This is actually my second reading of Al Franken’s book Lies (And the Lying Liars Who Tell Them). I was shuffling my books around and got into reading this again.
Al Franken is funny, and puts up some pretty convincing information about the Republican and mainstream media smear machine. Though my thought is he plays up the right wing’s involvement to the detriment of the culpability of supposedly unbiased folks like C.N.N. and the Washington Post.
But I have mixed feelings about the book. See, I think Al Franken is playing Lee Atwater’s game right back at the Republicans. Sure, it worked for them, but I’m not so sure it will work a second time around. And really, I’d rather lose than mimic the tactics of the unscrupulous right.
See, what I think could happen is Franken taking on the actual issues and showing how liberals and progressives are right on the issues. But he could do it with humor that would ultimately win over folks. Kind of like Scott Adams does with his blog and some of his books. For my blog reading money, Scott Adams’ Dilbert Blog is the best blog out there. He covers thoughtful issues in a funny way that makes sense. Granted, Adams is covering a more philosophical set than Franken generally does. But I think Franken could be covering the nitty gritty of political issues much like Adams, and in the process show how we can win without becoming a smear machine like the right.
But it’s still a funny read.
Title: Lies : and the lying liars who tell them : a fair and balanced look at the Right
Author: Al Franken
Imprint / publisher: Dutton / Penguin
Format: Hardcover
Length: 377 p.
Publication date: August 2003
ISBN-10: 0-525-94764-7
Subject: Conservatism — United States — Humor
Subject: Right and left (Political science) — Humor
Subject: Truthfulness and falsehood — Political aspects — United States — Humor
Subject: Rhetoric — Political aspects — United States — Humor
Subject: Mass media — Political aspects — United States — Humor
Subject: Political culture — United States — Humor
Subject: Political satire, American
Subject: United States — Politics and government — 2001- — Humor
LC classification: E902 .F74 2003
