Running: Politics, Power, and the Press

ISBN: 0759676267

Author: Lonsdale, Harry

Condition: New

Running is about electoral politics in America today. Here is a first-hand account of what it's like to run for office in the era when TV ads rule. It is also about the overwhelming power of money in politics and how that money-power is thwarting the will of the people, dividing our country, and eroding our democracy. Anyone who has ever considered running for office and would like to experience it vicariously...the endless days, the begging for money, the excitement, fear, frustration, rewards, and the pain of being trashed by the press...will enjoy this book. * * * * * "A terrific introduction on the reality of campaigning, Harry Lonsdale brilliantly expresses the tiny frustrations and victories any political hopeful must face. Lonsdale's honest, personal account exposes the flaws and unexpected virtues he encounters in his engaging story - Running definitely leaves its readers entertained and inspired." Jimmy Carter "Lonsdale took his 'independent' candidacies for elective national office in Oregon further up the cliff of the two-party duopoly than anyone else in the country. From this vantage point, he keeps the reader engrossed with his stories, insight, and reforms. Shows you the nitty-gritty of politics and how to end it with a new beginning." Ralph Nader "Running for political office in America has become an unnatural act...the constant degradation of asking fat cats for money, the unseemly scramble for media attention, the bone-wearying and mind-numbing marathon that seem endless, and the fear that rides everywhere with the candidate. No wonder we get less than the best in office! Take a ride with Harry Lonsdale...a candidate who tried to do politics right--and who has some ideas on how to fix the money-grubbing system that is failing our democracy." Jim Hightower Author of: If The Gods Had Meant Us To Vote They Would Have Given Us Candidates "Harry Lonsdale writes with fervor about running for the U. S. Senate and championing Campaign Finance Reform. A thought provoking must read for the politically and not so politically inclined." Former U. S. Senator Bill Bradley "Have you ever wondered what it was like to run for office and get defeated, or wondered if you decided to run, how you would go about it? Step by step? Or what's the answer to Campaign Finance Reform and who's working on it? Harry Lonsdale's book Running is both enlightening and a joy to read. You wouldn't expect a page-turner would you? But that's what it is." Granny D (Doris Haddock)Campaign Finance Reform Activist