I owe it to all of you to review Roland Merullo's newest send-up of the world around, American Savior, as astute a commentary on the political process as I've seen. And prescient. In short, a certain revered religious figure whose name is bandied about like a shield by certain politicians runs for president on the Divinity Party. It's funny, very, and sad, terribly, when you think about what a candidate like this means/faces/mirrors in our political process. But, as I said, I owe the book a proper review and I can't do it now. Just buy it and then we can actually discuss it.
Meanwhile, Roland has an op-ed in today's Boston Globe, "How not to vote for president." In my view, he is unparalleled in producing the great opening, particularly in his novels, which vacuum you (or to be precise, me) right in. Great work, Roland, once again:
IN THE MIDST of this remarkable campaign for the presidency, it continues to amaze me that some people still want to talk about issues. By now, all but the most naive first-time voter must realize that what's important is not where the candidates stand on healthcare or job creation, but whether or not they would be fun to have a beer with. I mean, do you really think Al Gore or John Kerry would have made a better president than the affable fellow we have in there now? Would you seriously want to have Gore over to your house for dinner and Monday night football? Are you really saying you'd want to sit down in front of "American Idol" with JK instead of GWB?
