The New Republic Guide to the Candidates, 1996

The New Republic has shown itself willing to hammer politicians of any political stripe, and the tradition continues in this guide to the 1996 presidential election. A collection of essays drawn from the magazines pages between early 1984 and late 1995, the book covers presidential candidates, vice presidential hopefuls and undeclared ""contenders, pretenders, and possible running mates"" like New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman. An indication of just how hard it is to try to nail down candidates is that Colin Powell is listed in this last section, although he's pulled out, as is Steven Forbes, though he's jumped in. In his introduction, Sullivan notes that these essays ""insist that the characters now running for office did not spring newly minted from a CNN studio. They have track records; they have-strange to insist-complex and recorded histories."" Rather than provide up-to-the-minute poll analysis and spin, the book chooses to re-examine the way these politicians have acted in the past. The choice is effective. Editorials recounting Newt Gingrich's ambitions in the early 1980s, Arlen Specter's behavior at the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings and candidate Bill Clinton's eagerness to please all feed interesting speculation about who's really best suited to run the country. In addition, the coverage is remarkably evenhanded. No one emerges from this collection unscathed, but there are moments for virtually every candidate that remind the reader why these people appealed to some electorate in the first place. (Feb.)