Book Review: "Fear" by Bob Woodward.

[gridlore]

Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A really terrifying look inside the Trump White House, as relayed by insiders to the grandmaster of American political journalism.

Seeing how Trump runs his administration like a nob boss on the one hand, and how he acts like an easily distracted toddler on the other is eye-opening. Time and again we see the head of our state act solely on impulse, ordering things and then forgetting about them hours later. All the time demanding praise from all around him.

Sadly, the book has already been overtaken by events. Most of the players named are gone, and Trump has only gotten more random. Also, there was no narrative flow to this, no guides to carry the reader along as we go from crisis to crisis. Still a good read and a piece of important political history.



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Comments

[nodrog]

I also have severe doubts about ol’ Bob’s credibility.  Had he written thus about the Obama administration - which had its share of power plays, not least relieving Comrade-Secretary Hillary of her duties after her Benghazi play failed to embarrass her bitterly hated enemy - “stepping down for reasons of ill health,” just as I’d predicted - then I would think better of his credentials.  As is, this is a case of “Let’s have another one just like the other one!” or, “Is there another movie deal in the house…?”

[gridlore]

First of all, I have very few doubts about Woodward's credibility. He's a brilliant investigative reporter.

Hillary Clinton did not resign from her position as Secretary of State for reasons of health. She never said that it was never hinted at, and had been decided in the run-up to the 2012 election that should Obama win a second term, she would leave the position. This has all been well documented.

"Her Benghazi play"? Are you now suggesting the Hilary Clinton controlled at least Lybian militias as well as knowing the exact night the US Ambassador would choose to visit a secret CIA annex? That's some alt.conspiracy-level bullshit.

[nodrog]

I'll have to look at my back entries to get the specifics, but yes, "fatigue" was one of the reasons she was uninstalled immediately upon Obama's re-election.

https://nodrog.dreamwidth.org/1862991.html

- comes up; it quotes the since-vaporised article. “Exhausted ” is the word used.

[gridlore]

Barack Obama was re-elected on Tuesday, November 6, 2012

His second inauguration was Sunday, January 20, 2013

Hillary Clinton's final day as US Secretary of State was February 1st, 2013.

So there were 88 days between Election Day and her leaving Foggy Bottom, and 13 days between the inauguration and her last day in office.

You have a very odd definition of "immediately" here. Her departure was planned, she was not pushed out, and there was no conspiracy.

Oh, and pages leave the internet all the time. Hosts shut down, somebody stops paying for the storage, domains get sold. Deadlinks do not mean something nefarious is going on.

[nodrog]

... Okay.

https://xkcd.com/2129/

This is why I avoid these types of discussions as a rule:  Nothing is gained by “winning” them but rancor.

[nodrog]

Anyway, I do genuinely apologize for ruffling your feathers.  I should have just kept my pie-hole shut.  Yes, R Woodward is a respected journalist, and yes, the Trump White House is probably every bit as screwy as was the Clinton administration’s.  God bless the Republic of the United States.

[It’s important to remember that the electorate didn’t really want either candidate in 2016 - but we knew whom we wanted less.  Like most people, I daresay, I did not vote for Trump - I voted against Comrade-Queen Hillary and everything she represents.

“America is ready for a woman President - but not that one.”]

[dewline]

You were still Wrong.

[nodrog]

Thank you for your contribution to the discussion.  Have a nice day.

[dewline]

Canada has had our collective well-being thoroughly messed up as a direct consequence of the Manhattan Vandal assuming the Presidency. NATO, NORAD, NAFTA, G-7, G-20...all this multilateralism that our government works to keep functional so that our private sector can have a stable working environment? Our government has had to scramble all the more, all thanks to the chaos his Rage-Tweeterness has introduced into the equations. We would not have had to worry nearly so much about so many things were it not for the Electoral College being encouraged by Trumpist votes and whatever else happened behind the scenes.

And we won't even begin to discuss my own mental health...