February 9, 2005
W's Book Club
I read Sharansky's "The Case for Democracy" because I had heard how much the President had enjoyed it and believed in its content.
The WSJ Ed Page today gives us two more titles on the Presidential book list (paid site, sorry!): Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton, and the surprise entry of Tom Wolfe's "I Am Charlotte Simmons." While many are stunned by the last pick, my buddies at Dow Jones (and I) defend it:
Our reaction is a little different. For starters, it's hard to credit the idea that Mr. Bush is a cretin when Mr. Wolfe is a favorite author. On the contrary, both men have succeeded largely because they are in touch with the kinds of cultural currents the liberal establishment rarely notices (or considers beneath notice). Mr. Wolfe himself noted just before the election that "I would vote for Bush if for no other reason than to be at the airport waving off all the people who say they are going to London if he wins again."
I'm holding my head high because I have read and enjoyed each of these. I am learning just enough history after a life of ignoring it to become intrigued with a specific period. The rise of factionalism and party politics over Jefferson's two terms is full of interesting characters like Jefferson, Hamilton, Burr, George Clinton, &c. But it is also the time when the ideals of the revolution were put into pragmatic application.
And the Wolfe book is important because it is popular. Zeitgeist is a pretentious word even for a pedantic buffoon like me, but Wolfe has captured it in the 80'2 with Bonfire, the 90's with "Man in Full," and now the 00's.
Lastly, I am not claiming that the President is an intellectual, but I think it is time for those who claim that he is not intellectually curious to tame their attacks a bit. So, I'll just sit around and wait for that to happen...