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 Witch Doctors, Drugs and Presidents Feb 10, 2010
This is certainly one of Thompson's more substantial (heavy) works--not the easy page-turner for those who've only read "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"--but those who take the time to read this book will find the same beautifully acidic wit and ingenious insight that Thompson brings to the craft of storytelling.
Here, more so than in FaLiLV, Thompson's "Gonzo" journalistic-style becomes apparent--at one point Thompson reveals that one Democratic Presidential hopeful (Musky) is being seen regularly by a South American with doctor who's prescribing various questionable "medicines" for the politician, which explain his "strange" emotionally erratic behavior.
Interestingly, Thompson, himself, would later note the power that a journalist's reporting of "the facts" can have in the political world when that politician rescinds their candidacy.
If there's anyone who enjoys reading anything slightly heavier than Harry Potter left these days, I'd highly recommend they pick this up and give it a read--a truly curious and insightful look into American politics in the Seventies.
 I Wish Hunter Were Alive to Comment on The Current Political Landscape Aug 14, 2009
I just finished reading this book, and loved it. Thompson has a unique perspective on things -- cynical and hopeful at the same time. The amazing thing, as others have commented, is how similar the issues, debates, rhetoric, and tactics of the 1972 campaign are to both the 2008 campaign and the current debate on health care reform. Anyone who likes Thompson's writing style, is interested in American cultural history, and curious about how we, as a nation, have been arguing about the same things and in the same way since at least 1972 will enjoy this book.
0 of 8 found the following review helpful:
 Lazy stream of consciousness Dec 30, 2008
I am fascinated by elections and campaigns, and the election of 1972 was especially interesting, and there is much to learn from it as many of the events in 1972 seemed to repeat themselves in 2004 and 2008. In 1972 and 2004, we were involved in a war that was beginning to lose support, scandals had broken (Watergate in 1972, Plamegate in 2004), and the Democratic candidate just couldn't seem to get his act together.
In 1972 and 2008 we had Democratic campaigns that were described as "grass roots". Obama's victory is, in a way, McGovern's victory 36 years later. Obama did what McGovern did, but did it competently.
So I really wanted to like this book. I already read Theodore White's "The Making of the President 1972", so I knew the facts, but I thought Hunter S. Thompson would provide more of the gritty details that White may have found too unappealing to describe.
And, in a way, Thompson did that, but the book is so much more about Thompson and his drug habits than it is about the election. It could have taken place under any circumstances. Let's say Thompson went on a European vacation and got drunk and stoned . . . probably would end up being a pretty similar book.
I got more than halfway through the book, and actually enjoyed how Thompson described his loathing for Muskie and Humphrey. I've never read such hateful prose about those two, and it was pretty funny.
But I got frustrated by his stream-of-consciousness prose and complaints about how he couldn't meet his deadlines, so he'd just toss out some quick, unorganized thoughts. Very lazy. And yes, I'm aware that drink and drugs were involved, influencing his ability to write comprehensibly and timely.
I think if you enjoy books like "The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test" you'll like this one. I don't.
0 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 I would not purchase from this bookseller. Dec 02, 2008
I was very disappointed when I received my shipment from this bookseller. It took over two weeks to arrive, and was shipped in a cheap, cardboard envelope with no padding. On the outside, the cover was well-worn, with tears on the edges, and the page edges were marked on the top and bottom with a blue "palm tree." The first inside pages were torn, and the cover page had another blue palm tree! The rest of the inside pages were in fair condition, with a brown stain on some of the edges. I paid $30.00 for this book, and it was definitely overpriced. Most booksellers include contact information with their shipment, some even have a comment sheet. This shipment only contained one very beat-up book so that motivated me to write this review.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Cited by most notable historians of our time Nov 25, 2008
On C-Span's "In Depth" program, Brian Lamb interviewed Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley. Richard Norton Smith is probably the most notable living historian specializing on the American Presidency, having had a part in many of the presidential libraries and so forth. Douglas Brinkley is widely regarded as the most prominent living American historian.
Smith cited this book as the best work ever written about the U.S. Elections process, and Brinkley concurred. For those of you who know Smith and Brinkley by reputation, that says far more than anything I could write here. It's not only some of the best political writing of all time, it's some of HST's best work, too. Fantastic.
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