate greed, the corruption of the political process by big money, the wage gap, globalization, and a whole lot more. Part critique of the corruption of American life and politics, part Populist manifesto, this sometimes witty, often irreverent, on-target book offers readers a welcome respite from the more mundane, mainstream accounts of contemporary politics. Outspokenness of this sort can seem harsh, angry, and abrasive--and Hightower is indeed angry. But his is an anger fused with wit and insight that draws readers in instead of pushing them away. This valuable contribution will offend, entertain, and enlighten. For public and academic libraries.
---Michael A. Genovese, Loyola Marymount Univ., Los Angeles Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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