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By Jaci Rodgers 
Americans look for many characteristics in their presidential candidates, including signs of intelligence and curiosity. One indicator of such an elusive trait is reading, which has served both Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul in unlikely ways.
One of the most difficult characteristics of campaigning, for both candidates and voters, is to allow the proper amount of humanity into the election. Voters want their elected officials to be both human and super human, and likewise, candidates want to appear extraordinary, and yet still relatable to the average citizen. One way to expose the candidates as humans is to focus on their personal lives and preferences, and use small details to gain insight into their personalities and politics. Literature is one avenue to pursue; over the years many candidates have been asked to provide their favorite books or talk about their reading list as a window into their candidacy.
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"Most viewers agreed that Giuliani,
and many Americans lacked Paul's academic understanding of the situation." |
During the 2004 presidential election, Dennis Kucinich, when asked about his reading choices, replied that he, "favored the works of Studs Terkel and... had recently finished reading The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq by Christopher Scheer, Robert Scheer, and Lakshani Chaudhry (Seven Stories)."[i] More recently, the New York Times listed suggested science fiction reading for all presidential contenders based on their past selections and present campaigns. For Kucinich, "Might also consider reading 'The Running Man,' by Richard Bachman: A desperate participant in a brutal TV contest appears to be the only person who doesn't realize there's no way he can win it." Ron Paul, on the other hand, "Should tell reporters he's read 'The Invisible Man,' by H. G. Wells: Thanks to his singular affliction, an oddly dressed, unstable man is able to make life difficult for his many rivals."[ii]
Additionally, an interview with Kucinich by Amanda Paulson of the Christian Science Monitor opens with a description of his office. A noted item in the room was a script of 'The Man of La Mancha,' which may symbolize Kucinich's own quixotic adventures into political life. Paulson further explores Kucinich's literary leanings toward the romanticism; "From the time he was young, Kucinich has been reading the likes of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Browning, and the Romantic poets. He still quotes them and considers many of their ideas part of his broader sense of faith. A particular favorite is Percy Shelley's "Prometheus Unbound" - whose final lines mirror Kucinich's own belief that love and hope must challenge oppression."[iii]
Sometimes discussion of literature in the political forum is not as whimsical. At the second 2007 Republican debate, Paul "squared off" with former New York Governor Rudy Giuliani over the role of U.S. foreign policy in the development of conflict of the Middle East.[iv] When Paul proclaimed that U.S. policy was in part responsible the attacks on the World Trade Center, Giuliani felt that position was "absurd." In response, Paul released a reading list to aid Giuliani in catching up on his foreign policy education, a list that included the 9/11 Commission report and 'Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror' by Michael Scheuer. When CNN's the Cafferty File covered the spat and offered viewers the chance to comment on Paul's response, most viewers agreed that Giuliani, and many Americans lacked Paul's academic understanding of the situation.
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"A noted item in the room was
a script of 'The Man of La Mancha,' which may symbolize Kucinich's own quixotic adventures into political life." |
Ironically, reading is also a common political trait of these very different candidates. A comical YouTube submission, entitled "2008 Presidency: The Importance of Reading," show clips of Kucinich and Paul during their respective debates citing their reading ability as a simple, yet powerful political technique.[v] When asked why he voted against the Patriot Act, Kucinich says simply, "Because I read it." And in discussing foreign policy actions, Paul heatedly calls for reading the Constitution instead of consulting with lawyers. According to these candidates, it seems reading is a common activity that has been widely taken for granted.
[i] http://news.bookweb.org/news/2130.html
[ii] http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/16/books/review/Itzkoff-t.html
[iii] http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1231/p01s02-uspo.html
[iv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhjfuBYw8Ko
[v] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIfm7vLKCws&feature=related
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