by Matt Latimer
First published 2009
Matt Latimer arrives in Washington with Reagan Revolution ideals burning in his chest and visions of crafting historic speeches. The Midwestern conservative wants to shrink government, cut taxes, and eliminate wasteful spending through the power of his words. Reality hits hard as he climbs the political ladder. His first Capitol Hill bosses forget basic facts or hide from their own staff. A job writing speeches for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld briefly renews his hope, but the Pentagon proves alarmingly broken. Finally reaching the White House, Matt expects to find the dignified halls of power from his civics textbooks. Instead, he discovers an office building that resembles a dysfunctional workplace comedy more than a seat of democracy. The staffers running America are drowning in their responsibilities. Everything the public believes about Bush, Cheney, Rice, and Rove is wrong. Matt watches his conservative principles crumble as the administration abandons the idealism that drew him to politics. His journey from starry eyed believer to disillusioned insider reveals the gap between American political mythology and messy reality.
Genres: american-fiction, american, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: disillusioned-idealist, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Washington, Pentagon, White House
Period: Reagan Era, Bush Administration
304 pages · Hardcover · Crown