Losers: The Road to Everyplace But the White House

The Road to Everyplace but the White House

Author: Michael Lewis

A wickedly funny and astute chronicle of the 1996 presidential campaign—and how we go about choosing our leaders at the turn of the century. In it Michael Lewis brings to the political scene the same brilliance that distinguished his celebrated best-seller about the financial world, Liar's Poker. Beginning with the primaries, Lewis traveled across America—a concerned citizen who happened to ride in candidates' airplanes (as well as rented cars in blinding New Hampshire blizzards) and write about their adventures. Among the contenders he observed: Pat Buchanan, a walking tour of American anger; Lamar Alexander, who appealed to people who pretend to be nice to get ahead; Steve Forbes, frozen in a smile and refusing to answer questions about his father's motorcycles; Alan Keyes, one of the great political speakers of our age, whom no one has ever heard of; Morry Taylor—"the Grizz"—the hugely successful businessman who became the refreshing embodiment of ordinary Americans' appetites and ambitions; Bob Dole, a man who set out to prove he would never be president; and Bill Clinton, the big snow goose who flew too high to be shot out of the sky. We watch the cliches of this peculiar subculture collide with characters from the real world: a pig farmer in Iowa; an evangelical preacher in Colorado Springs; a homeless person in Manhattan; a prospective illegal immigrant in Mexico. The politicians speak and speak, often reversing positions, denying direct quotations, mastering the sound bite, dodging hard questions, wreaking havoc on the English language. Spin doctors spin. Rented strangers (campaign workers) proliferate. One particular toe sucker goes awry. Ads are honed tomisrepresent and distort. Money makes the world go round. And the citizens are left dumbfounded or cheering empty platitudes. When trail fever breaks on Election Day, half of America's eligible voters stay home. This book offers a striking look at us and our politics and the mammoth unlikelihood of connection between the inauthentic modern candidate and the voter's passions, needs, and desires. In telling the story, Michael Lewis once again proves himself a masterful observer of the American scene.

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Michael Lewis is a master at dissecting the absurd: after skewering Wall Street in his national bestseller "Liar's Poker, " he packed his mighty pen and set out on the 1996 campaign trail. As he follows the men who aspire to the Oval Office, Lewis discovers an absurd mix of bravery and backpedaling, heroic possibility and mealy-mouthed sound bytes, and a process so ridiculous and unsavory that it leaves him wondering if everyone involved"—"from the journalists to the candidates to the people who voted"—"isn't ultimately a loser. The contenders: Pat Buchanan: becomes the first politician ever to choose a black hat over a white one. Phil Gramm: spends twenty million dollars to convince voters of his fiscal responsibility. John McCain: makes the fatal mistake of actually speaking his mind. Alan Keyes: checks out of a New Hampshire hotel and tells the manager another candidate will be paying his bill. Steve Forbes: refuses to answer questions about his father's motorcycles. Bob Dole: marches through the campaign without ever seeming to care. " Losers "is a wickedly funny, unflinching look at how America really goes about choosing a President.

Critic Reviews

“"A fresh, hilarious must read... [Losers] is a winner."-Time "Hilarious, genuinely funny, and insightful, the work of a truly gifted writer."-The Wall Street Journal "A great book... Hilarious, unsettling... [and] wonderfully observed."- Dave Eggers,Salon "Unveils the pomposities and absurdities of spinning campaign life with wit and restraint, with a touch, in other words, that is all the more devastating for its lightness."-Newsday”

"A fresh, hilarious must read... [Losers] is a winner."- Time

"Hilarious, genuinely funny, and insightful, the work of a truly gifted writer."- The Wall Street Journal

"A great book... Hilarious, unsettling... [and] wonderfully observed."- Dave Eggers, Salon

"Unveils the pomposities and absurdities of spinning campaign life with wit and restraint, with a touch, in other words, that is all the more devastating for its lightness."- Newsday

About the Author

Michael Lewis grew up in New Orleans and has degrees from Princeton and the London School of Economics. Formerly a bond salesman with Salomon Brothers, he is the author of the runaway international bestseller, Liar's Poker. He holds an adjunct professorship at the University of California a " Berkeleya (TM)s journalism school and lives in Berkeley with his wife, Tabitha Soren.