Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail 1972 - Hunter S. Thompson
In America the November Presidential Elections was just the culmination of months of rigid political positioning, the long and winding political process of choosing the Democratic and Republican standard bearer is the blast from the gun that will start all of this.
Through the backstage of every primaries, conventions, secret deals, quick minded handlers, political maneuvers, media, supporters all rolling together to help a candidate get that prized trophy...The Presidential Nomination.
And this is what a full time Rolling Stones correspondent Hunter Stockton Thompson did cover during the time of Dec 71 - March 73, from the onset of the Democratic Presidential race unto the Nationwide Presidential Election itself.
A must read for every political junkie and even to those who are sick of it all, like me, hell this is sort of history as told by HST, even as dubious as American Politics, its eye popping and very informative at the same time.
The 1972 race to the white house was probably one of the most crucial in modern American history, for it was the era of the Vietnam war becoming more of a burden and a thorn in American society, A president who is in the midst of the watergate scandal gunning for re-election, disillusioned young people who would rather become hippies and smoke "marrywanna" than practice their right to suffrage.
Gone are the leaders of yesterdays, ( Jack and Bob Kennedy ), a disgraced Lyndon B Johnson, what remains are the Nixon thugs, a young but reluctant Edward Kennedy and of course the hope of the Democrats, front runner Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey and a long shot and the "only honest senator" Sen. Mcgovern.
The madness of that era in American Politics was widely told by HST with cunning reality, bold conviction, brutal truth, obscene, horrid and driven narrative, only he, the quintessential outlaw journalist, Prince of gonzo journalism, fueled by the "edge", Hunter S. Thompson can deliver.
who in his own words "my garb and demeanor is not considered normal by Washington standards" in comparing himself with the normal Washington reporters.
It was a typical HST, but not at all typical by any body's standards, here he relates the all unfolding events, from the get go to the end of the whole madness, thereby taking a toll on himself also., the struggles in finishing the book, the White House's indifference to him ( not giving him press credentials ), the wacky Ed Muskie train junket ( courtesy of some heckling hippies sporting an HST press ID ).
"it become obvious both by the bizarre quality of his first draft work and his extreme disorganized lifestyles, that the only way for the book could be completed was by means of compulsory verbal composition" - HST's editor's note.
Thus explaining the Q&A style in the book's last chapter.
As if the drama, highs and lows of Senator Mcgovern's rise from being merely a contender to the eventual Democratic Presidential nod was not enough, HST was able to cough up some personal account of his life at the time, and some NFL snippets ( Nixon's NFL jinx ), all proved to be entertaining.
Obviously the book shows HST's distaste at the thought of Nixon occupying the White House for another 4 years, at first he explained that his choice of Mcgovern was a fact based on the "lesser of two evils" comparison, but as time goes by he was able to firmly believe with all sincerity that Mcgovern is the man that deserves to be in the White House, at the same time contradicting this belief that Mcgovern is a better Senator than a President working on a National level, still bottomline, its anyone except Nixon.
Its clear cut that he supported Mcgovern's drive to the Democratic race and the Presidential campaign itself, but he was cut out honest enough to enumerate probable varying factors, political miscalculations, mistakes by the staff that contributed to Mcgovern's coming up short in beating Nixon.
the doomedness and failure of the campaign right from the start is written on the wall, against Nixon's well oiled political machinery and "thugs" are very well explained in here.
Right then HST is already writing about the importance of the youth vote, the first timers, who unfortunately was seldom taken advantage by the Politicians then, from a statistic viewpoint of about 25 million youngsters, it was concluded that even at least only 10 % would troop to the polls, it may after all proved the difference.
One factor that Mcgovern failed to take advantage of, maybe it was the 60's mentality or the hippie culture, that instilled on the Politicians mind at that time.
Well HST is right after all because if all of you would remember the various campaign by different organization in the last American Presidential election about the youth vote, you know MTV's "rock the vote", it was all pointed towards youth participation on the election.
Even though i never lived in that era, hell i am not an American to say the least, reading this book fills me with so much understanding not only about American Politics, where "democracy" is built upon, i also got a firm grip on issues that are relevant, ingredients in a successful campaign, and most of all the complexities of the search for power...to attain that one particular Political prize...
Hell its American politics, full of deceit, scumbags, lies and more lies...it can very well be PHILIPPINE POLITICS....
or this book can be very well be Fear and Loathing: Philippine Politics..
Through the backstage of every primaries, conventions, secret deals, quick minded handlers, political maneuvers, media, supporters all rolling together to help a candidate get that prized trophy...The Presidential Nomination.
And this is what a full time Rolling Stones correspondent Hunter Stockton Thompson did cover during the time of Dec 71 - March 73, from the onset of the Democratic Presidential race unto the Nationwide Presidential Election itself.
A must read for every political junkie and even to those who are sick of it all, like me, hell this is sort of history as told by HST, even as dubious as American Politics, its eye popping and very informative at the same time.
The 1972 race to the white house was probably one of the most crucial in modern American history, for it was the era of the Vietnam war becoming more of a burden and a thorn in American society, A president who is in the midst of the watergate scandal gunning for re-election, disillusioned young people who would rather become hippies and smoke "marrywanna" than practice their right to suffrage.
Gone are the leaders of yesterdays, ( Jack and Bob Kennedy ), a disgraced Lyndon B Johnson, what remains are the Nixon thugs, a young but reluctant Edward Kennedy and of course the hope of the Democrats, front runner Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey and a long shot and the "only honest senator" Sen. Mcgovern.
The madness of that era in American Politics was widely told by HST with cunning reality, bold conviction, brutal truth, obscene, horrid and driven narrative, only he, the quintessential outlaw journalist, Prince of gonzo journalism, fueled by the "edge", Hunter S. Thompson can deliver.
who in his own words "my garb and demeanor is not considered normal by Washington standards" in comparing himself with the normal Washington reporters.
It was a typical HST, but not at all typical by any body's standards, here he relates the all unfolding events, from the get go to the end of the whole madness, thereby taking a toll on himself also., the struggles in finishing the book, the White House's indifference to him ( not giving him press credentials ), the wacky Ed Muskie train junket ( courtesy of some heckling hippies sporting an HST press ID ).
"it become obvious both by the bizarre quality of his first draft work and his extreme disorganized lifestyles, that the only way for the book could be completed was by means of compulsory verbal composition" - HST's editor's note.
Thus explaining the Q&A style in the book's last chapter.
As if the drama, highs and lows of Senator Mcgovern's rise from being merely a contender to the eventual Democratic Presidential nod was not enough, HST was able to cough up some personal account of his life at the time, and some NFL snippets ( Nixon's NFL jinx ), all proved to be entertaining.
Obviously the book shows HST's distaste at the thought of Nixon occupying the White House for another 4 years, at first he explained that his choice of Mcgovern was a fact based on the "lesser of two evils" comparison, but as time goes by he was able to firmly believe with all sincerity that Mcgovern is the man that deserves to be in the White House, at the same time contradicting this belief that Mcgovern is a better Senator than a President working on a National level, still bottomline, its anyone except Nixon.
Its clear cut that he supported Mcgovern's drive to the Democratic race and the Presidential campaign itself, but he was cut out honest enough to enumerate probable varying factors, political miscalculations, mistakes by the staff that contributed to Mcgovern's coming up short in beating Nixon.
the doomedness and failure of the campaign right from the start is written on the wall, against Nixon's well oiled political machinery and "thugs" are very well explained in here.
Right then HST is already writing about the importance of the youth vote, the first timers, who unfortunately was seldom taken advantage by the Politicians then, from a statistic viewpoint of about 25 million youngsters, it was concluded that even at least only 10 % would troop to the polls, it may after all proved the difference.
One factor that Mcgovern failed to take advantage of, maybe it was the 60's mentality or the hippie culture, that instilled on the Politicians mind at that time.
Well HST is right after all because if all of you would remember the various campaign by different organization in the last American Presidential election about the youth vote, you know MTV's "rock the vote", it was all pointed towards youth participation on the election.
Even though i never lived in that era, hell i am not an American to say the least, reading this book fills me with so much understanding not only about American Politics, where "democracy" is built upon, i also got a firm grip on issues that are relevant, ingredients in a successful campaign, and most of all the complexities of the search for power...to attain that one particular Political prize...
Hell its American politics, full of deceit, scumbags, lies and more lies...it can very well be PHILIPPINE POLITICS....
or this book can be very well be Fear and Loathing: Philippine Politics..
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