Mike's Election Guide

With his characteristically smug, sarcastic, nudge-and-wink style, Moore shows how Democrats can score a slam-dunk in November in a guidebook comprised of half-kidding essays, all within Moore's prescribed range: wry humor, pissed-off rants and sweeping generalizations. In Moore's book, Obama's victory is a more-or-less forgone conclusion; naturally, he offers Obama a list of 10 Presidential Decrees for his First Ten Days (bring back the draft, but just for rich kids; ban high fructose corn syrup; free HBO for everyone). His opening salvo, ""Ask Mike,"" includes questions like ""Why should I vote? It only encourages them,"" and explanations that include a possibly inflammatory take on McCain's stint in Vietnam as a pilot and prisoner of war; Moore points out that if McCain's military service is up for discussion, why won't anyone ask what McCain did to the Vietnamese? Sure to provoke, Moore covers his back with a bibliography and an index of sound bites his right-wing opponents can attack him with (""Long live Chairman Mao!""). Readers will get what they expect; Moore's guide probably won't change any minds, but it's an entertaining, occasionally thought-provoking take on this year's big event.