This is Mr. Keillor's apologetics for being a Democrat. The front inside jacket quotes him saying "I DIDN'T BECOME A DEMOCRAT BECAUSE I WAS ANGRY,"...

From the back of the dust jack is this quote: "We democrats are deeply flawed people, we can be earnestly boring and awfully righteous about moral issues in faraway places. We can be weenies, capable of doing dumb things in the name of the common good. But we do stick to our guns. We believe in decency and public spiritedness and have refused to hitch our wagon to yahooism and have suupported government as a necessary force for good. And we are passionate. This is a year for passion."

I really enjoy most of what Keillor writes. His sense of humor hits me with things out from left field that I never expected. This treatise is no diffferent. Oh, he is trying to tote the party line, sincerely. I just don't take him too seriously. There are many funny parts of the book which I *did* enjoy because many Republicans (which is how I leaned *this* year) can claim the same faults, although stigmatized with a different animal symbol.

Would you like a limerick from the first chapter? Here ya go:


There was a young man from the City
Who formed a Campaign committee
But gave up the race
When he saw that his face
Looked just like his butt -- what a pity

I didn't mind the book at all. I found it entertaining and since it came out well before the elections of '04, I think he did his part to promote his party and ticket. Perhaps, many should read the book in the next four years and try again :)

Bookray List

Below are the participants in this bookray. You may join at any time and will be added to the list when you PM me. I am sending it to the BC'er closest to me, one week from the Bookring posting date.

Once you have read the book you can send it to whom ever you want to :) Pick the closest, the farthest, a state you fancy, International if you see someone across the pond: it is up to you. I just thought it would be a nice way to break up the way it is normally done.

I am listing the participants in the order I recieved the PM, and will indicate if that person has read the book. I hope you all enjoy Garrison's unique style of humor, and his revealing honesty about other parts of his life.

Following the state I indicated how that state went in the 2004 elections. That does *NOT* mean the individual BC'er voted that way - I thought it was just another way to add flavor to this listing. If anyone has an objection to it, it will be removed immediately, with my apologies. I used the map at CNN.com.

sweetpea0678 D - Florida (the Sunshine State) R Journaled 30 Aug 05
shpriz1 D - New York (the Empire State) B Journaled 16 Jul 05
45Costello - Pennsylvania (the Keystone State) B Journaled 30 Jun 05
Piper79 D ± - Indiana - (the Hoosier State) R Journaled 3 Dec 04
MerindaD - Ohio (the Buckeye State) R
JeepACV D - Maryland (the Old Line State) B Journaled June 17th
yourotherleft D - Pennsylvania (the Keystone State) B
djfil D - Georgia (the Peach State) R
Foucault D - New Jersey (the Garden State) B
keister - Alaska (the Land of the Midnight Sun) R Currently has the book. Journaled Oct 24th
jamieh2003 - West Virginia (the Mountain State) R
surfenkitten - New Jersey (the Garden State) B
leeann347 D - South Carolina (the Palmetto State) R

* State Slogans came from Netstate.com

---

Some other opinions on the book from fellow BC'ers: librarymousie, tgyardbird1, beteljooz, svenska122, Badgerjim, allysther, and joeartichoke.

Happy Days!

On it's way to Piper79 for the first leg of this 4 year (?) bookray.

This book was a bit too general in its criticisms, but it was interesting to read. I expected it to be more insightful, but it was just a way to pass a few hours… much like listening to Prairie Home Companion. I am not saying that this is a bad thing. I remember my parents listening to Prairie Home Companion when I was younger and I just never seemed to get it. I think I still don't. I'm not that nostalgic... just bitter. This book is entertaining and may offer you a kernel of wisdom and a warm feeling, but don’t expect it to last. I did quite enjoy the chapter "The Good Democrat." I thought it had some good points, points the party needs to focus on in order to win. Democrats need to study how to put some sense into some Americans, how we can show them we intend to be (but are not always) the party of the poor, oppressed, and disgruntled. One problem (out of many) is that Democrats simply haven’t found a good way of is putting their money where their mouths are.
Here are some talking points I took from the book.
pg 110
I think it is appaling the way most republicans oppose abortion and then hack away at public services which will support and sustain most of these sacred lives. Keillor is right when he says this is moral dishonesty.
pg 138
Again, most republicans don't see the big picture. They don't make the connection between their politics and unspeakable acts done to children and the elderly.
pg 170
Keillor says he counts on civil society to defend him. I think this is the democratic way. Democrats, in general, seem much more interested in building and maintaining communities that help each other in times of sorrow, but also, in times of prosperity.
pg 180
True democrats are themselves and are not apologetic about it. More people could learn from this. More often than not these days, people hide behind facades which obscure who they really are deep down.

Sent to Merinda on December 16, 2004

Released on Thursday, December 16, 2004 at about 12:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at fellow bookcrosser by mail in Salem, Ohio USA.

RELEASE NOTES:

Controlled release- Sent to Merinda for Bookring

This bookring arrived yesterday! I'm excited to read this one, thanks for passing it on. I'm starting on it right away.

Being a "liberal wacko" according to some of my co-workers, I obviously indentified with many of the sentiments in this book. I was also raised in the mid-west, so the characteristics of his neighbors are familiar to me as well.

The book is pretty much a series of chapters that read like various essays (or ramnblings) on what is good about Democrats and what is good about the good people who are Democrats.

I have 45Costello's address and I'll be shipping this out early next week.

RELEASE NOTES:

Arrived today. Will read and pass along ASAP.

Finished reading this morning. Having spent my whole life on the east coast, I found it difficult at times to relate to Keillor's stories od mid-western life. Still, I enjoyed Keillor's writing and would consider checking out his other work.

I should hopefully have this off in the mail today or tomorrow.

sent on its way this morning. enjoy!

Received it today. Looking forward to reading it.

Geez....It took me FOREVER to finish this book. I have a question - what the heck was this book all about? And what's up with these super long sentences? Arghhhh...
**********************************************************************************************************
Now the book is off to...surfenkitten

Well, surfenkitten is on vacation and is not responding to PMs at this time, so I am mailing the book to sweetpea instead.

RELEASE NOTES:

Mailing it to sweetpea0678

Book has arrived.

UPDATE: I AM STARTING THIS TODAY, HAVE PMed KEISTER FOR THE ADDRESS AND WILL SEND OUT BY END OF THIS WEEK OR BEGINNING OF NEXT AS LONG AS I HAVE AN ADDY.

WILL JOURNAL AGAIN ONCE I FINISH READING.

THANKS FOR SHARING.

RELEASE NOTES:

on its way to keister.

I left Minnesota in '79 and it keeps stalking me. Stationed in northern Japan a decade after leaving and How to Talk Minnesotan appears in my mailbox. I hide in Alaska, working out in the middle of nowhere and have the only available station (though very staticky) and Prairie Home Companion comes out of my speakers. This week I innocently go to my mailbox and find Garrison Keillor hiding in there - he's very flexible. So now he will stare at me while I finish my current read, waiting and stareing, stareing and waiting..... in that "polite Minnesotan" way.

:9D

I sure do like Garrison Keillor! Perhaps it is because of where I grew up that I really 'get' his stories. Or perhaps because I can hear him as I read. Either was he seemed to want to stay here, I'm sorry!!! The Homegrown Democrat and The Stupidest Angel were found hiding on a shelf all bundled up and ready to ship..... but they hadn't left yet!!!!

Many sorry's to everyone waiting, but all books are on the way.....

This came in the mail yesterday. I've got a lot on my plate at the moment, but I will do my best to get it read and passed on as quick as I can. Thanks!

I decided that this wasn't exactly my "cup of tea" at the moment, so instead of holding it up any longer, it's traveling on to Foucault. Thanks for sharing!

I'm a very bad BookCrosser...very bad!

I've had this book a very long time. Unfortunately, I got a bit burned out
with lots of things going on at once, and I just dropped the ball as far as
BookCrossing is concerned. Now I'm trying to make good.

So, I shall contact the next in line, and the next until I find someone who wants to take this from me, even after this length of time.

My apologies for holding this up for such a long time - it's still worth
reading! I would say it's more about common decency than the Democratic Party. Anyone familiar with Keillor's broadcasting will feel right at home with this.

UPDATE: 4/13/07: I've PMed surfenkitten about this.
UPDATE 4/19/07: I'll be sending this book to surfenkitten.

This book is finally on its way, this time to surfenkitten - Enjoy!

so i'm even a worse bookcrosser than Foucault...yikes, I never even journaled this when I got it, ages ago....

While it's a bit out of date for the election it was meant for, I began reading it just as the madness for the 2008 election began. I like Keillor's philosophy, and of course his humor. But I wonder what he would have to say about "bailouts" and "executive bonuses" ?????

will contact next on list & Rutchmather to find out what to do with it!

Update 03/19/09: Leeann47 didn't want it. contacting Rutchmather.