Another Look

Amazon Book Review of: On the Road with Hillary: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Journey from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate

Amazon Description: None

Review:

Alright, I’ll be the first to admit that as a die-hard political news junkie, I had a hard time passing On the Road with Hillary one up. When I’m looking to get the latest bit of political gossip (all the better to meticulously pick apart with a fine toothed comb and later blanch about in a heated blog post) I want it to be a clear cut, unimpassioned view of the issues. I apologize to editors everywhere but; opinions - especially political ones - are just far too messy. And, no, I don’t miss the irony in that statement regarding the type of essay I’m currently writing. But as we all know, books are stuffy subjects and, upon picking this book up, I felt a bit of inflammatory rhetoric couldn’t hurt, right?

Immediately, I could tell this one would be a doozy; and it wasn’t the bright pink and neon yellow color scheme. No, a book on either of the Clintons was bound to be a wholly impassioned one. There was the chance of either a right-wing rail against the very fundamentals of the Clinton machine or a reproachful decry of the news media’s special hate for the ex-presidential family and undying loyal support that Clinton activists are famous for. Despite the cover sporting a look best described as “embarrassing”, this book falls in the latter camp.

For many, this reading would be a bit of an outdated one. Published before recent political events, this book misses the time line entirely of Hillary: presidential nominee to instead trace the path of Hillary: presidential wife. This is apparent in the books subtitle: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Journey from Arkansas to the U.S. Senate. Told by one of Hillary’s best advance men Patrick S. Halley, it becomes readily apparent that this would be for the most part a feel-good novel. And I’m not ashamed to confess that, putting aside all personal political stances, I felt good reading this.

Quick, with writing balanced by a rather well-paced, good-sized read, On the Road knows how to tell and entertaining story. And that is no small feat. Despite the rather frantic, heady life of those in the political arena - the work itself can be boring, monotonous and - well - make for a less than exciting tale. That however is not the issue here. Far less likely than this, you’ll probably noticed instead the almost single-minded liberal slant that Hillary adopts. There is an attempt to make this seem like a natural outgrowth of years dedicated to the former first lady. Of course, one must realize that it would be hard to be around such company and not be caught in the excitement of their cause; but we are only ever given a sneering commentary of the right that edges on domineering.

The humor in On the Road with Hillary is dished out a mile a minute. At its best he reaches nuanced conclusions hitting on the ironies of the distressed political world. At its worst, well, you be the judge of such quaint jabs such as one chapter entitled “Cookie Monster” in regards to, of course, a certain line said by Hillary that certainly offended a large demography of stay at home moms. Its hard to come off hating the man though; he is just as quick to make a self deprecating joke after faulting on the opposing party’s line. It doesn’t hurt that his tone stays consistently affable and unabashedly his own throughout. He is quick to remind and the reader (should) know; the book is nothing more than an extended anecdote (along with a surprisingly enjoyable process analysis of the work involved in advancing) that takes on an unrelenting unashamed view exclusively from the left side of the camp.

His devotion with the stance, the Clinton campaign, and Hillary herself never falters and borders on more than one occasion with outright adoration. It is to be suspected that working personally with Hillary in a highly emotional, stressed environment would lead to more than just a professionally based connection. As he constantly shows: there will be sweat, blood, and tears. There is a certain level of discomfort placed upon the reader, however, as we are left to speculate upon just how closely he feels with the former first lady. Yes, he’s worked with the woman for a good number of years and most likely receded his hair line back a few goo inches with the amount of stress involved; but we are given no mention of his wife back home after such sentimental remunerations of Hillary or even if he has a wife back home to mention. Off-putting as this may be, we are only subjected to endure this a few times throughout the entire course of the text and doesn’t prove to be too bothersome.

Upon finishing On the Road, one is most likely to be left with a feeling of new appreciation (if not unguarded hate if you’re the type of person that Halley likes to poke so much fun at) for the type of work involved, gain a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the political life, breathe a sigh of relief along with Halley after a particularly stressful advance job, or feel the heady rush of achievement upon success in the political campaign; for as in all campaigns, sweet victory is a battle won but it remains only a battle in the more far-reaching war.

On the Road with Hillary is not only a celebration of the Clinton family, a look into what really goes on behind the scenes, and a poke - however lighthearted and fun - at the right, but is, at times, an insightful piece too. There is a constant pervading sense that Patrick S. Halley is always on the cusp of some deeper realization. That is, when he puts aside the left or right-wing rhetoric and makes larger extrapolations on politics itself, his ideas are made substantial. However these moments are too far and few between and become obscured just as quickly as they appear by a self-deprecating jab; almost as if he feels uncomfortable when departing from tired ground to make his own view.

An interesting read but certainly not a running candidate amongst the echelons of great political writings, On the Road with Hillary should not be entirely dismissed. It is not for everyone to be sure, relying almost exclusively on opinion as its fueling force. But perhaps it is up to the reader to put aside their own opinions, here, and look at a side they may not have seen with a measured nuanced view where he does not. Perhaps there is no greater task asked of the reader than to share along with Halley in his sunny eyed recounts of politics in a celebration of its best, worst, and funniest moments.