All Politics Is Personal
by Jim Derych
Category: Political Science

Mark Twain once wrote, "In religion and politics people's beliefs and convictions are in almost every case gotten at second-hand, and without examination, from authorities who have not themselves examined the questions at issue but have taken them at second-hand from other non-examiners." This perfectly sums up the current situation in Washington, where our elected officials make law and policy without giving consideration-or even being aware of-the needs of average Americans, creating a disconnect between the "political" and the "personal." In All Politics Is Personal, Jim Derych contrasts the Beltway rhetoric with the real world to show how politicians on both sides of the political divide routinely fail the voters they're supposed to be representing. Using his unique perspective on the Left and the Right, Jim examines the perceptions of liberals and conservatives on the prevailing issues of the day, comparing these perceptions with the real-life experiences of a cross section of Americans. Read about the passionate debate between a Republican father and his liberal daughter on the Iraq War, then find out what the soldiers who actually fought have to say, or compare the discussion that a conservative talk show host and his liberal guest have on health care with the reality of a cancer patient who lost his insurance coverage. Starting with the conventional, like friends and family members who are loathe to talk politics, and ending with the often heart-wrenching stories of those who have suffered the consequences of today's political disconnect, Jim analyzes the ever-expanding gap between the rhetoric of politicians and the experiences of the people they're supposed to represent. Jim Derych's first book, Confessions of a Former Dittohead, was called "one of the most important political books of 2006," by Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos.