Book Review: "Slander".........

In “Slander” lawyer and author Ann Coulter has written what could be considered a companion to Bernard Goldberg’s “Bias”; which was released earlier this year. However where Goldberg pulled his punches and wrote by and large a tame book, Coulter comes out of the corner swinging. With laser like precision and her trademark acerbic wit Coulter makes a case for what she sees as the unholy crusade being waged by the American left against the American right.

This exhaustively researched and footnoted book (over 30 pages containing over 700 footnotes) cover’s issues from the 2000 election; to the left’s characterization of conservative Republicans as either a mindless imbeciles (e.g. Reagan , Bush and Quayle) or a scary authoritarians (e.g. Gingrich, Bork and Nixon); to a comparison of the media’s treatment of Phyllis Schlafly vs Gloria Steinem and many more. In the process she gets in a great deal of criticism of “moderate” i.e. liberal Republican’s, the New York Times, most major media in general and the debating style of the left (call your opponent names and be done with it!).

No one will ever accuse Ann Coulter of subtlety. Some, most likely those on the left, might be inclined to dismiss this book as the bombastic and hyperbolic rantings of a right-wing harpy. However, given the unfriendly reception Ms. Coulter has received in her many media appearance I suspect that she has struck a very raw nerve and that at the very least some of what she says is true. That being said I would very much like to read a point by point rebuttal of her arguments by an equally committed member of the left.

If you are a conservative and are sick and tired of mealy mouthed, meek Republican’s afraid to stand up for themselves this book with have you laughing, cheering and leave you thoroughly satisfied. If you are a liberal or a Democrat you had better have taken your blood pressure medication prior to opening the pages of “Slander”.