The Election

by Richard Warren Field

The Election is the story of a 60's hippie turned wealthy and successful 90's yuppie who rediscovers his youthful idealism and runs for President as a third alternative candidate. He fights off a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965228703
• ISBN13: 9780965228701
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Infortainment Publishing Company
• Length: 486 Pages
• Weight: 1.86 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

The time for The ELECTION is NOW!

'The Election' is an excellent read that captures the issues that need to be addressed today. If you enjoy a taught thriller, politics in general, or just want to learn more about the electoral system with out putting yourself to sleep, this book is for you. 'The Election' focuses on a man who was become fed up with the stagnation in congress generated by our two party political system. The main character, Michael Edwards, has launched a third party candidacy that addresses relevant but unaddressed concerns of our society today. This book is a very interesting read for the plot line alone. Even beyond that, I found myself rumenating on the concepts brought to light. At times, you feel as if the author is intent of preaching a message - but when you stop to think about it - he makes a strong case. Whether you agree with his views or not, the book is an interesting and enjoyable read. The author has crafted the book to entice and maintain you interest throughout. Two items of note are that the book (1) casts light on serious issues that continue to go unaddressed in society today - being shrugged off and neglected because the eventual dire consequences can not be fully felt today, and (2) is a wonderful teaching tool to learn more about how the political process actually works. There is so much more that goes on with how a President is elected that the average person does not even realize! This book explores the wild possibilites of what could happen in the electoral process without sacrificing the enjoyment of an interesting plot line, and at the same time addresses significant issues that continue to elude our country's leaders due to the lack of common sense consensus between parties of what is good for the country as a whole. I would recommend this book to anyone. It works on multiple levels - whether you want a political thriller, to learn more about the election process, or are concerned about where our politics are leading, or rather not leading, our citizens today. Read it and contemplate the cost of inaction!

More Interesting Than Expected & A Great Ending Of Reality!

When I started to read this book at the same time our own election is going on, I was near election fatigue. However, I was pleasantly surprised about the book and very glad I did read it at this time.The Author revealed two things to me in this book. The first is he either has a great background in politics or knows how to research the subject matter to perfection. The second is he has the ability to make the political dull interesting by his own imagination of twists and turns in the book that are not expected. Either way it was a good read that is also provides great movie material.Thus, the book becomes a refreshing new concept about one of the worlds oldest conflicting topics known as politics.In the books main character, Michael Edwards, we see how he tries to change the system of politics at the same time the system starts to change him, a real reflection of today's political dilemma. Additionally, we see all of Michael's new ideas with his own money behind him running in direct conflict with the Electoral College controlled by the two parties. As Cecil Rhodes once said, "Ideas Without Money Are Worthless." Well, not so in this book!The book details how scandals can be made from anyone's past, how dirty trick conspirators can target anyone seeking high office and how the media can destroy anyone's dreams of helping everyone just because of traditional ideology preferring the status quo which they are part of in a free society.In the book, I was left with an unique and ironic humorous outlook of cynicism much so I am after every election. Yet, the way the author does it makes it a must read that you will have trouble forgetting.The book may be a fortune telling for elections for the future. I highly recommend this book before and after any great election especially now!

Alchemy couldn?t, but the Electoral College can

Unlike most books that are placed in the category of fiction, this book could be a documentary of a future election, with just the modification of the player's names. This novel is also important in its practicality, and that is not an attribute that most novels can claim, or a goal their Author's even set. The concept of a three way race for the Presidency is not only plausible, it is an event that has taken place several time in our nation's history. Had Mr. Perot not run his campaign in his, (I'm in, I'm out, just kidding, I'm back in, manner,) we may have experienced this book, not only a fascinating constitutional process, but the strongest test of the ethics and integrity of all involved. Even with his behavior charitably described as erratic, he received 19% of the votes cast in 1992. In round numbers that's about 20 million votes. But it is here that our method of electing our President, the only elected national office, becomes authored by Lewis Carroll. For then we are through the looking glass, and way down the rabbit hole, when the "Electoral College", a true form of alchemy appears. This sleight of hand turns the votes of 1 in 5 voters, 20 million people, into nothing more than a footnote. No one votes, represents, or speaks for 20 million people, so much for the idea of equality of a person's vote. Now any system this outrageously flawed, this bad, is not only dysfunctional, it is an affront to the Democracy we strive to be. The system allows for two outcomes that are not only absurdities, they contradict the whole concept of what a democratic election is supposed to be, whether a pure or simple form of Democracy.The Electoral College can, and has, placed a candidate that did not receive the most votes into the White House. What is even worse, and what has also occurred, is that the House of Representatives then decides the election by voting state by state. Like any piece of legislative voting the politicking begins, and whom you voted for may not matter, the candidate that voters said no to, can become, in fact, has become President. And in our hypothetical example regardless of how many Vice Presidential Candidates they are, only the two associated with the top 2 Presidential vote recipients can be considered, your right to chose has again been deleted. What should be untouchable is dismissed.There are countless books on the election process, and on The Electoral College. There are also studies that demonstrate that not all eligible voters understand the election method in detail. And as we have become a Nation that has a voting pool, the majority of whom do not participate, the power put in place in the best of circumstances is a minority decision. Only 43% of those who could vote did in the last Presidential Contest. And because the last 2 elections offered 3 candidates, the majority of the minority that did vote, cast their ballots for Bush and Perot. The majority did not want Clinton in office.The reason this book is so well

A fun look at politics

This book was sent to me gratis with the request that I read and review it. I should state at the outset that political novels are not usually on my reading list; the last one I read was "Primary Colors." I must say, however, that, the minutiae of counting votes notwithstanding, I enjoyed it. The main premise of the book is the third-party run for the American presidency by preeminent news anchor Michael Edwards. As with many other characters in this book, I found myself wondering whether he was based on Tom Brokaw, or Dan Rather, or perhaps Peter Jennings. As the race heats up and Edwards's candidacy gains both credibility and momentum, there are sub-plots of character assassination, outright assassination, pay-offs, intimidation, and the buying of electoral votes. What struck me most profoundly was the author's assessment of modern "sound-bite elections." It's so true -- the American public tends to elect the candidate who is poised, prepped, knows how to deflect the tough questions, and sounds good on TV. Perish the thought of electing a real person who calls them as he sees them and lets out an occasional epithet. This is a fun, thought provoking book to read in this election year.

well researched, full of surprises, and plausible

If you've ever wondered (as I have) what would transpire in case a third party candidate ever gained a lot of support without self-destructing in some way, here's a chance to find out. Field has come up with a Constitutionally accurate, healthily cynical and very exciting story about just such a situation.I kept waiting for the big implausible shocker to spice up the story, the event that would be totally unrealistic but would make the story more exciting (the sort of thing a publisher would shove down an author's throat, in other words), and it never came. Well done, because the story is already interesting enough and doesn't need to stretch credibility to hold the reader. The portrayal of the American electorate and its sound-bite oriented, mercurial nature--and the impact of the news media upon that nature--certainly square with what I've seen in elections past and present. Character development is generally good and balanced, with no total saints and few total villains. The third-party candidate's platform is sufficiently convincing that I'd like to see a real candidate espouse the same ideas. The ending is cleverly done and stands a good chance of taking you by surprise. It did me.One caveat: if you order it, before you start reading, remove the dust jacket and set it aside without examining it. The back of it, if read before the book, will basically ruin it with a list of irritating plot spoilers for which I'm not sure of the rationale. Happily, this is easily remedied.Well worth reading as a political novel, a look at political science in general, and perhaps as a tool for insight into why so many political campaigns develop a shady side.