I don’t know exactly when you guys started on this “all opinions are equally valid” thing, but you must recognize that factual relativism is nothing more than a way to avoid debate, right?
Actually I’m halfway through the book. As a point of reference, this is the seventh Woodward book that I’ve read.
I’m still scratching my head over what LIBs were hoping to find in this book. If you would have read other Woodward books, you would find that he provided some good insight into the inner workings of prior administrations. Each of them unique in their own way.
Halfway through this book, I haven’t run into any earthshattering revelations that I wasn’t already aware of in regards to the various infighting and various camps competing for Trump’s attention. That is pretty much in line with how Trump has managed throughout his life. It has carried over to the WH. As I’ve stated in the past, I’m all about the results and don’t care too much about the process.
A left-leaning, centrist, political junkie friend of mine finished the book, and he just told me that before reading it, he was “99% sure” that Trump had colluded with Russia. After reading the book, he says that now he’s not so sure–although he didn’t update his percentages.
All of which makes Trump’s admission of obstruction of justice to Lester Holt so much odder.
So, my copy came in last night. I’m only a couple of chapters in, but a couple of things have already stuck out to me.
The book opens with a meeting where he was considering a presidential run in 2010. During that meeting, it came out that he essentially had not idea there was a pro-life / pro- choice debate going on in the country. Wow - I have to wonder what rock he has been hiding under for the last 5 decades. That is literally one of the key linchpins (if not THE linchpin) of the Republican platform. I knew all about that debate before I even hit puberty.
His voting record (specifically lack of voting in primaries with one exception) was discussed. He kept swearing he had voted every single time he had the opportunity. Trump apparently didn’t know what a primary election was. Again, this one floored me. I have voted in every single primary, runoff, and general election since I was 19 (the first time I was eligible). We’ve got a sitting president where the voting system in this country had to be explained to him before he ran. Think about that.
I’m only on chapter 2 right now. I have a feeling I’m going to be shaking my head quite a bit over the next few days.