Ernest Goes to Washington (Well, not exactly)

By Alan F. Shugart

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• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1883532043
• ISBN13: 9781883532048
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: Carmel Bay Pub Group
• Length: 100 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.3" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

A great book for those who love dogs and politics.

I first picked this book up because the picture of the beautiful Bernese mountain dog on the cover caught my eye. (I own a Bernese.) Then the short introduction by former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta caught my interest and I started reading. I'm glad I did. It's the true story of how Al Shugart, founder of Seagate Technology and a legendary maverick in the computer industry, tried to run his dog Ernest for Congress in the 1996 election. He did it to raise public awareness of stagnation in the body politic. Although he never got Ernest on the ballot, he did get a lot of publicity for his ideas. The book is both funny and disturbing. The humor comes from the campaign itself, from the letters and articles by supporters (and their pets), and from observing the bureaucratic tangle Shugart and Ernest tried to unsnarl. The disturbing part is that there's so much bureaucracy to deal with. It's nicely designed, with a lot of pictures and reproductions ! of actual documents from the campaign. I think it gives a good insight into what Americans are feeling about gridlock in government. It would make a great gift for those who'd like to see more common sense in our political life. Also for those who -- like myself -- love dogs.