First published 1995
Michael Kinsley argues that American voters have become big babies. They whine about politicians while refusing to accept responsibility for the mess they created. Kinsley targets the electorate's childish behavior alongside three presidential administrations, multiple political campaigns, and the conservative climate that dominated politics during his writing years. This collection gathers his sharp commentary from major publications including The New Yorker, Time, The New Republic, and The New York Times. Kinsley expands beyond politics to examine cultural and social issues that caught his attention over a decade of writing. His central thesis remains consistent throughout: citizens who complain about democratic failures while avoiding their own culpability deserve the dysfunction they get. The essays span roughly ten years of American political life, offering readers Kinsley's perspective on the gap between what voters say they want and how they actually behave at the ballot box.
Genres: essays, american, politics, non-fiction
Vibes: critical, satirical, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-critique, social-commentary
Setting: United States
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
336 pages · Hardcover · William Morrow & Co