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Dirty Sexy Politics
Meghan McCain came to prominence as the straight-talking, progressive daughter of the 2008 Republican presidential candidate Senator John McCain. And her profile has only risen since the election ended in favor of the other guy.
What makes Meghan so appealing? As a new role model for young, creative, and vocal members of the GOP, she's unafraid to mix it up and speak her mind. In Dirty Sexy Politics she takes a hard look at the future of her party. She doesn't shy away from serious issues and her raucous humor and down-to-earth style keep her positions accessible.
In this witty, candid, and boisterous book, Meghan takes us deep behind the scenes of the campaign trail. She steals campaign signs in New Hampshire, tastes the nightlife in Nashville, and has a strange encounter with Laura and Jenna Bush at the White House. Along the way, she falls in love with America—while seeing how far the Republican Party has veered from its core values of freedom, honesty, and individuality. In Dirty Sexy Politics, Meghan McCain gives us a true insider's account of life on a campaign trail.
What makes Meghan so appealing? As a new role model for young, creative, and vocal members of the GOP, she's unafraid to mix it up and speak her mind. In Dirty Sexy Politics she takes a hard look at the future of her party. She doesn't shy away from serious issues and her raucous humor and down-to-earth style keep her positions accessible.
In this witty, candid, and boisterous book, Meghan takes us deep behind the scenes of the campaign trail. She steals campaign signs in New Hampshire, tastes the nightlife in Nashville, and has a strange encounter with Laura and Jenna Bush at the White House. Along the way, she falls in love with America—while seeing how far the Republican Party has veered from its core values of freedom, honesty, and individuality. In Dirty Sexy Politics, Meghan McCain gives us a true insider's account of life on a campaign trail.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published August 31, 2010
39 people are currently reading
2647 people want to read
About the author
Meghan McCain
6 books50 followersDaughter of the 2008 Republican candidate for president John McCain. Meghan followed her father during his presidential campaign and accounted it on her blog.
She claimed to have voted for John Kerry in 2004. But changed to Republican in 2008.
Meghan also had a job in the media working for "Saturday Night life" and "Newsweek"
She claimed to have voted for John Kerry in 2004. But changed to Republican in 2008.
Meghan also had a job in the media working for "Saturday Night life" and "Newsweek"
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
April 26, 2011
I don’t like Meghan McCain. Even though she has shown herself to be a more moderate figure in the Republican party (which really says something about the left-right divide in American politics these days), I find her to be an extremely unnecessary addition to the pundit and commentary scene of US politics, one with no insightful opinions, no real knowledge of that which she speaks of, a bad habit for false equivalency and the most cringe-worthy of columnists on the Daily Beast. Her hypocrisy, in calling herself a moderate Republican yet refusing to call out Donald Trump on his racist birther rubbish as well as completely bypassing her own father, Senator John McCain’s rank hypocrisy and bigotry when discussing him, leaves me rolling my eyes in annoyance. It’s no secret that she’s achieved everything in her life so far based on her family’s name, wealth and good connections, and her debut book “Dirty Sexy Politics” perfectly encapsulates everything that is bad about Meghan McCain. I’m a liberal but I don’t think there are many people of any political standing that won’t come away from this book with the impression that they have read anything other than the self-obsessed, vacuous and incredibly annoying ramblings of a nepotistic little brat. One almost feels sorry for the publishing house that reportedly paid a six figure deal for this extremely short but no-less headache inducing excuse for a book.
From the introduction to this book, I knew it was going to be a tough read. McCain’s prose is often clunky, trying to balance colloquial cool with a weighty style more suitable for the subject of politics. She uses an incredibly clunky reference to the red-blue pill scene from “The Matrix” to describe her dreams for the future of political discourse:
“Here’s my dream: The political party that identifies with the color red should start taking pills of the same color.” (p6.)
Nimbly stepping over the fact that the latter part of the sentence would be classified as an order rather than a dream, there’s no real explanation given for this dream of hers beyond the blue pill being that of the taker choosing the dream world over reality. Does this mean she thinks the Republican party should stop living in the dream world, or that the Democrats should continue to do so? Her ambitions for the GOP are never really developed after this either. There’s a lot of talk about anti-big government and pro-freedom, which is all well and good (and not explicitly Republican) but what does it mean beyond buzzwords and placard slogans? We’re never told. McCain is infamous for having no real opinions on issues beyond supporting gay rights and admits to knowing nothing about economic policy, except that she supports the Republicans. Surely it would be more beneficial for the author of a political book to know a little about politics? This question is given further fuel by McCain’s admission that she might not be telling the entire truth throughout this book:
“I checked dates and facts, and corroborated my accounts with friends and family, but my stories are decidedly impressionistic rather than reportorial.” (p5.)
I’ll give her credit for being honest but this doesn’t bode well for the rest of the book and we’re barely in double figures.
There’s nothing dirty about this book (beyond McCain’s shoe-horning in of oh-so shocking mentions of naughty campaign shenanigans she never indulged in), nothing sexy and barely anything political. McCain never goes into deep discussion of the intricacies and complexities of being part of a massive presidential campaign, both as a staffer and as a family member. In fact, she barely shows any interest in politics despite this desperate attempt to advertise herself as the face of moderate Republicanism. She fails at that, of course, but she does become particularly adept at bemoaning how tough it is to be a rebel in the GOP, with her edgy bleached hair and tattoos. The only thing she shows any real interest in is Meghan McCain. Like a teenage fan-fiction writer, McCain dedicates an inordinate amount of page time to describing what she was wearing during the campaign (all the more amazing considering her earlier admission over her ‘impressionistic’ recollection of events) and all the girly gossip revolving around hair-care, make-up and all the associated topics that are unfairly associated with smart, capable and brilliant women in politics who aren’t Meghan McCain. I swear, if you take all this fashion info-dumping out of this 192 page book, it would be about a third shorter. Her attitude isn’t any less superficial either; she throws a tantrum and sobs like a child when her mother refuses to tell her who her father’s running mate is, despite McCain admitting later on that she tells her secrets to everyone so she was clearly not a trustworthy person to give such information to. She does nothing to counter-act the image the campaign staffers have of her as an indignant, privileged brat. This wouldn’t be so bad if McCain came out of it in the end and admitted what a horrible person she’d been, but she never really does. She admits to being naive and learning a lot but it’s hard to believe this book is supposed to be the wise, learned opinions of a 25 year old. She fails to understand just how important and complicated a political campaign is as she spends page after page scolding staffers for not giving her access to certain areas and revelling in how she deliberately tried to make their lives harder. Keep in mind that this is the daughter of a presidential candidate, a man who needs to be surrounded by security at all times for fear that his life may be on the line, and all McCain is worried about is taking some pictures for her blog. She scolds the media for deliberately portraying her as an idiot before bragging about her extremely expensive education. To say Meghan McCain comes across as an unpleasant individual in this book would be an understatement.
The Obama-McCain 2008 campaign was a fascinating moment in politics, not just because of the people involved. The trials, tribulations and utter chaos of both camps are well documented, as is the varied reporting and commentary on events from the left and right. This was the first real political event that sparked my geeky love of politics and I have fond memories of browsing the internet for updates on the candidates and comparing and contrasting how different news outlets would cover the same story. I credit that presidential campaign with giving me a lot of my ambitions and drive to make a difference in the world. However, if you were to take “Dirty Sexy Politics” as your only source of reporting on the campaigns, you’d come out of it with no information, no insightful facts or opinions, no real behind-the-scenes gossip on the McCain camp (be honest, that’s why most people bought this book) and you’d probably think that women in politics had just taken a monumental leap backwards. I may have less than positive things to say about Sarah Palin but even I can acknowledge how big a deal it was to have her on the Republican ticket. Of course, all Meghan cares about is how she looks and what she wears. We have no insight into these people at all. She briefly talks about the focus put on women’s appearances and clothing choices, something that male politicians don’t have to worry about, but it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s so obsessed with Ugg boots and what fabric she’s going to wear. Her bemusement over being fired from her own father’s campaign is a sweet sort of justice.
One of the reasons this book is so awful is because it reeks of privilege. Meghan McCain comes from a very wealthy and advantageous background. Her father’s a senator and her mother a businesswoman with an estimated net worth of $100million, she went to Columbia University and has had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Yet despite all this, or possibly because of all this, she acts like a spoilt brat who thinks the world revolves around her and everything bad that happens is just put there to annoy her. One day, there will be a new dictionary where, under the definition of ‘nepotism’, McCain’s picture will be. Not once does she acknowledge just how lucky she is, and how little she deserves to be put in a position of trust and privilege on this incredibly important campaign. McCain is riding her family’s coattails all the way to the top. It’s such a shame she couldn’t quickly learn how to use proper punctuation on the way. I haven’t seen grammar this bad in a published book in a long time. There are so many commas and dashes carelessly thrown into sentences where there shouldn’t be any that I began to wonder if this thing even had an editor. Maybe the publishers were as embarrassed reading it was I was and wanted to rush it into publication before people forgot who she was.
If I have anything positive to say about this book it’s that we at least get a rather sweet insight to McCain’s relationship with her parents, especially her mother. Cindy McCain was frequently portrayed as a very cold woman during the election so it was different and refreshing to get a glimpse of her behind the scenes. These moments in the book are also mildly enjoyable because it’s the only time Meghan doesn’t spend obsessing over herself. Otherwise, this book was pretty much a waste of time. It takes true skill, or lack thereof, to make one of the most exciting times in recent political memory boring but Meghan McCain does it exceedingly well. Chock full of bad writing, painfully awkward pop-culture references, obsessive fashion talk, narcissistic nepotism and completely void of any political relevance or insights, “Dirty Sexy Politics” has the honour of being the worst political book I’ve ever read. It feels like an insult to even call it a political book. A true piece of political writing on the 2008 campaign would know that McCain got just under 60million votes, not 48million as McCain claims. When your reader can go onto Google and find out within 10 seconds how many votes the candidates got in the election, why can’t she? It’s a sad state of affairs when Meghan McCain is the face of moderate Republicanism in the American political system, although her actions speak louder of her hypocrisy than my review ever could. McCain ends the book with a call to arms for young Republicans to join her. “Don’t make me pick up this torch alone” is the line she closes her book with. For the sake of politics at large, I hope somebody does pick up that torch because if McCain is the future of politics, we may wish to stay in the present.
1/5.
From the introduction to this book, I knew it was going to be a tough read. McCain’s prose is often clunky, trying to balance colloquial cool with a weighty style more suitable for the subject of politics. She uses an incredibly clunky reference to the red-blue pill scene from “The Matrix” to describe her dreams for the future of political discourse:
“Here’s my dream: The political party that identifies with the color red should start taking pills of the same color.” (p6.)
Nimbly stepping over the fact that the latter part of the sentence would be classified as an order rather than a dream, there’s no real explanation given for this dream of hers beyond the blue pill being that of the taker choosing the dream world over reality. Does this mean she thinks the Republican party should stop living in the dream world, or that the Democrats should continue to do so? Her ambitions for the GOP are never really developed after this either. There’s a lot of talk about anti-big government and pro-freedom, which is all well and good (and not explicitly Republican) but what does it mean beyond buzzwords and placard slogans? We’re never told. McCain is infamous for having no real opinions on issues beyond supporting gay rights and admits to knowing nothing about economic policy, except that she supports the Republicans. Surely it would be more beneficial for the author of a political book to know a little about politics? This question is given further fuel by McCain’s admission that she might not be telling the entire truth throughout this book:
“I checked dates and facts, and corroborated my accounts with friends and family, but my stories are decidedly impressionistic rather than reportorial.” (p5.)
I’ll give her credit for being honest but this doesn’t bode well for the rest of the book and we’re barely in double figures.
There’s nothing dirty about this book (beyond McCain’s shoe-horning in of oh-so shocking mentions of naughty campaign shenanigans she never indulged in), nothing sexy and barely anything political. McCain never goes into deep discussion of the intricacies and complexities of being part of a massive presidential campaign, both as a staffer and as a family member. In fact, she barely shows any interest in politics despite this desperate attempt to advertise herself as the face of moderate Republicanism. She fails at that, of course, but she does become particularly adept at bemoaning how tough it is to be a rebel in the GOP, with her edgy bleached hair and tattoos. The only thing she shows any real interest in is Meghan McCain. Like a teenage fan-fiction writer, McCain dedicates an inordinate amount of page time to describing what she was wearing during the campaign (all the more amazing considering her earlier admission over her ‘impressionistic’ recollection of events) and all the girly gossip revolving around hair-care, make-up and all the associated topics that are unfairly associated with smart, capable and brilliant women in politics who aren’t Meghan McCain. I swear, if you take all this fashion info-dumping out of this 192 page book, it would be about a third shorter. Her attitude isn’t any less superficial either; she throws a tantrum and sobs like a child when her mother refuses to tell her who her father’s running mate is, despite McCain admitting later on that she tells her secrets to everyone so she was clearly not a trustworthy person to give such information to. She does nothing to counter-act the image the campaign staffers have of her as an indignant, privileged brat. This wouldn’t be so bad if McCain came out of it in the end and admitted what a horrible person she’d been, but she never really does. She admits to being naive and learning a lot but it’s hard to believe this book is supposed to be the wise, learned opinions of a 25 year old. She fails to understand just how important and complicated a political campaign is as she spends page after page scolding staffers for not giving her access to certain areas and revelling in how she deliberately tried to make their lives harder. Keep in mind that this is the daughter of a presidential candidate, a man who needs to be surrounded by security at all times for fear that his life may be on the line, and all McCain is worried about is taking some pictures for her blog. She scolds the media for deliberately portraying her as an idiot before bragging about her extremely expensive education. To say Meghan McCain comes across as an unpleasant individual in this book would be an understatement.
The Obama-McCain 2008 campaign was a fascinating moment in politics, not just because of the people involved. The trials, tribulations and utter chaos of both camps are well documented, as is the varied reporting and commentary on events from the left and right. This was the first real political event that sparked my geeky love of politics and I have fond memories of browsing the internet for updates on the candidates and comparing and contrasting how different news outlets would cover the same story. I credit that presidential campaign with giving me a lot of my ambitions and drive to make a difference in the world. However, if you were to take “Dirty Sexy Politics” as your only source of reporting on the campaigns, you’d come out of it with no information, no insightful facts or opinions, no real behind-the-scenes gossip on the McCain camp (be honest, that’s why most people bought this book) and you’d probably think that women in politics had just taken a monumental leap backwards. I may have less than positive things to say about Sarah Palin but even I can acknowledge how big a deal it was to have her on the Republican ticket. Of course, all Meghan cares about is how she looks and what she wears. We have no insight into these people at all. She briefly talks about the focus put on women’s appearances and clothing choices, something that male politicians don’t have to worry about, but it’s hard to take her seriously when she’s so obsessed with Ugg boots and what fabric she’s going to wear. Her bemusement over being fired from her own father’s campaign is a sweet sort of justice.
One of the reasons this book is so awful is because it reeks of privilege. Meghan McCain comes from a very wealthy and advantageous background. Her father’s a senator and her mother a businesswoman with an estimated net worth of $100million, she went to Columbia University and has had everything handed to her on a silver platter. Yet despite all this, or possibly because of all this, she acts like a spoilt brat who thinks the world revolves around her and everything bad that happens is just put there to annoy her. One day, there will be a new dictionary where, under the definition of ‘nepotism’, McCain’s picture will be. Not once does she acknowledge just how lucky she is, and how little she deserves to be put in a position of trust and privilege on this incredibly important campaign. McCain is riding her family’s coattails all the way to the top. It’s such a shame she couldn’t quickly learn how to use proper punctuation on the way. I haven’t seen grammar this bad in a published book in a long time. There are so many commas and dashes carelessly thrown into sentences where there shouldn’t be any that I began to wonder if this thing even had an editor. Maybe the publishers were as embarrassed reading it was I was and wanted to rush it into publication before people forgot who she was.
If I have anything positive to say about this book it’s that we at least get a rather sweet insight to McCain’s relationship with her parents, especially her mother. Cindy McCain was frequently portrayed as a very cold woman during the election so it was different and refreshing to get a glimpse of her behind the scenes. These moments in the book are also mildly enjoyable because it’s the only time Meghan doesn’t spend obsessing over herself. Otherwise, this book was pretty much a waste of time. It takes true skill, or lack thereof, to make one of the most exciting times in recent political memory boring but Meghan McCain does it exceedingly well. Chock full of bad writing, painfully awkward pop-culture references, obsessive fashion talk, narcissistic nepotism and completely void of any political relevance or insights, “Dirty Sexy Politics” has the honour of being the worst political book I’ve ever read. It feels like an insult to even call it a political book. A true piece of political writing on the 2008 campaign would know that McCain got just under 60million votes, not 48million as McCain claims. When your reader can go onto Google and find out within 10 seconds how many votes the candidates got in the election, why can’t she? It’s a sad state of affairs when Meghan McCain is the face of moderate Republicanism in the American political system, although her actions speak louder of her hypocrisy than my review ever could. McCain ends the book with a call to arms for young Republicans to join her. “Don’t make me pick up this torch alone” is the line she closes her book with. For the sake of politics at large, I hope somebody does pick up that torch because if McCain is the future of politics, we may wish to stay in the present.
1/5.
September 7, 2010
I was driving around on Saturday listening to my favorite NPR quiz show, "Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!" when I heard Meghan McCain being interviewed. She was on to promote her book and I thought she was funny, smart, down to earth, and sounded like she had an interesting story to share. So when I was at the bookstore later, I picked it up (I hardly ever run out and buy books like that, BTW...but I was in need of a new book so it was good timing I guess).
I finished this speed read of a book over the Labor Day weekend and I have to say, I liked it! For the record, I am a registered non-partisan 30-year old DINK that usually leans to the left. While I am drawn to some of the Republican ideals of self-reliance and individualism, the far Christian right definitely scares me off. Not only that but I want gays to have the right to marry and I'm worried about the environment! I agree with Meghan that these days the Republican Party is totally out of touch with this nation's younger generations and that both the far left and far right are turning moderates like me off with mudslinging, hateful name-calling, and negativity. If only BOTH political parties could learn to work together imagine what great things could happen!
Meghan comes across very approachable and likeable as she shares tales from her father's 2008 presidential campaign. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories of her first impression after meeting the Palin family; how she went to an image consultant at the request of the campaign manager (and hated the changes that they made to her appearance and clothes); and the melt-downs she experienced while on the road. I also loved the chapter on being Laura Bush's "guest" at the White House for a day (and finding both Laura and Jenna to be rather snobbish and awkward to be around). She does a great job of walking the fine line of being honest about what she thinks of people like Sarah Palin and former President George W. Bush without being totally disrespectful.
I appreciated Meghan’s feelings of not feeling like she could fit in with the Republican Party because she doesn't wear pant suits, has more moderate views, and is best friends with a gay man (among a multitude of other reasons). And I also liked that she could recognize, looking back, that she made some mistakes and sometimes acted immature and dramatic (like when she photographed with a Bud Light on her bed for a magazine interview). Overall, I found Meghan to be bold, hip, smart, interesting, and extremely relatable. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
I finished this speed read of a book over the Labor Day weekend and I have to say, I liked it! For the record, I am a registered non-partisan 30-year old DINK that usually leans to the left. While I am drawn to some of the Republican ideals of self-reliance and individualism, the far Christian right definitely scares me off. Not only that but I want gays to have the right to marry and I'm worried about the environment! I agree with Meghan that these days the Republican Party is totally out of touch with this nation's younger generations and that both the far left and far right are turning moderates like me off with mudslinging, hateful name-calling, and negativity. If only BOTH political parties could learn to work together imagine what great things could happen!
Meghan comes across very approachable and likeable as she shares tales from her father's 2008 presidential campaign. I enjoyed the behind-the-scenes stories of her first impression after meeting the Palin family; how she went to an image consultant at the request of the campaign manager (and hated the changes that they made to her appearance and clothes); and the melt-downs she experienced while on the road. I also loved the chapter on being Laura Bush's "guest" at the White House for a day (and finding both Laura and Jenna to be rather snobbish and awkward to be around). She does a great job of walking the fine line of being honest about what she thinks of people like Sarah Palin and former President George W. Bush without being totally disrespectful.
I appreciated Meghan’s feelings of not feeling like she could fit in with the Republican Party because she doesn't wear pant suits, has more moderate views, and is best friends with a gay man (among a multitude of other reasons). And I also liked that she could recognize, looking back, that she made some mistakes and sometimes acted immature and dramatic (like when she photographed with a Bud Light on her bed for a magazine interview). Overall, I found Meghan to be bold, hip, smart, interesting, and extremely relatable. I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
September 22, 2010
I think I have a girl crush on Meghan McCain. Do I think she's the smartest person in the world? No. Do I think she would've gotten a book deal if she wasn't John McCain's daughter? No. But you know what, she seems really down to earth and is trying to find her way in politics. She's figuring out that the personal is political and I can relate. Even though we have VERY different views on a lot of things, I respect that she's not a fanatic and does seem interested in common sense politics.
I liked that this was an "insider" look into what it was like being in on the campaign trail. I do have to say though that I was rolling my eyes when she said that her dad didn't win because "he wasn't cool, charismatic, and didn't play Jay Z on his ipod" (or something like that). The reality is that the young people of America didn't agree with McCain on the major issues and McCain was famously out of touch with the fact that the economy was tanking. Can't blame a girl for defending her dad though.
I liked that this was an "insider" look into what it was like being in on the campaign trail. I do have to say though that I was rolling my eyes when she said that her dad didn't win because "he wasn't cool, charismatic, and didn't play Jay Z on his ipod" (or something like that). The reality is that the young people of America didn't agree with McCain on the major issues and McCain was famously out of touch with the fact that the economy was tanking. Can't blame a girl for defending her dad though.
October 3, 2010
Meghan McCain does a great job of writing in her own distinct, gloriously fun personality. She is the kind of chick I would hang out with on a Saturday night! She is smart, sassy and thinks for herself. And in the book, over and over she states that her father brought her up that way and he still embraces her to be like that.
The real reason I wanted to read this was to see a true perspective on McCain and Palin. And what I learned is her dad is really still the moderate guy, the maverick, he always said he was. It kind of became his campaign strategy to go farther over to the right after they saw the moderates were going with Obama.
But her description of Palin is freaking great. She is classy enough to never trash her but you certainly know Meghan does not like her one bit. And she insinuates neither did her father after a short while. It was his campaign's mistake. Palin was apparently not a team player who made it all about her and started her own campaign. And we all know she is an idiot. But according to Meghan, Palin blamed that on McCain's campaign, her lack of being able to answer interview questions. Awesome!
Overall, Meghan has a problem with modern day Republicans saying they are too far right and religious zealots. She herself says she wants a small government and is more into individual liberties like gay marriage, a big issue of hers. She is a moderate like her father but unlike him won't fake it. She thinks the too far right Republicans better get their act together because they aren't going anywhere but down.
I respected her honesty and truly have a respect that McCain was apparently fine with her publishing this. Her little stories of the campaign were fun, especially when she met the Bushes and they wouldn't give her lunch! This is a great, little memoir.
The real reason I wanted to read this was to see a true perspective on McCain and Palin. And what I learned is her dad is really still the moderate guy, the maverick, he always said he was. It kind of became his campaign strategy to go farther over to the right after they saw the moderates were going with Obama.
But her description of Palin is freaking great. She is classy enough to never trash her but you certainly know Meghan does not like her one bit. And she insinuates neither did her father after a short while. It was his campaign's mistake. Palin was apparently not a team player who made it all about her and started her own campaign. And we all know she is an idiot. But according to Meghan, Palin blamed that on McCain's campaign, her lack of being able to answer interview questions. Awesome!
Overall, Meghan has a problem with modern day Republicans saying they are too far right and religious zealots. She herself says she wants a small government and is more into individual liberties like gay marriage, a big issue of hers. She is a moderate like her father but unlike him won't fake it. She thinks the too far right Republicans better get their act together because they aren't going anywhere but down.
I respected her honesty and truly have a respect that McCain was apparently fine with her publishing this. Her little stories of the campaign were fun, especially when she met the Bushes and they wouldn't give her lunch! This is a great, little memoir.
September 22, 2010
I come from a long line of hard core Democrats, but I freaking love Meghan McCain. It's like she's the last real person left in politics - and her willingness to be almost the only prominent member of the Republican party who is outspokenly in favor of gay rights makes her something of a hero - bleached blond hair, Matrix references, and all.
You should not judge this book by its cover or its title, both of which are sillier and more sensationalistic than Meghan McCain's funny and fair accounting of life on the campaign trail for her dad. In the prologue, she explicitly says that she's not about making things up, and reading the book, you do have to believe her. She nicknames staffers she doesn't like "Mr. Burns" and "The Blond Amazon." She makes jokes about how people responded to one of her interviews as if she had "just released a sex tape with the President of Greenpeace." She writes with honesty, candor, and a good sense of humor about a very unique experience (being the child of a major party Presidential nominee) that most of us will never have.
She is also very clear sighted about the short comings of the Republican party - the intolerance, the lack of true fiscal restraint, and the nagging feeling that some people just want to turn back time to the good old years of Reagan. It's not a deep look at any of these issues, as she doesn't come off as an especially deep person, but she's sharp and observant and highly relevant.
The book is short, the chapters are almost travelogues, and it's a very quick read. It is worth it for the hilarious story of her being blown off for a lunch date with Jenna Bush. ("Wanna talk about feeling stupid and unwanted? Try carrying a take-out bag as you leave the White House in sparkly glitter heels and your hair braided in three huge cornrows,") for the story of meeting Sarah Palin for the first time with unwashed hair, and for the story of getting pulled over the day after the election. ("I'm sorry officer. My father just lost the election to Barack Obama.) It is also interesting to observe her feelings about Sarah Palin and the Palin family evolving over time in a way that indicates a growing awareness that they may have created a monster.
I do think that Meghan McCain loves her father too much to be really objective in terms of his politics and his role in letting the campaign get away from him. But I love the way that she never tones herself down, never pulls any punches, never omits downing a shot of whiskey in a Nashville bar or having unmentionables spill out of her suitcase in a hotel hallway. She is also abundantly loyal to her friends as well as her family.
No matter what your politics are, I think we should not be afraid to hear what the other side has to say. And Meghan McCain represents one of the sanest and most genuine young voices in politics today.
You should not judge this book by its cover or its title, both of which are sillier and more sensationalistic than Meghan McCain's funny and fair accounting of life on the campaign trail for her dad. In the prologue, she explicitly says that she's not about making things up, and reading the book, you do have to believe her. She nicknames staffers she doesn't like "Mr. Burns" and "The Blond Amazon." She makes jokes about how people responded to one of her interviews as if she had "just released a sex tape with the President of Greenpeace." She writes with honesty, candor, and a good sense of humor about a very unique experience (being the child of a major party Presidential nominee) that most of us will never have.
She is also very clear sighted about the short comings of the Republican party - the intolerance, the lack of true fiscal restraint, and the nagging feeling that some people just want to turn back time to the good old years of Reagan. It's not a deep look at any of these issues, as she doesn't come off as an especially deep person, but she's sharp and observant and highly relevant.
The book is short, the chapters are almost travelogues, and it's a very quick read. It is worth it for the hilarious story of her being blown off for a lunch date with Jenna Bush. ("Wanna talk about feeling stupid and unwanted? Try carrying a take-out bag as you leave the White House in sparkly glitter heels and your hair braided in three huge cornrows,") for the story of meeting Sarah Palin for the first time with unwashed hair, and for the story of getting pulled over the day after the election. ("I'm sorry officer. My father just lost the election to Barack Obama.) It is also interesting to observe her feelings about Sarah Palin and the Palin family evolving over time in a way that indicates a growing awareness that they may have created a monster.
I do think that Meghan McCain loves her father too much to be really objective in terms of his politics and his role in letting the campaign get away from him. But I love the way that she never tones herself down, never pulls any punches, never omits downing a shot of whiskey in a Nashville bar or having unmentionables spill out of her suitcase in a hotel hallway. She is also abundantly loyal to her friends as well as her family.
No matter what your politics are, I think we should not be afraid to hear what the other side has to say. And Meghan McCain represents one of the sanest and most genuine young voices in politics today.
September 13, 2010
For those of you who know my political leanings, you might be surprised but I LOVED this book.
She's so honest about this-is-who-I-am even how it doesn't fit the Rep party. She's pro life, but very pro contraceptives and is against abstinence teaching. She's supports gay marriage calling it the civil rights movement of this generation. She wonders why the Reps write off young voters and say silly anti-intellectual things. Plus, she doesn't seem to think very much of Palin.
Even being the candidate's daughter, Meghan was carefully watched to make sure she fit the image that the campaign wanted. She graduated from Columbia, which was maligned as a socialist school by her father during the election.
I thought there was some great insight about politics and the Republican party. It's also a great story about staying true to yourself, even when it's hard.
I want to be her BFF. She's awesome. Her honesty and humor were great!
She's so honest about this-is-who-I-am even how it doesn't fit the Rep party. She's pro life, but very pro contraceptives and is against abstinence teaching. She's supports gay marriage calling it the civil rights movement of this generation. She wonders why the Reps write off young voters and say silly anti-intellectual things. Plus, she doesn't seem to think very much of Palin.
Even being the candidate's daughter, Meghan was carefully watched to make sure she fit the image that the campaign wanted. She graduated from Columbia, which was maligned as a socialist school by her father during the election.
I thought there was some great insight about politics and the Republican party. It's also a great story about staying true to yourself, even when it's hard.
I want to be her BFF. She's awesome. Her honesty and humor were great!
September 26, 2010
I was suprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Meghan McCain's story of her dad's presidential campaigns, the 2008 in paticular, is an interesting, fast read. McCain's youthful perspective permeates the book, for both good and bad. The book focuses on her own personal experiences and she does an excellent job of conveying how emotionally and physically draining campaigning is and offers an interesting glimpse of the strange world of being a "daughter-of" . She does not attempt to paint an especially flattering picture of herself, which makes her all the more interesting and sympathetic.
Her recounting of incidents on the campaign trail -- some petty, some fascinating, some painfully naive -- is balanced with some sharp political insight. And while most of this book is a personal story, the parts that have a political agenda are straightforward. McCain laments the GOP's shift to the far right, its allowing the religious right to control the party, and its increasing exclusion of moderate Republicans.
Her bottom line is that unless the GOP changes direction to become inclusive of those outside the narrow far right viewpoints, it will never attract enough younger members. She wants it to return to the more rational, far more diverse party it once was, and she makes a strong argument with the idealistic logic and optimism of youth.
Her recounting of incidents on the campaign trail -- some petty, some fascinating, some painfully naive -- is balanced with some sharp political insight. And while most of this book is a personal story, the parts that have a political agenda are straightforward. McCain laments the GOP's shift to the far right, its allowing the religious right to control the party, and its increasing exclusion of moderate Republicans.
Her bottom line is that unless the GOP changes direction to become inclusive of those outside the narrow far right viewpoints, it will never attract enough younger members. She wants it to return to the more rational, far more diverse party it once was, and she makes a strong argument with the idealistic logic and optimism of youth.
November 7, 2010
Interesting and refreshing. She's a good writer. I liked McCain until he forgave Bush for that awful push-poll back in 2000 where he let Carl Rove insinuate that McCain's youngest, adopted daughter was a love child born out of wedlock. McCain writes honestly and cogently about this painful period of her life. I think she never fully forgives Bush, and I don't blame her a bit.
Strangely, Meghan is almost left adrift during her father's 2008 primary campaign, partly because she was a young adult and partly because she joined the campaign under the pretext of publishing her blog. In some ways I think she's too hard on herself and on the other hand, I'm not sure she completely realizes what a privileged life she's led.
The book is an easy and enjoyable and interesting read. Hard to imagine Chelsea or the Bush twins writing anything at all like this. Ever.
Strangely, Meghan is almost left adrift during her father's 2008 primary campaign, partly because she was a young adult and partly because she joined the campaign under the pretext of publishing her blog. In some ways I think she's too hard on herself and on the other hand, I'm not sure she completely realizes what a privileged life she's led.
The book is an easy and enjoyable and interesting read. Hard to imagine Chelsea or the Bush twins writing anything at all like this. Ever.
August 10, 2011
I just glanced over the reviews, and people can be really mean. Ouch.
Is this book going to be a classic? No. Of course not. Is that what you expected? It is a memoir written by someone in their 20s. That's how it reads. I think it is fairly good for what it is.
I heard Meghan when she was on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me". I thought she was funny, and that her book might be a nice light read. That's what I found it to be. I am not a Republican (and for many of the same reasons that she mentions frustration with the party), and I appreciated her openness about their shortcomings. I found her stories of her experience to be rather endearing.
She is young, and she is the first to admit that she is naive and emotional. She doubts herself a lot, but she was just a young woman -- in her early 20s. It is the truth of her life, and I don't see any reason to tear her down for it.
Is this book going to be a classic? No. Of course not. Is that what you expected? It is a memoir written by someone in their 20s. That's how it reads. I think it is fairly good for what it is.
I heard Meghan when she was on "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me". I thought she was funny, and that her book might be a nice light read. That's what I found it to be. I am not a Republican (and for many of the same reasons that she mentions frustration with the party), and I appreciated her openness about their shortcomings. I found her stories of her experience to be rather endearing.
She is young, and she is the first to admit that she is naive and emotional. She doubts herself a lot, but she was just a young woman -- in her early 20s. It is the truth of her life, and I don't see any reason to tear her down for it.
October 5, 2010
Dirty Sexy Politics by Meghan McCain is a non-fiction chick lit, a daughter-of's perspective of John McCain's Presidential campaign. Though I was not expecting something of high editorial quality, the style and sentence format drove me nuts after two chapters. There were a lot of half-thoughts, mid-thoughts, and oh-yeah/sidenote types of sentences. But I found that if I had enough caffeine, I can kinda get in her frame of mind-- which is basically caffeinated and saccharined. Despite the title, there's nothing surprising or new.
What I appreciated about the book was that it offered a fresh Republican voice. The voice was current and thoughtful, and definitely not screaming. Because of her "unique" Republican perspective, Meghan had to create a space outside the normal media outlets for her voice to be heard, much like many young people of this generation.
Sadly and with hope, my main takeaway from the book was the reminder of how we, as a society, create very small boxes only few can fit in. As a result, we have alienated energetic young people from becoming interested and engaged in the political process and discussion.
What I appreciated about the book was that it offered a fresh Republican voice. The voice was current and thoughtful, and definitely not screaming. Because of her "unique" Republican perspective, Meghan had to create a space outside the normal media outlets for her voice to be heard, much like many young people of this generation.
Sadly and with hope, my main takeaway from the book was the reminder of how we, as a society, create very small boxes only few can fit in. As a result, we have alienated energetic young people from becoming interested and engaged in the political process and discussion.
January 13, 2021
Do not read this book. I had to read it for a class and honestly got headaches from it. This girl is like 25 years old and still uses words like "jammies" as part of her supposed "serious" book. It tells you nothing about actual politics and more about what it would be like if you were the spoiled daughter of a rich politician who got to ride along on her daddy's campaign and piss everyone off with her lack of knowledge about literally everything. She talks about how for her first White House dinner she did her hair in cornrows and then was embarrassed that people "looked down" on her, a white woman, for going out and appropriating a whole culture for her dinnertime look. This book is literally just her whining about how her life is so unfair because nobody takes her seriously and then her giving you great examples of why that is.
September 4, 2010
Incredibly authentic. I read Meghan's blog during the 2008 election season (while campaigning myself for The Other Guy) and I follow her on Twitter, but I was still pleasantly surprised by how fair she was (to nearly everyone) in this account of her part in her father's most recent campaign for President. Her commentary is open without having any kind of tawdry secret-revealing aspect. I also, naturally, loved her quotes, analogies, and pop culture references. ;) Honestly, I would have expected any memoir written by a person in her mid-twenties to end up feeling awkward, by either trying too hard to be hip or trying too hard not to be. Or by having nothing real to contribute. Meghan, however, is obviously intelligent, had a lot to say, and actually said it really well.
December 16, 2012
I'll start off by saying that I am not a terribly political person. I voted in the last election, watched some (not all) of the debates, and did some homework before blindly choosing a candidate. I'm not particularly tied to any one party- I think both have strengths & weaknesses, but in general I think our (meaning America's) 2 party system is inefficient and needs an overhaul.
That being said, I'm not quite sure what I expected from this book. I knew who Megan McCain was, and knew that she was somewhat being branded as a new voice for/within the Republican party. I figured if I was going to attempt anything dealing with politics, one of her books would be a good start. While the book does touch on some political topics, it's 90% her experiences and feelings during her father's run for president. The biggest issues I had were not content-based, but rather the editing/flow of the book. Chronological order is always the best order, IMO, so the fact that that timeline wasn't followed made things a bit confusing for me. There were also some little anecdotes that just seemed...out of place. I really didn't feel as though they added anything to the book (stories dealing with her friends, etc, that didn't even occur during the campaign).
She has a very clear, concise writing voice that I enjoyed- I feel as though her personality shown through and everything seemed to be stated very naturally and truthfully (from her perspective, anyway). She was easy to relate to, and felt as though she was the kind of girl who would be easy to talk to and be friends with.
The way she described the town halls and other events made me understand why some people are so into politics- it really seemed to come alive and *matter.* I think that's something that a lot of the country, including myself, lacks. We go through the motions, but there's no true passion for the process. That leaves only the over zealous to get things done, which is not always the best way to handle things.
She spoke a lot about her problems with the way the Republican party is being ran today (I mean come on, she was told she had "stripper hair" and therefore didn't look Republican enough). It makes me sad that many of the things she listed as issues in the 2008 campaign (not focusing on young voters, leaning to far to the Christian Right and ignoring the moderates, etc) and hoped to have corrected by this year's election seemed to have been ignored by the Republican leaders. If anything, they went the opposite direction and steered even more into that far Right direction. It's frustrating when someone is ignored simply because of age or gender or looks (all of which she has experienced), especially when the things she listed comprise the majority of reasons most of the people who voted for Obama leaned left in this past election. I can only hope that someone will wise up and pay attention to what this intuitive young woman has so clearly realized.
That being said, I'm not quite sure what I expected from this book. I knew who Megan McCain was, and knew that she was somewhat being branded as a new voice for/within the Republican party. I figured if I was going to attempt anything dealing with politics, one of her books would be a good start. While the book does touch on some political topics, it's 90% her experiences and feelings during her father's run for president. The biggest issues I had were not content-based, but rather the editing/flow of the book. Chronological order is always the best order, IMO, so the fact that that timeline wasn't followed made things a bit confusing for me. There were also some little anecdotes that just seemed...out of place. I really didn't feel as though they added anything to the book (stories dealing with her friends, etc, that didn't even occur during the campaign).
She has a very clear, concise writing voice that I enjoyed- I feel as though her personality shown through and everything seemed to be stated very naturally and truthfully (from her perspective, anyway). She was easy to relate to, and felt as though she was the kind of girl who would be easy to talk to and be friends with.
The way she described the town halls and other events made me understand why some people are so into politics- it really seemed to come alive and *matter.* I think that's something that a lot of the country, including myself, lacks. We go through the motions, but there's no true passion for the process. That leaves only the over zealous to get things done, which is not always the best way to handle things.
She spoke a lot about her problems with the way the Republican party is being ran today (I mean come on, she was told she had "stripper hair" and therefore didn't look Republican enough). It makes me sad that many of the things she listed as issues in the 2008 campaign (not focusing on young voters, leaning to far to the Christian Right and ignoring the moderates, etc) and hoped to have corrected by this year's election seemed to have been ignored by the Republican leaders. If anything, they went the opposite direction and steered even more into that far Right direction. It's frustrating when someone is ignored simply because of age or gender or looks (all of which she has experienced), especially when the things she listed comprise the majority of reasons most of the people who voted for Obama leaned left in this past election. I can only hope that someone will wise up and pay attention to what this intuitive young woman has so clearly realized.
September 26, 2010
I don't know precisely what I was expecting from Dirty Sexy Politics but what I got was a hot mess of rambling and meandering writing with a few insights about the Republican party and the inner workings of a presidential campaign thrown in.
Meghan McCain's memoir about her father's 2008 Presidential bid did expose the ugly underbelly of life on the campaign trail. The insane hours, short tempers, and sexcapades of stressed out staffers are no real surprise. The lack of juicy tidbits in these areas was disappointing.
I understand from some other reviews that there is a blatant lack of fact checking and editorial oversight in the book. To be honest, I didn't go so far as to try to directly refute anything because I don't care. I didn't read the book as any form of Republican bashing. I read it because only a handful of people ever get to experience what Meghan McCain did, as both a blogger and as the candidate's daughter. I did feel that the writing was at times disjointed, and there did appear to be a lack of good editorial review.
I was surprised to learn that even as the candidate's daughter, McCain did not have unfettered access to her parents while on the trail. I had always assumed that would be a non-issue. But with campaign leaders concerned about Meghan's blogging of day to day campaign life, as well as her image, they managed to relegate McCain to marginal status within the campaign. They even forced her to go so far as to see image consultants, to get rid of her "stripper hair" and wear the ubiquitous pants suit.
That being said, McCain has what I feel are some golden nuggets of wisdom for the Republican party, and politics in general. First, stop with the double standard for women in the political arena. Who the hell cares about our hair and clothes? Obviously people do, but we don't judge our male candidates the same way, so we shouldn't include it in the evaluation of our female candidates.
Second, McCain urges the party to become more inclusive: embrace technology; don't ignore the youth voting block; don't force all republicans into the same narrow social viewpoints; stop treating intellectualism as a four-letter word. I think those are incredibly valid points, and I hope McCain uses her rebel tendencies to help further those causes within her party.
Overall, I don't find the book particularly well-written or deeply insightful, but it is a quick read and does provide an inside look at a world few of us will ever see firsthand. Meghan McCain is a smart woman. She graduated from Columbia. I like to think this book is more a reflection of her age than her ability.
Meghan McCain's memoir about her father's 2008 Presidential bid did expose the ugly underbelly of life on the campaign trail. The insane hours, short tempers, and sexcapades of stressed out staffers are no real surprise. The lack of juicy tidbits in these areas was disappointing.
I understand from some other reviews that there is a blatant lack of fact checking and editorial oversight in the book. To be honest, I didn't go so far as to try to directly refute anything because I don't care. I didn't read the book as any form of Republican bashing. I read it because only a handful of people ever get to experience what Meghan McCain did, as both a blogger and as the candidate's daughter. I did feel that the writing was at times disjointed, and there did appear to be a lack of good editorial review.
I was surprised to learn that even as the candidate's daughter, McCain did not have unfettered access to her parents while on the trail. I had always assumed that would be a non-issue. But with campaign leaders concerned about Meghan's blogging of day to day campaign life, as well as her image, they managed to relegate McCain to marginal status within the campaign. They even forced her to go so far as to see image consultants, to get rid of her "stripper hair" and wear the ubiquitous pants suit.
That being said, McCain has what I feel are some golden nuggets of wisdom for the Republican party, and politics in general. First, stop with the double standard for women in the political arena. Who the hell cares about our hair and clothes? Obviously people do, but we don't judge our male candidates the same way, so we shouldn't include it in the evaluation of our female candidates.
Second, McCain urges the party to become more inclusive: embrace technology; don't ignore the youth voting block; don't force all republicans into the same narrow social viewpoints; stop treating intellectualism as a four-letter word. I think those are incredibly valid points, and I hope McCain uses her rebel tendencies to help further those causes within her party.
Overall, I don't find the book particularly well-written or deeply insightful, but it is a quick read and does provide an inside look at a world few of us will ever see firsthand. Meghan McCain is a smart woman. She graduated from Columbia. I like to think this book is more a reflection of her age than her ability.
Read
July 23, 2011Several months ago, I saw Meghan McCain brave an appearance on The Daily Show in order to promote this book. Jon Stewart showed no mercy and Meghan McCain definitely had an above average giggle rate for a Daily Show guest, but she handled it pretty well, considering she's neither a politician nor some "celebrity". I developed some sympathy for her when she mentioned how people on the campaign trail were coaching her on how to look less like a stripper, in spite of having a pregnant teenager on the campaign as well. When I saw this on the shelf at the library, I figured, why not?
Given the book's rather low page count and eyestrain-friendly line spacing, this book could easily be at home in the Teen/Young Adult sections of a library. More than once, she mentions that she likes wearing dresses with tights or leggings and loves her UGG boots (yes, she mentions the specific brand). For almost every key moment she mentions in the book she also recalls what outfit she had on, sometimes down to the designer; for example when she and her mother met Mrs. Bush and her daughter(s) she wore a Dianne von Furstenburg dress with Tory Burch shoes and oh god why do I remember this crap. *slams head on desk*
McCain mentions right off the bat that she is not a highly political person, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen her during the 2008 election coverage. She complains that people call her a RINO---Republican in Name Only, even though the only political statements she made in the book center around "being raised to appreciate freedom". Yes, she likes freedom, which covers having gay friends, supporting gay marriage, supporting contraception as a pro-choice strategy...I could totally see why they call her a RINO. She expresses her disapproval of the current Republican "groupthink" which eschews freedom and discloses that she originally registered to vote Independent, since she became of voting age when Bush was president (...I don't blame her).
Fun fact: After her father lost the election, she got out of a speeding ticket in Arizona by saying "I'm sorry, my father just lost the presidential election." She also played a lot of Rock Band.
Given the book's rather low page count and eyestrain-friendly line spacing, this book could easily be at home in the Teen/Young Adult sections of a library. More than once, she mentions that she likes wearing dresses with tights or leggings and loves her UGG boots (yes, she mentions the specific brand). For almost every key moment she mentions in the book she also recalls what outfit she had on, sometimes down to the designer; for example when she and her mother met Mrs. Bush and her daughter(s) she wore a Dianne von Furstenburg dress with Tory Burch shoes and oh god why do I remember this crap. *slams head on desk*
McCain mentions right off the bat that she is not a highly political person, which is no surprise to anyone who has seen her during the 2008 election coverage. She complains that people call her a RINO---Republican in Name Only, even though the only political statements she made in the book center around "being raised to appreciate freedom". Yes, she likes freedom, which covers having gay friends, supporting gay marriage, supporting contraception as a pro-choice strategy...I could totally see why they call her a RINO. She expresses her disapproval of the current Republican "groupthink" which eschews freedom and discloses that she originally registered to vote Independent, since she became of voting age when Bush was president (...I don't blame her).
Fun fact: After her father lost the election, she got out of a speeding ticket in Arizona by saying "I'm sorry, my father just lost the presidential election." She also played a lot of Rock Band.
May 25, 2011
I'm actually a frequent defender of Meghan McCain, and I was excited about this book. Despite having some major political differences with her, I think she represents the Republicans of the future--ones who may be pro-life, but then are also extremely pro-contraception and pro-sex education. Ones who translate less government involvement to mean the government can't tell citizens who they're allowed to marry. But back to the book! Unfortunately, it fell flat. To begin with, it was poorly organized and not in chronological order. She skips back and forth between the primary and the general election several times without taking enough care to segue in a way that is easy for readers to follow. The title of the book is also much spicier than the actual tale (I'd also like to point out that there is NO comma in that title, which makes my eyeballs burn every time I look at it, but that's another matter completely). To save you the trouble, here are the general themes: My dad's a great man and politician, but he's not the president. People always misunderstand me, and most of my dad's campaign hated me. I frequently feel out-of-place and unwanted. Sarah Palin is probably just out for herself. I love my family. Although the campaign experience was rough, there were also some good times, and I'm glad I experienced it. THE END. I was really hoping for some interesting tidbits, some deeper insight, but I walked away feeling like I didn't learn anything new. Oh, and she spelled Ana Marie Cox's name wrong. Wtf kind of editor was on this? DEALBREAKER.
October 19, 2010
Meghan McCain and I differ in our political parties and on some issues but I have to say, she is refreshingly honest and someone I'd love to be friends with. This book covers Meghan's experiences during the 2008 election. It is a quick read and I know many reviews dismiss Meghan as being entitled, a diva, or drama queen but she freely admits that she can be difficult to work with. She talks openly about why she supports gay marriage, why she admires Hillary Clinton, how she was fired from her own dad's campaign and about the close relationship with her parents.
So often in politics we rarely see someone's true character. Everything has to be black and white, otherwise you're seen as a "flip-flopper." Everything about a politician is dissected and eventually we stop seeing them and treating them like real people with real emotions. It's not an easy job to be a good politician. Even when you're doing something right, people will find a way to invalidate your accomplishments. Meghan's book put a little bit of humanity back into politics and was passionate about the change that needs to happen in the Republican Party.
Meghan admits that parts of this book will offend many people in her own party but I think that in the long run, it will help the Republicans. You very rarely hear behind-the-scenes politics spoken frankly, even if that's only part of the book. I think young people can identify with Meghan and her frankness of being a "daughter-of" as she says.
So often in politics we rarely see someone's true character. Everything has to be black and white, otherwise you're seen as a "flip-flopper." Everything about a politician is dissected and eventually we stop seeing them and treating them like real people with real emotions. It's not an easy job to be a good politician. Even when you're doing something right, people will find a way to invalidate your accomplishments. Meghan's book put a little bit of humanity back into politics and was passionate about the change that needs to happen in the Republican Party.
Meghan admits that parts of this book will offend many people in her own party but I think that in the long run, it will help the Republicans. You very rarely hear behind-the-scenes politics spoken frankly, even if that's only part of the book. I think young people can identify with Meghan and her frankness of being a "daughter-of" as she says.
March 24, 2011
I saw Meghan McCain making the talk show rounds to promote Dirty Sexy Politics, and I was compelled to read it. I like Meghan, she speaks her mind and is a moderate republican. American politics could use more moderates on both sides of the aisle, so good for her. As far as this book goes, it is a breezy read that isn't all that insightful. It's interesting that Meghan got kicked off her father's campaign, while nobody seemed concerned about the unwed pregnant teenager...really, who is the bigger liability? The part when Laura Bush gives Cindy and Meghan a White House tour was fascinating (and a bit sad), and I appreciate Meghan's openness. That is one thing I'll say about this book, Ms. McCain is honest and unapologetic about her behavior. That said, the book loses steam after (MAJOR SPOILER ALERT) John McCain loses the election. To be honest, I don't remember much else. I read Dirty Sexy Politics shortly after it came out (in October, I think) and remember thinking it was pretty aight at the time, but now I am indifferent.
August 4, 2011
This book is partly an interesting look at the behind-the-scenes of a presidential campaign, and partly the ramblings of a shallow, self-involved fourteen-year-old girl. Which is embarrassing, because the woman who wrote it is 26. When speaking about politics, I find McCain something of an original thinker, someone who chooses her political ideals based on her own values. The fact that many of her beliefs are quite liberal considering she thinks of herself as a Republican speaks to her open-mindedness. What's upsetting about her book is that she really only goes into her views and how the Republican party should change in like, the last chapter. The rest of her book is like "clothes! lipstick! hair!" It's quite ridiculous. She blows through major events that happened during the campaign, using the time instead to talk about what she wore here and who did her hair there. She wants to be taken seriously in politics and as a writer but she has quite a ways to go...a shame because some of her ideas are actually pretty good.
August 30, 2016
I had high hopes. I saw Meghan on some talk shows and she came across so personable and real, and not so polished, that I wanted to see her message go beyond the talking points on tv to her book. And I definitely get the message and appreciate it. I have many a friend who are Republicans because they are for fiscal spending and small government BUT every election it becomes a race to see who is more Christian and it polarizes the Republican party. Beside that message, the rest of the book is neither dirty nor sexy. It's really a book about an insecure 20 something trying to find her way. She's got self depracating humor, in one breathe defending her style choice and in other apologizing for it.
Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I was intrigued by her interviews and for the fact that I knew this would be a light read I wouldn't have bothered. It doesn't give any insight into the campaign...just insight into a 20 year old female brain.
Book #99 for the 2011 reading challenge :)
Honestly, if it wasn't for the fact that I was intrigued by her interviews and for the fact that I knew this would be a light read I wouldn't have bothered. It doesn't give any insight into the campaign...just insight into a 20 year old female brain.
Book #99 for the 2011 reading challenge :)
January 16, 2011
This book covers Meghan McCain's thoughts, feelings, and experiences on the 2008 election, in which her father lost. It talks about what it was like to be on the road. I really liked this book as far as political memoirs go. Meghan McCain is not particularly polished but her writing seems pretty authentic, which is refreshing compared to the usually staid, dry political writing one usually finds out there. It may be debatable to even call this political writing (this book is more like the type of political gossip that one would want to dish on with a friend over a fun umbrella drink).
I may not agree with everything she had to say as well as her political analysis of what went wrong with the election but I definitely think that it was interesting to see the point of view from someone so unguarded.
I may not agree with everything she had to say as well as her political analysis of what went wrong with the election but I definitely think that it was interesting to see the point of view from someone so unguarded.
September 1, 2010
This book was short, and fairly simple, but I enjoyed the look at how a campaign worked from the point of view of an insider. I followed her blog during the campaign for that very reason - I loved all the behind-the-scenes stuff.
While McCain is open and honest during this book, I didn't feel like there was a lot of bashing. If you hate Palin and are looking for someone to hate her along with you, you won't find it here. She has mixed feelings about the Palins, and makes a very interesting observation when she notes how shell shocked Bristol looked during the early days of the campaign, but there aren't any "I hate this woman" comments.
I don't know what I wanted out of this book, but I finished it feeling like I wanted more.
While McCain is open and honest during this book, I didn't feel like there was a lot of bashing. If you hate Palin and are looking for someone to hate her along with you, you won't find it here. She has mixed feelings about the Palins, and makes a very interesting observation when she notes how shell shocked Bristol looked during the early days of the campaign, but there aren't any "I hate this woman" comments.
I don't know what I wanted out of this book, but I finished it feeling like I wanted more.
September 22, 2010
I can't help it - I really like Meghan McCain. She's a Republican I enjoy reading and listening to and she keeps me hopeful that there's room for discourse... that maybe folks can meet in the middle on some issues.
She's not a great writer, but her journey with the Straight Talk Express on the 2008 Campaign Trail is an interesting story. It's a unique perspective; that's what I really liked.
McCain skewers the New Republican Party, but also continually reminds readers that there isn't a snowball's chance that her distaste for the new GOP will drive her to the Democrats. Her book is definitely written for young moderate Republicans like her.
She's not a great writer, but her journey with the Straight Talk Express on the 2008 Campaign Trail is an interesting story. It's a unique perspective; that's what I really liked.
McCain skewers the New Republican Party, but also continually reminds readers that there isn't a snowball's chance that her distaste for the new GOP will drive her to the Democrats. Her book is definitely written for young moderate Republicans like her.
September 10, 2010
I mainly picked up this book because I organized for Meghan McCain to speak at my alma mater while I was a student. She was a very laid-back person, and I found it refreshing that she's one of the first people in our generation being really outspoken (and critical) about the political landscape.
I don't agree with all of her politics, but you don't have to. Her "there are no secrets" mantra is clearly visible throughout the whole story as she takes the reader through her journey being on a campaign trail and gives candid thoughts on the Palin family.
I don't agree with all of her politics, but you don't have to. Her "there are no secrets" mantra is clearly visible throughout the whole story as she takes the reader through her journey being on a campaign trail and gives candid thoughts on the Palin family.
September 23, 2010
While I disagree with Meghan McCain about many, many things, I really did enjoy this book. It's a quick read but has some interesting insight into what it's really like to be the daughter of a presidential candidate. My favorite parts were the story about finding a half eaten pizza in a hotel halfway and the chapter about visiting Laura and Jenna Bush at the White House. Parts of the book are very gossip-y but are balanced with more serious commentary on the state of the Republican party and the way it can treat "outsiders"
November 12, 2010
This is what happens when you run out of books, make an emergency trip to the library and grab a few books you haven't researched. Oh my, what a silly, vapid, immature and spoiled girl Meghan McCain is.
Highly unpopular with all the consultants and political advisers that surrounded her father during the campaign by her own admission, she seems aggrieved by that fact. Still, there were admittedly some insights into how campaigns "feel" to family members, as well as her impression of the Palin family dynamic.
Highly unpopular with all the consultants and political advisers that surrounded her father during the campaign by her own admission, she seems aggrieved by that fact. Still, there were admittedly some insights into how campaigns "feel" to family members, as well as her impression of the Palin family dynamic.
September 6, 2010
Even though we would not agree on a number of major political and social issues, I really applaud that Meghan McCain is fighting for the Republican Party to wake up and embrace all the individuals it is currently alienating - like herself. Also, it was entertaining to read about her (mis)adventures on the campaign trail and the inner-workings of what goes on during campaigns.
September 5, 2010
Refreshing and honest. Meghan McCain is truly authentic. We may not agree on all of our politics but she gave a fascinating look inside a political campaign. She is funny and down to earth. I would recommend this book.
September 1, 2010
I loved this book and read it all last night. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone regardless of political affiliation.
September 4, 2010
I just love Meghan McCain! If I ever have the chance to run into her I may just ask her to be my best friend. She pretty much said everything I feel about the last election.
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