by Jake Tapper
First published 2001
Jake Tapper takes readers inside the fierce political battle that erupted in Florida after the 2000 presidential election. While most Americans associate Florida trips with relaxation and sunshine, this particular visit by the nation's attention revealed the brutal machinery of American politics. Tapper shows how the Bush campaign systematically outmaneuvered Gore's team across every battlefield, from local canvassing boards to state courtrooms, from legislative halls to media war rooms. He profiles the key figures who shaped the outcome: Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, Sander Sauls, David Boies, William Rehnquist, Warren Christopher, Jim Baker, and Phil Beck. Drawing on exclusive interviews and insider access, Tapper reconstructs the closed-door negotiations, backroom deals, and strategic calculations that determined who would occupy the White House. The book reveals the shocking details of what actually transpired during those crucial weeks and exposes how political operatives on both sides maneuvered to claim victory in what became a battle to steal the presidency itself.
Genres: political-science, 21st-century, political-thriller, american-history
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: insider-access, political-intrigue
Setting: Florida
Period: 2000
352 pages · Unbound · iPublish.com