The Republican Playbook

Andy Borowitz
Hyperion (2006)
ISBN 1401302904
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (11/06)

 “The Republican Playbook” is side splittingly funny.  I enjoyed the book from start to finish.  It was supposedly commissioned in 1972 by Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon and has the best known rule for beating the democrats – complete disregard for federal laws.  The book has in depth coverage for covering up leaks and running smear campaigns. 

This particular copy of the “Republican Playbook” is touted to be George W. Bush’s and full of coffee stains, “notes to self” in the margins and doodling (I noticed that the doodling was most common with tough concepts).  The Playbook is very comprehensive and required reading for every Republican candidate prior to taking office.  While containing all the best tricks and scams, its real success is due to the Democrats falling for them again and again.     

The “Republican Playbook” relates to past presidents and their most successful tactics such as President Ronald Reagan unprecedented success by following the chapter “Deny Knowing Anything about Anything.”  The full voting blueprint for the 2006 election was laid out and I have to wonder if the Democrats uncovered the scheme for fully functioning voting booth/ballot shredders in the battleground states, or if one of the Republicans failed to read and understand this concept completely. 

The book also includes some very funny photos linking the six degrees of photos from Hillary Clinton to Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong II. The totally irreverent Republican-to-English glossary translates phrases like "personal responsibility" to rationalizing it as "welfare cuts" and many more.  And then there is the chapter on placing fake newspaper stories such as “Short sleeve shirt manufacturer’s praise global warming.” 

Andy Borowitz points out the many political shortcomings of our system in a very comical way, but you never miss the point of what he is trying to achieve in this very well-written book.  I highly recommend “The Republican Playbook” to anyone who enjoys political satire, takes politics too seriously and opinionated Republicans who have completely ruined holiday meals by over expressing their views for hours on end.  Seriously, this book is high on my Holiday gift lists for my friends with strong political views.  I hope to see and read the “Democrat Playbook” as I am sure it would be equally as comical. 

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