Election Fiction

With all the talk about elections lately, I have been singing the Beatle's “Revolution”. Don't bother asking why because I am not sure why either! The media has been talking non-stop about either the mayoral race in Halifax, the election in Quebec or the United States presidential election. I don't know about you, but US elections seems to me to be a 365 days a year topic every year; not just in election years. The president may only get “peace” the first 100 days in office, and I am not sure even then. Here are some fictional accounts of running for the “most powerful leader in the world”.

Primary Colors (M) by Anonymous is the first U.S. election novel that came to my notice many years ago. It spent nine weeks as #1 on the New York Times bestseller list in 1996. I remember the buzz was not so much on whether it was good or bad. All the news concerning it focused on the rumours regarding who Anonymous was. It turned out to be Washington D.C. and New York columnist Joe Klein, who initially denied it. It wasn't until The Washington Post published the results of a handwriting analysis of early scripts of the book that he admitted he was the author.

Wow, I just realized that the novel is based on events that happened 20 years ago! My, how time flies. Anyway, in case the reader needs a history lesson, 1992 was the year of Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. The plot of the novel has southern governor, Jack Stanton, running for president. The characters of the novel are thinly disguised versions of real people involved in the real campaign: Bill and Hillary Clinton, New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Rev. Jesse Jackson, various political figures and Bill's suspected lover Gennifer Flowers. Too bad there wasn't a Monica Lewinsky as well but that affair happened in 1998, after Clinton became president. This is a novel of suspense, gossip, high drama, sex and introduces the reader to the backroom dealings that most of the world has no idea about.

At times sex and politics seem to go together as naturally as bread and butter. The GQ Candidate (M) by Keli Goff has a bit of Clinton and Obama in the plot. Goff is an author, blogger and political analyst. She frequently appears on CNN, FOX, NPR MSNBC and is a contributor of TheLoop21.com and the Huffington Post. She has said that she was inspired by her political peers while writing this novel and that political junkies would recognize familiar personalities in some of the supporting cast. 

When sex scandal has brought down the local politician, Luke Cooper steps into office. He is one of the very few African American (and by virtue of adoption) Jewish elected officials. He stuns his family and friends by deciding to run for president. But while he is “clean-cut”; could his friends lead to his down-fall? Scandal and gossip surround his supporters and even his wife grows wary of the spotlight. The Los Angeles Times and More magazines selected this novel for their summer reading lists. So even though summer has come to an end, you still have time to read this.

Interface (M) was originally published under the author pseudonym of Stephen Bury, and then later as Bury and J. Frederick George. But it is really written by Neal Stephenson and his uncle George Jewsbury. Published in 1994 the plot takes place in the near future of 1996. Cory Doctorow stated in 2007 that the novel was an “under-appreciated masterpiece”.

Governor William Cozzano suffers a stroke. An underground business coalition, the Network, plants a bio-chip into his brain. With their control, he runs for president. After a series of events, trailer park resident, Eleanor Richmond, finds herself as Cozzano's running mate. I love how goodreads.com described the novel. “There's no way William A. Cozzano can lose the upcoming presidential election.....more than the perfect candidate. He's a special effect.”

And now for something completely different; Sneaky Pie for President (M) by Rita Mae Brown. For those who do not know, Sneaky Pie is a cat who co-authors the Mrs. Murphy series with Rita Mae Brown. Sneaky Pie is a tiger cat born in Virginia and adopted by Rita at her local SPCA. Sneaky Pie is taking time off her usual schedule to run for president with a platform to unify all –regardless of if they are two or four legged, or even if they fly! She had discovered that the earth's water supply is in jeopardy. With the help of her friends: Pewter the cat; Corgi Tee Tucker; and Tally the Jack Russell, they travel to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. There they gather the support of other animals, even Thomas Jefferson's mice. Yes they can!

So vote one of these books as your favorite candidate!