ndjrpgs's review against another edition
4.0
Repetitive at times but a really interesting and important read about the political circus of the last US presidential election. I learned quite a lot about campaign work, the systems of the two parties and how crucial the role of the media is in all this craziness!
venkyloquist's review against another edition
4.0
Writing with irreverence, impetuosity and raw irreverence, Matt Taibbi combines shades of Gonzo journalism popularised by the famous Hunter J. Thompson with his own in your face style of trenchant journalism to chart the unimaginable and meteoric rise of the eccentric Donald Trump, first to the pinnacle of the Republican Nomination and consequently, to the highest office in the United States of America. The whole world watched with stupefaction, when what initially was termed a comical exercise in obscene showboating by a garrulous business magnate soon metamorphosed into a virtual apocalypse when in November 2016, the Democratic candidate and once-taken-for-granted-victor, Hillary Clinton conceded defeat thereby catapulting a loud mouthed, orangutan haired, sickeningly coiffed, impudent buffoon into the White House!
Taibbi, as a reporter for the Rolling Stones covered the entire spectacle that was the 2016 elections and watched with stunning disbelief the fortunes of the contenders which swayed more violently than even the most unruly and unpredictable pendulum. The dispatches of Taibbi arranged in this book in chronological order detailing primarily the shenanigans of the Republican GOP reads more like the immature and internecine clashes between a family of deranged gibbons than the calculated machinations of a party responsible for preserving and enhancing the economic and social fabric of a country.
When Trump anointed himself a Republican contender, the venom of vulgarity that spewed from his mouth that did more justice to a misfiring cannon than an erudite teleprompter, almost put paid to his political hopes. His nauseating comments about Megyn Kelly having “blood coming out of her wherever”, denouncing Mexicans as “rapists”, before finally getting stuck into 2008 nominee John McCain for “having been captured in the war”, not only left the business magnate’s reputation in tatters but also demonstrated an extraordinarily puerile IQ which could be tested and bested by a smart sixth grader! Not to mention anything about the eggs that were smeared over the collective faces of a blabbering, confused and shell shocked Republican Party.
But as Taibbi demonstrates with wit and wonderment, what swung the voters in favour of arguably the most imbecile head of a nation the world has and will ever see, was an even higher degree of stupidity that adorned the other Republican nominees. Contenders to Trump such as the gentile, wallowing-in-campign-funds Jeb Bush, the nonsense spouting fountain of crass talk, Ben Carson, the clueless and completely overwhelmed Ted Cruz, whom Taibbi professes to possess a “odd neckless monitor lizard posture” and a score of other dithering non-performers made Trump the inglorious Svengali of all that he saw.
The disconnect which the Democrats unwittingly and condescendingly allowed to develop between themselves and a bunch of disgruntled voters ensured that “the Donald” garnered support despite a litany of “Trumpian” blunders ( a classic example being when his clown of a spokesperson Katrina Pierson said Barack Obama’s policies “probably” caused the death of a soldier killed in Iraq—in 2004! When confronted about her mistake, she said, “That’s why I used ‘probably.’ ”) and in spite of a “Trumped” up arrogance. Taibbi also packs it in for the creed of journalists who instead of standing up against the antics of a half insane reckless individual, molly-cuddled him and elevated him to an unbecoming status of a media star thereby shamelessly and selfishly enhancing their own channel ratings to stratospheric levels. As Taibbi puts it, albeit in a shockingly disgusting manner, “actually, guessing that Trump’s campaign had a chance at success and shoving your tongue a foot and a half up the Trumpian orifice are two completely different journalistic acts.”
With “Insane Clown President…..” Matt Taibbi has produced a classic jeremiad of lost hopes, blunted common sense and most of all a tactful and devious exploitation of a disenchanted mass by a demented politician and his equally deranged coterie of loose cannons and self-professed racists. The world watches in disbelief as a band of white supremacists take over the economic, cultural and social machinery of the world’s oldest and richest democracy.
Hope the effort does not come unhinged!
Taibbi, as a reporter for the Rolling Stones covered the entire spectacle that was the 2016 elections and watched with stunning disbelief the fortunes of the contenders which swayed more violently than even the most unruly and unpredictable pendulum. The dispatches of Taibbi arranged in this book in chronological order detailing primarily the shenanigans of the Republican GOP reads more like the immature and internecine clashes between a family of deranged gibbons than the calculated machinations of a party responsible for preserving and enhancing the economic and social fabric of a country.
When Trump anointed himself a Republican contender, the venom of vulgarity that spewed from his mouth that did more justice to a misfiring cannon than an erudite teleprompter, almost put paid to his political hopes. His nauseating comments about Megyn Kelly having “blood coming out of her wherever”, denouncing Mexicans as “rapists”, before finally getting stuck into 2008 nominee John McCain for “having been captured in the war”, not only left the business magnate’s reputation in tatters but also demonstrated an extraordinarily puerile IQ which could be tested and bested by a smart sixth grader! Not to mention anything about the eggs that were smeared over the collective faces of a blabbering, confused and shell shocked Republican Party.
But as Taibbi demonstrates with wit and wonderment, what swung the voters in favour of arguably the most imbecile head of a nation the world has and will ever see, was an even higher degree of stupidity that adorned the other Republican nominees. Contenders to Trump such as the gentile, wallowing-in-campign-funds Jeb Bush, the nonsense spouting fountain of crass talk, Ben Carson, the clueless and completely overwhelmed Ted Cruz, whom Taibbi professes to possess a “odd neckless monitor lizard posture” and a score of other dithering non-performers made Trump the inglorious Svengali of all that he saw.
The disconnect which the Democrats unwittingly and condescendingly allowed to develop between themselves and a bunch of disgruntled voters ensured that “the Donald” garnered support despite a litany of “Trumpian” blunders ( a classic example being when his clown of a spokesperson Katrina Pierson said Barack Obama’s policies “probably” caused the death of a soldier killed in Iraq—in 2004! When confronted about her mistake, she said, “That’s why I used ‘probably.’ ”) and in spite of a “Trumped” up arrogance. Taibbi also packs it in for the creed of journalists who instead of standing up against the antics of a half insane reckless individual, molly-cuddled him and elevated him to an unbecoming status of a media star thereby shamelessly and selfishly enhancing their own channel ratings to stratospheric levels. As Taibbi puts it, albeit in a shockingly disgusting manner, “actually, guessing that Trump’s campaign had a chance at success and shoving your tongue a foot and a half up the Trumpian orifice are two completely different journalistic acts.”
With “Insane Clown President…..” Matt Taibbi has produced a classic jeremiad of lost hopes, blunted common sense and most of all a tactful and devious exploitation of a disenchanted mass by a demented politician and his equally deranged coterie of loose cannons and self-professed racists. The world watches in disbelief as a band of white supremacists take over the economic, cultural and social machinery of the world’s oldest and richest democracy.
Hope the effort does not come unhinged!
lpg's review
challenging
dark
informative
tense
slow-paced
3.75
Interesting, in short doses. Matt Taibbi is much better read as a columnist. In book form. his constant air of disdain, and assumption of personal moral authority, quickly becomes tiring. I got through it, by reading a chapter at a time, and no more than three a day. Still debating if the effort was truly worth the value recieved.
It is an interesting and sometimes insightful look at Donald Trump's conquest of the Republican Party. Occasional flashes of humour (I did laugh out loud a few times), heavy on the sarcasm, and just enough keen insight to make the read worth suffering through the chatter.
Worth noting: he spares no one, including himself, on those few occasions when he climbs down from his pedastel of personal superiority and admits to the same errors of judgement he has condemend everyone else for.
This is as good an explanation for Donald Trump's electoral "victory" in 2016 as any I have read to date.
It is an interesting and sometimes insightful look at Donald Trump's conquest of the Republican Party. Occasional flashes of humour (I did laugh out loud a few times), heavy on the sarcasm, and just enough keen insight to make the read worth suffering through the chatter.
Worth noting: he spares no one, including himself, on those few occasions when he climbs down from his pedastel of personal superiority and admits to the same errors of judgement he has condemend everyone else for.
This is as good an explanation for Donald Trump's electoral "victory" in 2016 as any I have read to date.
unionmack's review against another edition
4.0
Taibbi is one of the most quick-witted, honest, and user-friendly politics writers I know of and this book is no exception. It's crazy to think how the events detailed here happened so recently; it already feels like eons ago. He does a great job of showing why: it was a time-stretching circus of absurdity for two years straight that's only gotten worse since the election. He's light, somber, and everything in between and each of these moods comes across as utterly genuine. His congeniality and humility is a trait I wish more journalists shared, as it makes him all the more persuasive and likable. He comes across more like a fellow, albeit more eloquent, observer rather than a pundit class explainer. The sort of guy who'd just ask you "Can you believe this shit?" rather than launch into a stuffy presentation about what he's learned in his years in the press. All to say: an excellent book about a ridiculous time.
charshorrorcorner's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
The only thing I really miss about my Rolling Stone subscription is the reporting of Matt Taibbi. And maybe the scary-ass environmental articles written by Bill McKibben. (I canceled my 25 year standing order because they had the audacity, {stupidity?}, to put the Boston bomber POS on the cover. I'm surprised this Massachusetts girl received her copy intact and not covered in spittle.) When I saw the audio of this book was available at my library, I eagerly put it on hold, but I'm sorry to say I'm a bit disappointed.
What I liked about this book was Taibbi's bluntness about the state of our media and the role that it plays in elections. I also liked his exploration of how that role has changed over the years-especially in regards to the 24 hour news cycle that now dominates our airwaves. I also liked the fact that he was hard on Hillary and her campaign. I'm not a Trump fan but I'm not a Hillary fan either. Taibbi went into some depth about how our candidates are selected in this country and it's not by us-America's citizens. It's by money. It's by the press. It's by those powerful people behind the scenes and their machinations. It's disgusting.
Regarding the media...all these talking heads and pundits and opinions. What happened to the freaking NEWS? What happened to the facts? I hate to say that Trump is right about anything, but the media is no longer trustworthy, if it ever was. They are out to sell us what they consider news. And guess what? Poverty doesn't sell. No one wants to see homeless people while they're eating dinner. People might turn the channel! No one could go without covering Trump's antics during the campaign, or even now, because people love that stuff! Here we are 6 months into Trump's administration and what has he accomplished? We're all too interested in Russia and Trump's Twitter feed to look too closely. Every time he Tweets the public is distracted. Again.
What I didn't like about this book, at least at times, was its flippancy. The campaign drinking games portion could have been funny-if it was done just once. Doing it twice, with lists of rules a mile long was redundant and irritating. The portion about who would play these candidates in a movie was also boring. I love Matt Taibbi's sense of humor and razor sharp wit, but I think these chapters were cheap shots and beneath his abilities and intellect. Then again, the title of the book is Insane Clown President and some of these things are insane.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I still love Taibbi. I wouldn't recommend it to Hillary lovers though, unless they are ready to hear some hard truths. I expect that many are not.
The only thing I really miss about my Rolling Stone subscription is the reporting of Matt Taibbi. And maybe the scary-ass environmental articles written by Bill McKibben. (I canceled my 25 year standing order because they had the audacity, {stupidity?}, to put the Boston bomber POS on the cover. I'm surprised this Massachusetts girl received her copy intact and not covered in spittle.) When I saw the audio of this book was available at my library, I eagerly put it on hold, but I'm sorry to say I'm a bit disappointed.
What I liked about this book was Taibbi's bluntness about the state of our media and the role that it plays in elections. I also liked his exploration of how that role has changed over the years-especially in regards to the 24 hour news cycle that now dominates our airwaves. I also liked the fact that he was hard on Hillary and her campaign. I'm not a Trump fan but I'm not a Hillary fan either. Taibbi went into some depth about how our candidates are selected in this country and it's not by us-America's citizens. It's by money. It's by the press. It's by those powerful people behind the scenes and their machinations. It's disgusting.
Regarding the media...all these talking heads and pundits and opinions. What happened to the freaking NEWS? What happened to the facts? I hate to say that Trump is right about anything, but the media is no longer trustworthy, if it ever was. They are out to sell us what they consider news. And guess what? Poverty doesn't sell. No one wants to see homeless people while they're eating dinner. People might turn the channel! No one could go without covering Trump's antics during the campaign, or even now, because people love that stuff! Here we are 6 months into Trump's administration and what has he accomplished? We're all too interested in Russia and Trump's Twitter feed to look too closely. Every time he Tweets the public is distracted. Again.
What I didn't like about this book, at least at times, was its flippancy. The campaign drinking games portion could have been funny-if it was done just once. Doing it twice, with lists of rules a mile long was redundant and irritating. The portion about who would play these candidates in a movie was also boring. I love Matt Taibbi's sense of humor and razor sharp wit, but I think these chapters were cheap shots and beneath his abilities and intellect. Then again, the title of the book is Insane Clown President and some of these things are insane.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and I still love Taibbi. I wouldn't recommend it to Hillary lovers though, unless they are ready to hear some hard truths. I expect that many are not.
katiecski's review
3.0
An interesting look into analyzes of the election, why people voted for Trump, and the what went wrong.
donifaber's review
4.0
A scathing critique, not only of Trump and other presidential candidates, but also the media, which in part, was responsible for the election results.
jessfoley's review
4.0
Matt Taibbi's astutely, bleak Insane Clown President: Dispatches from the 2016 Circus is basically an adult, Hunter S. Thompson-esque, horror version of Jon Stone's classic The Monster at the End of this Book starring the Lovable, Furry Old Grover. (Because you know, the monster at the end of Matt's book is His Orange-ness, Trump).
The only short shots of hope Taibbi offers the reader are found in the chapters about Bernie Sanders.
( But all hope in Bernie has evaporated. He could have been our FDR, but nope. We don't deserve him, and I'm done. Too sore a subject).
Insane Clown President may have been published three years ago but it accurately reflects the hopelessness of this American moment with Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg now passed.& Yes I snapped a pic of the very last sentence in this book because it's perfect. I did to this book what Trump's done to this country. #spoiledit. Pics can be found on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFU1_5XjSuL/
The only short shots of hope Taibbi offers the reader are found in the chapters about Bernie Sanders.
( But all hope in Bernie has evaporated. He could have been our FDR, but nope. We don't deserve him, and I'm done. Too sore a subject).
Insane Clown President may have been published three years ago but it accurately reflects the hopelessness of this American moment with Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg now passed.& Yes I snapped a pic of the very last sentence in this book because it's perfect. I did to this book what Trump's done to this country. #spoiledit. Pics can be found on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFU1_5XjSuL/
shainas's review
5.0
A well reasoned book about the 2016 election that looks at the absolute insanity of Trump and the very large mistakes that Hillary Clinton made. It helps you to understand how and why Trump won, but also how and why Clinton lost. These things are both related, and stand on their own.
Several of the chapters are articles that Matt Taibbi wrote while on the campaign trail for Rolling Stone. They swing between thinking that Trump has a chance, thinking that Trump could never win, then reassessing where he went wrong. The articles follow what seems to be real time views of the campaign and brings me back to my own thoughts and fears at the time.
Taibbi takes a sharp look not only a politics, but also the effect of media.
Several of the chapters are articles that Matt Taibbi wrote while on the campaign trail for Rolling Stone. They swing between thinking that Trump has a chance, thinking that Trump could never win, then reassessing where he went wrong. The articles follow what seems to be real time views of the campaign and brings me back to my own thoughts and fears at the time.
Taibbi takes a sharp look not only a politics, but also the effect of media.