What do you think?
Rate this book
Why I Hate the Republicans
A tongue-in-cheek collection of quotes and irreverent narrative about the party of princes and pretenders - from Useless S. Grant to King George II and from Ronnie to Arnie - Why I Hate the Republicans leaves little doubt that political insight is a dish best served funny. It's a Republican Roast, a little bloody, but deliciously entertaining!
In taking to task the fundamental tenets (or is that tenants?) of the Grand Old Party, Randy Howe leaves nothing unquestioned, for, as our beloved president puts it, "I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question." Through the mind-boggling doublespeak of Republican stalwarts past and present, the GOP, from its liberal abolitionist roots to its current laissez-faire war-hawk (or is that chicken-hawk?) agenda, is scrupulously dissected. Why I Hate the Republicans cuts deep - combining fact and just a touch of fiction in a "tribute" to the spin doctoring that is GOP politics.
In taking to task the fundamental tenets (or is that tenants?) of the Grand Old Party, Randy Howe leaves nothing unquestioned, for, as our beloved president puts it, "I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question." Through the mind-boggling doublespeak of Republican stalwarts past and present, the GOP, from its liberal abolitionist roots to its current laissez-faire war-hawk (or is that chicken-hawk?) agenda, is scrupulously dissected. Why I Hate the Republicans cuts deep - combining fact and just a touch of fiction in a "tribute" to the spin doctoring that is GOP politics.
- GenresPolitics
224 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
6 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 16, 2017
Why I Hate the Republicans by Randy Howe was written during the first term of President George W. Bush and was published in 2004. Howe identifies as politically independent; he hates Republicans, but he hates Democrats too (Why I Hate Democrats). This is, thankfully, a short book full of zippy reasons why he hates Republicans. It’s also scattered with political quotations. I’m assuming the quotations are authentic; however, Howe’s jokey-styled prose leaves me unsure as to what’s fact and what’s fictional. I have two or three dubiously-acquired books squatting on my nonfiction shelves and I’ve decided the last month of this hideous year is the best time to read them. I hope 2018 will be a better year for reading—if nothing else.
In WIHtR, Howe goes through the line of Republican presidents chronologically, beginning with the first president to be called Republican—Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, or “Honest Abe” as Howe so glibly calls him, doesn’t get a lot of hate thrown at him. The author basically uses Lincoln as an example of how badly the Republican party has descended in every way: intelligence, honesty, diplomacy and honor. From there, each chapter (more or less) outlines each successive Republican president’s failures as the leader of the United States and as human beings. He ends with George W. Bush, a president so devoid of intelligence, empathy and competency that many Americans were horrified—and a president that now the same Americans look back on with nostalgia. Oh, the Dubya years…and we thought he was a monster! Silly Americans. While I agree with Howe’s complaints (which are of course still valid…it’s over a decade later and Republicans are still doing the same bullshit and too many Americans still fall for it), I do not like his brand of political humor. He’s so glib and jokey that I’m not sure if some of the criticisms he has are fact-based or satire. Some of the political references are specific and dated (John Rowland, Bill Janklow) and I don’t know who they are. That is of course the biggest drawback to reading political humor written over 10 years ago.
I really dislike his prose style. Here’s Howe discussing Warren G. Harding: “Warren G is an old school rapper in the LBC West Coast-style, but Warren G. Harding was an old-school Republican in the O-Hi-O Yo! style. Warren G is known for rapping about bustin’ a move with the ladies. Warren G. Harding, aka G Hard, aka Wobbly Warren (an obvious nod to his homeboy, Wobbly Willie McKinley), is remembered for actually doing it. With his mistress. In White House closets!” (82). And here’s Howe’s Calvin Coolidge rap: “Calvin Coolidge was not from the O-Hi-O Yo!, thus the rap comparisons must come to an end. There was no getting jiggy for Coolerthanacorpse Coolidge, and even if Snoop Dogg had been one of his aides, I doubt Coolidge would’ve allowed anyone to shizzle his fizzle” (86). Prose like this doesn’t really pass as witty or humorous. Mostly I sigh and roll my eyes. Howe also assigns the presidents nicknames and uses them (too much): Teddy Bear (Theodore Roosevelt), Tafty (William Taft), Pink (Dwight Eisenhower) and King George II (G. Bush). In this same theme, chapter ten is nothing other than a list of anagrams formed out of the presidents’ (and other Republican politicians) names. In successive chapters, Howe often uses the anagrams, writing sentences like this: “So, Arranged Loanimprovised some military contracts of his own” (118) and “During his years in office, never was A Granola Nerd’s obtuseness more obvious than on environmental issues” (119). To increase my irritation, Howe began adding anagrams to names not listed in chapter 10: Danforth Quayle (Qatar, hold ye fun!), Spiro Agnew (a new GOP, sir!), Barry Goldwater (try gal wardrobe) and so on. It’s rather exhausting.
While I can appreciate the sentiments behind this book, the political humor and the book’s format don’t do anything for me. It bothers me that there is no historical context or fuller analysis of each president’s decisions—Howe generalizes presidential personalities/behavior in order to make jokes (and not very good ones).If you don’t know anything about Theodore Roosevelt, you may agree with Howe’s assessment that he was a “macho macho man” with no sympathy for those less fortunate than himself, or that Taft is a self-loathing, incompetent fatso. That kind of oversimplification—just to demonstrate how terrible Republican presidents are—irritates me. Also irritating are chapters called “Adam in the Garden.” Yes, I could see the point Howe was trying to make via bad dialogue between a political newbie and a (fake?) priest, but the chapters are so annoying and tedious and devoid of anything that passes as humor for me that I eventually began skipping them entirely.
If you want to read a quickie book about why Republicans suck, this is the book for you. However, you really don’t need to read this book (or any other book) to know Republicans suck. Just pay attention.
In WIHtR, Howe goes through the line of Republican presidents chronologically, beginning with the first president to be called Republican—Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln, or “Honest Abe” as Howe so glibly calls him, doesn’t get a lot of hate thrown at him. The author basically uses Lincoln as an example of how badly the Republican party has descended in every way: intelligence, honesty, diplomacy and honor. From there, each chapter (more or less) outlines each successive Republican president’s failures as the leader of the United States and as human beings. He ends with George W. Bush, a president so devoid of intelligence, empathy and competency that many Americans were horrified—and a president that now the same Americans look back on with nostalgia. Oh, the Dubya years…and we thought he was a monster! Silly Americans. While I agree with Howe’s complaints (which are of course still valid…it’s over a decade later and Republicans are still doing the same bullshit and too many Americans still fall for it), I do not like his brand of political humor. He’s so glib and jokey that I’m not sure if some of the criticisms he has are fact-based or satire. Some of the political references are specific and dated (John Rowland, Bill Janklow) and I don’t know who they are. That is of course the biggest drawback to reading political humor written over 10 years ago.
I really dislike his prose style. Here’s Howe discussing Warren G. Harding: “Warren G is an old school rapper in the LBC West Coast-style, but Warren G. Harding was an old-school Republican in the O-Hi-O Yo! style. Warren G is known for rapping about bustin’ a move with the ladies. Warren G. Harding, aka G Hard, aka Wobbly Warren (an obvious nod to his homeboy, Wobbly Willie McKinley), is remembered for actually doing it. With his mistress. In White House closets!” (82). And here’s Howe’s Calvin Coolidge rap: “Calvin Coolidge was not from the O-Hi-O Yo!, thus the rap comparisons must come to an end. There was no getting jiggy for Coolerthanacorpse Coolidge, and even if Snoop Dogg had been one of his aides, I doubt Coolidge would’ve allowed anyone to shizzle his fizzle” (86). Prose like this doesn’t really pass as witty or humorous. Mostly I sigh and roll my eyes. Howe also assigns the presidents nicknames and uses them (too much): Teddy Bear (Theodore Roosevelt), Tafty (William Taft), Pink (Dwight Eisenhower) and King George II (G. Bush). In this same theme, chapter ten is nothing other than a list of anagrams formed out of the presidents’ (and other Republican politicians) names. In successive chapters, Howe often uses the anagrams, writing sentences like this: “So, Arranged Loanimprovised some military contracts of his own” (118) and “During his years in office, never was A Granola Nerd’s obtuseness more obvious than on environmental issues” (119). To increase my irritation, Howe began adding anagrams to names not listed in chapter 10: Danforth Quayle (Qatar, hold ye fun!), Spiro Agnew (a new GOP, sir!), Barry Goldwater (try gal wardrobe) and so on. It’s rather exhausting.
While I can appreciate the sentiments behind this book, the political humor and the book’s format don’t do anything for me. It bothers me that there is no historical context or fuller analysis of each president’s decisions—Howe generalizes presidential personalities/behavior in order to make jokes (and not very good ones).If you don’t know anything about Theodore Roosevelt, you may agree with Howe’s assessment that he was a “macho macho man” with no sympathy for those less fortunate than himself, or that Taft is a self-loathing, incompetent fatso. That kind of oversimplification—just to demonstrate how terrible Republican presidents are—irritates me. Also irritating are chapters called “Adam in the Garden.” Yes, I could see the point Howe was trying to make via bad dialogue between a political newbie and a (fake?) priest, but the chapters are so annoying and tedious and devoid of anything that passes as humor for me that I eventually began skipping them entirely.
If you want to read a quickie book about why Republicans suck, this is the book for you. However, you really don’t need to read this book (or any other book) to know Republicans suck. Just pay attention.
January 4, 2018
Quick bathroom reader of the political variety. This book collects quotes and other elements essential to the Republican ideal and skewers the fundamental tenets of the Republican Party.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews