First published 2012
Calvin Trillin transforms the chaotic 2012 presidential election into biting political poetry. His narrative verse follows the campaign from the frozen Iowa caucuses through Election Day on November 6th. Trillin takes aim at Tea Party contradictions, the parade of Republican contenders scrambling through multiple tiers of candidates, and memorable gaffes that defined the race. Michele Bachmann gets a Beatles parody treatment while Herman Cain and Rick Santorum receive their own poetic send-offs as they exit the campaign. The poet captures Clint Eastwood's bizarre chair routine at the Republican convention and Mitt Romney's damaging "47 percent" comments, which inspire "I Got the Mitt Thinks I'm a Moocher, a Taker not a Maker, Blues." Trillin interrupts his main narrative with standalone poems and occasional prose pieces that spotlight the election's most absurd moments. His sharp wit dissects the political theater while chronicling a presidential campaign that often resembled slapstick comedy more than serious democratic process.
Genres: american-fiction, american, political-science, poetry, 21st-century, political-thriller
Vibes: biting, satirical, thought-provoking
Tropes: political-commentary, social-commentary
Period: 2012
176 pages · Hardcover · Random House