Courtesy Doubleday
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Web Exclusive…
Politics Lost Discussion Guide
By Lindsay Mergens, May 2006, May 2006
Read about Politics Lost and share your opinions on our special message board
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About the Book
Before the television age, presidential election campaigns were more direct and personal affairs. Candidates met with potential voters on the campaign trail, the exchange of ideas was candid and informative, and votes were based on firsthand, unfiltered information, gained through trust. Now, most politicians rarely venture into a crowd, and an unscripted word never passes their lips. Consultants, pollsters, publicists, advisers, and market researchers have changed the political landscape: a politician's entourage today rivals that of a Hollywood celebrity. Placing a premium on image and message control, political candidates are dangerously losing touch with their constituents, and the democratic system itself is teetering on the brink of "a flaccid, hollowed-out democracy where honest debate is impossible—a democracy without citizenship," says Time magazine columnist and bestselling author Joe Klein in his new book, Politics Lost: How American Democracy Was Trivialized By People Who Think You're Stupid.
 
Why are our leaders more interested in getting reelected than in actually leading? In this part manifesto, part political memoir, Klein explains how this vital part of American democracy has gone terribly awry and offers his ideas for saving the political process from itself. Taking us through the major campaigns of the last 40 years, he examines how democracy is being compromised through a dearth of courage, a lack of spontaneity, and a failure of leadership. Filled with anecdotes and insights from Klein's nearly four decades' worth of experience covering politics, Politics Lost lays out the challenges ahead for both parties and offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world that citizens never see before they step into the voting booth.
Read an excerpt from the book
Discuss With Your Book Club
In this election year, filled with potentially contentious campaigns and lightning-rod issues, politics is in the public eye as never before. Consider these questions and discuss them with your book club.
What qualities do you look for in a candidate for office? What influences your choice of candidate?
Do you think term limits should be mandated?
Which politicians have inspired you? Why?
Additional questions for reading groups
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