Medium: Literature
Stimulus: Meghan McCain – Dirty Sexy Politics
Anno: 2010
Meghan McCain’s story of her dad John’s 2008 presidential campaign is easily comparable to Danica McKellar’s math books directed toward teenage girls. Though she admits to swearing like a sailor and falling far short of the feminine ideal put forth by her Republican Party, Meghan’s account of political life is clearly directed toward McKellar’s audience. When she’s not taking her party to task or discussing her growing disillusionment with her old man’s campaign, McCain tends to spend her time obsessing over her hair, wardrobe, girlfriends, and the ubiquitous UGG boots which she mentions at the slightest provocation. The title’s not exactly accurate; the Sexy in Dirty Sexy Politics is actually more about gender than hookups, but I suppose Dirty Girly Politics doesn’t have the same ring.
On the surface, getting something out of this book depends on the reader being able to do one of two things: enjoying fashion-centric tales of girls on the campaign trail, or being able to roll one’s eyes at these bits and move on. The former isn’t for me, but McCain’s book stays on its political task enough to hold me over through the eye-rolling.
When she discusses her alienation from the Republican Party or the damage caused to her family during her dad’s 2000 campaign, McCain provides a cogent case for moving conservatism beyond its closed-minded, reactionary, and youth-dismissing current state. While unmistakably right-wing on infrastructure issues, her views on social issues come dangerously close to liberal. That McCain isn’t a pundit and doesn’t have a political background works to her benefit. Some chapters feel more guarded and use more political speak than others (it’s hard for me to take seriously anyone under 30 using the phrase “young people”), but McCain tends to stick with forthrightness, without the entitled moral trolling that accompanies much of today’s popular conservative writing.
When the discussion moves to her dad’s 2008 presidential campaign, it becomes harder to agree with every point made. Meghan is hardly objective, but that’s the point. She provides a sympathetic insight on John McCain the person, even as she criticizes the vultures and opportunists who commandeered his campaign as it gains traction. As could be expected, a big part of this story focuses on Sarah Palin’s running mate effect on the campaign. While Meghan quickly sours on Palin’s blatant lunge for the limelight, she steers clear of catty tabloid trash-talking.
Those expecting slick diatribes and reinforced party lines from Dirty Sexy Politics will come away empty-handed. More than anything, this is a tale of a girl put out of her element, expected to be a campaign prop and rebelling against it. It doesn’t always work, but this is a nice change from the usual shouting of political literature.
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