Fascinating, insightful and ominous insight into the politics of our time

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	• The Race Richard North Patterson Henry Holt and Co., 2007 - 352 pages average customer review:based on 51 reviews view larger image
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Fascinating, insightful and ominous insight into the politics of our time

Corey Grace, a war hero and Republican senator, wants to be president. He's not sure if the time is right for someone like him, however: his party has been taken over by Bible-thumpers and the hard right, and he's moderate, an agnostic and 'soft' on gays. Events conspire to make him decide to run, and this book is as much about Grace's fight for the soul of his party as it is about his run for the presidency.

For those who prefer to read about Democrats, be warned: Democrats barely rate a mention here, and most of those - in the POV of the characters - are disparaging. But fear not: you'll still find this gripping. Internicine strife, party politics, dirty tricks, manipulative behaviour, exaggerated claims designed to destroy other candidates: they're all in here. And some, too, have an amazingly prescient feel to them. This book, amazing as it seems, was written and published before the 2008 election campaign. There were times when I had to check the publication date given events in the book.

What strikes me most about this book is that it's such a convicing account of what has become the reality of politics - and much of life - in America: for all the talk about freedom, there really is very little. Freedom of speech? Not if you want to talk about gay rights, opposing gun ownership, different ways of financing public services and even increasing taxes. Freedom of religion? Only if your religion of choice is Christianity. If you're of another religion, or none, forget it. It would be easier for the proverbial camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for an atheist to be elected to national political office in the US today. And, of course, the assumption is made that there's only one strand of moral beliefs permissible if you're Christian, an assumption Patterson challenges several times through Corey Grace's words, and later the words of General Cortland Lane (a thinly-disguised Colin Powell).

The ending was a tad fantastical, and also unnecessary in my opinion, but that doesn't spoil a hard-hitting, very credible critique of the state of right-wing politics today. Very much enjoyed this book.

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The Race

I enjoyed the book and found it most interesting as I read it during the election period and it gave me a better perspective on how things might possibly work in the government system and the things that can go on behind the scenes. It was very good reading.

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Spot On!

Spot on book on politics in America. Brilliantly written. The characters literally jump off the page and grab you. It would be great to read a follow up. The Senator and Lexie have quickly become my favorite couple. Thank you Mr. Patterson for showing how as Christians we have prostituted ourselves to the political process and one party..

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A WAR HERO RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT FALLS FOR A BLACK MOVIE STAR

In this election year, the story of Corey Grace is eerily familiar--sort of a composite of John McCain with Barack Obama's demeanor. War hero Corey Grace is both haunted and driven by the fact that he let his friend die in the war because he made a foolish decision. No one knows until he falls for Lexie Hart, a beautiful black movie star. The political race for POTUS is a nasty one (oops, does that sound familiar) with lots of mud slinging, and false accusations.

When Corey is about to declare that he is indeed running for president, he must weigh what his love affair will mean to the public. Will it impact his chances and if so, which one will he choose? Lexie also is faced with decisions, because the opposition is sure to dig up the skeletons in her closet.

The Christian candidate is triangulating the race and can throw his support in either direction. What a bargaining chip. And what is Corey's deep, dark secret. One that he hopes his parents will never uncover.

The Race is a page turner, particularly as we come to the end of a very nasty race for the presidency in real life. If you like action, romance, political antics and treachery all wrapped up in a neat package, you'll love The Race.

Morgan St. James
Silver Sisters Mysteries-Funny Crime Capers
A Corpse in the Soup Paperback: 978 1597058056 CD 978 1596078574
Best Mystery Audio Book 2007 - USA Book News

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Can an honest man become president? In this timely and provocative novel, a maverick candidate takes on his political enemies and the ruthless machinery of American politics Corey Grace?a handsome and charismatic Republican senator from Ohio?is plunged by an act of terrorism into a fierce presidential primary battle with the favorite of the party establishment and a magnetic leader of the Christian right. A decorated Gulf War Air Force pilot known for speaking his mind, Grace?s reputation for voting his own conscience rather than the party line?together with his growing romance with Lexie Hart, an African-American movie star?has earned him a reputation as a maverick and an iconoclast. But Grace is still haunted by a tragic mistake buried deep in his past, and now his integrity will be put to the test in this most brutal of political contests, in which nothing in his past or present life is off-limits.
Depicting contemporary power politics at its most ruthless, The Race takes on the most incendiary issues in American culture: racism, terrorism, religious fundamentalism, gay rights, and the rise of media monopolies with their own agenda and lust for power. As the pressure of the campaign intensifies, Grace encounters betrayal, excruciating moral choices, and secrets that can destroy lives. Ultimately, the race leads to a deadlocked party convention where Grace must resolve the conflict between his romance with Lexie and his presidential ambitions?and decide just who and what he is willing to sacrifice.

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