Dirty Sexy Politics

Another fluffy read. Finished in a couple hours. Absolutely nothing earth-shattering in here, but decent brain candy. 2.5 stars is probably more accurate. ( )

90% of Dirty Sexy Politics is 'my dad was the better candidate, he should have won." The rest of it is about how she didn't fit in with the republican norm, and found it challenging to deal with life on the campaign trail. Slightly interesting, but very much written in a style that is obviously more fitting for a blog on the internet.

I was disappointed that she didn't expand more upon her beliefs that the republican party is living in the past and more about her solutions.

Nutshell: Scottsdale girl loves dad, sad he didn't become president. ( )

I'm far from a GOPer, but I found this book refreshing and well-written. Meghan McCain conveys the experience of working in a national campaign while telling a coming-of-age story. It even made me like John McCain, seen through her eyes. Well done! ( )

This was a fun insider's look into the 2008 Presidential Election. Meghan McCain comes across as both a gaffe-prone party girl and an intelligent, if naive, young woman discovering what she believes in. She also comes across as extremely genuine. There were moments in this book where I thought "Man, she sounds self-absorbed.", but I realized that this only made her seem more real. After all, what girl in her early 20's isn't self absorbed? I certainly am! Meghan is not afraid to be self-deprecating and self-critical. She's also not afraid to be critical of the Republican Party, which she feels is drifting further to the Right and becoming more exclusive and more narrow. Meghan makes the excellent point that Republicans will never win the youth vote, the moderate vote, and the independent vote if they continue to define themselves as a bunch of fear-mongering, self-righteous fuddy-duddies. I couldn't agree more.

I took issue with her characterization of Obama voters as angry hipsters who voted for Obama simply because he is "cool". I think that since McCain was completely immersed in her dad's campaign--and, understandably, biased toward her dad, whom she loves very much--she wasn't able to see beyond Obama's shiny surface. McCain comes off as very dismissive of Obama. However, her light criticism of Obama is nothing compared to criticism of the Republican Party and Sarah Palin--whom she damns with extremely faint praise. And sometimes just outright damns.

Dirty Sexy Politics is a fun, informative read that humanizes the McCains and provides some insight into the underbelly of politics. Meghan McCain is hardly a whistleblower who want to air her family's dirty laundry, but she is also not someone to stick to the party line. ( )

I appreciated Meghan's honesty and I agree with her completely on the Republican party. I only hope something will change! ( )