A very interesting take on politics, possibly the politics of yester-year. ( )

Cited on C-Span by Douglas Brinkley (of all people) as the greatest piece of writing on the phenomenon of political campaigning, Hunter S. Thompson's chronicle of the 1972 election focuses early on the Democratic primary process (as the incumbent party, the Republicans did little in the primary season) to the DNC convention in Florida. After that, he reports on the McGovern campaign implosion, Watergate, and the final re-election of Nixon, interspersed with classic HST moments from a drunken strategy discussion poolside with Pat Buchanan to jumping the fence to go swimming after hours at the Watergate hotel while right above him the DNC headquarters were being broken into.

It is classic Hunter S. Thompson, with amazing access to the real political action. ( )

Is it just me or did this book remind anyone of the 2004 election? A beatable, unpopular incumbent who nevertheless defeats an inept opponent that squanders good will and multiple opportunities for success. ( )

This book can be pretty tedious at times and the reader often gets bogged down in the details. But, above all of this the narrative voice of HST shines through especially when the campaign is winding down. As I read this book during the primary season of 2008, I could not help but think about how similar things are during the book as compared to now. The apathy of the voters, the scripted speeches, the madness of running across the country looking for votes. Actually, to be specific this book was more like the 2004 election or any election where the incumbent was able to sway public opinion based on their decisions. Stick through the election details parts and you will be rewarded with tales such as the Zoo Plane and HST reporting from the Super Bowl. ( )

Hunter S. Thompson cuts through the curtains obscuring the American political process. Forgoing journalistic impartiality, Thompson throws himself into the 1972 presidential campaign firmly behind George McGovern. Thanks to this Thompson presents a bizarre outsider's view from inside of the most lopsided election in American history. Thankfully, Thompson's legendary cynicism turned out to be misplaced. Nixon got his in the end, after all. ( )

My familiarity with Hunter Thompson's writing to this point has mainly been based off of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, and various articles about sports and motorcycles. I always thought of him as a talented if maniacal writer. What engrossed me about campaign trail was his utter fluency in the political world of his time and his almost touching concern, pessimistic as it may be, for the health of the American political system.

A key tension in the book seems to be between Hunters desire to be objective/his belief that in the end all politicians will disappoint and his developing belief that George McGovern would actually make a decent president. It is amazing how much access the McGovern campaign, and george himself gave Hunter for his Bi-Monthly dispatches to Rolling Stone (from which the book is cobbled), and this access seems to have bound Thompson personally to the candidate, and probobly even more personally to the campaign's political director Frank Mankiewicz.

Given to course of history the last half of the book is a downer. After the first half, which chronicles the McGovern campaigns underdog success in the primaries, and the political machinations that won him the nomination at the convention, it is painful, for both Thompson and the reader to watch McGovern fall apart right out of the gate and end up loosing to Nixon in the second worst landslide in history. (McGovern lost in every state but Massachusetts and the DIstrict of Columbia). The post-mortem for the campaign (conducted in interview form with the books editor because Thompson was unable to finish the book on time) is thorough includeing statistics from the McGovern Campaign's own pollster and a twelve page transcript of an interview with George McGovern himself.

In the end Campaign Trail is a monumental work, if somewhat depressing.

Fascinating how much of this book resonates with what's happening in current politics. Nixon = Bush? Slows down near the end, and there's an endless section on parliamentary tactics at the convention.

One note: since it was originally written as weekly commentary for Rolling Stone, it assumes some familiarity with the news of the day. So the beginning of each section may be confusing, but HST usually fills you in if you persist. ( )

One of the most under appreciated Thompson books in his long literary history. Whereas Fear and Loathing was short on facts and filled with fantasy, Campaign Trail '72 captures the spirit of the time but tells it through the lens of somebody who really wanted McGovern to crush Nixon but knew he was too idealistic to get voted into office. Filled with just enough Thompson insanity to make it unique, but don't read this if your sole interest in Thompson was the absurdity in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. ( )

Other reporters often fed Thompson stories they would never get published in their own papers.

Thompson was a GREAT writer. He started off as a sports writer, and covers politics as well as Angell covered baseball. He does get in the way of his writing, and at times that is humorous, at other times it really reduces the level of work. But the man is...was great. ( )

Hunter S. Thompson has the impressive ability to be so F***ed up on drugs that he can't coherently write "spin". Thompson dismisses partisanism (its a forgone conclusion that he hates Nixon, and he doesn't labor the point) and concentrates on the parts of the political process that we never really see (why everyone is a swine). Its also entertaining when he goes into rants for no particular reason, he's a terribly good writer for someone who is vaguely psychotic. ( )

Thompson painted Nixon as a monster, but even he remembers that he's human with the classic "Thompson/Nixon Football Talk" bit. A brilliant insight the '72 campaign through Gonzo-tinted glasses. ( )

A strip pulled from a bookstore trash bin, which is where it really should have remained. I think I reviewed my other copy of this book. (God, could I really have two? The shame...) ( )