Politics on tape

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published August 6, 2000

Tired of listening to politicians? Try listening to books about politicians instead.

For the best debate over the Republican candidate's credentials anyone is likely to hear this year, listen to Molly Ivins read her unabashedly biased book on George W., Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush, back to back with the audio of Bill Minutaglio's First Son: George W. Bush and the Bush Family Dynasty, read by Roscoe Born with an introduction by Minutaglio. Both are from Random House Audio.

Reporting on four generations of Bush family history, Minutaglio, a veteran journalist for the Dallas Morning News, draws from more than 300 interviews with Bush relatives, friends and staffers, and two lengthy free-ranging interviews with the candidate himself. Ivins examines Gov. Bush's record in Texas.

For another revealing albeit fictional look at Bill Clinton (remember the 1996 Primary Colors by Anonymous?), there's The Running Mate by the no-longer-anonymous Joe Klein. Available from Bantam Books-Audio, it's a timely, well-written novel, featuring a John McCain-like character, that explores how far the press should go in reporting a candidate's personal life.

Dennis Miller, the most cynical TV show host in America, can be counted on to be a non-partisan ranter. In I Rant, Therefore I Am, available from Bantam Books-Audio, he'll tell you, "If we elect Al Gore, the president will be a dull, ineffectual figurehead from Tennessee. On the other hand, if we elect George Bush Jr., the president will be a dull, ineffectual figurehead from Texas."

Or for those who prefer to get their political wisdom from the past, try these audio selections:

When Conventions Were Conventions: Democrats and When Conventions Were Conventions: Republicans, (B&B Audio, (847) 562-9516; www.BandBaudio.com)

Here is the full flavor of past political conventions, featuring the voices of Theodore Roosevelt, Wendell Willkie, Dwight Eisenhower and others.

Constitutional Journal: A Correspondent's Report from the Convention of 1787 by Jeffrey St. John's (Blackstone Audio, (800) 729-2665; www.blackstoneaudio.com).

The report is a day-by-day news account of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

The Nixon Tapes (DH Audio, (800) 962-5200; www.dhaudio.com)

Made public in January, these are the conversations that drove Nixon from the White House. Running approximately five hours, the four cassettes come with a warning: no expletives deleted.

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