TO BE A POLITICIAN

by Stimson Bullitt ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 19, 1958

This is an examination of the ""life led by politicians, their conditions of labor, habits of mind, the qualities which their work demands and some of their trade secrets"" by a Seattle lawyer who has twice run for Congress as a Democrat. What threatens to be merely some random, personal, perhaps cynical comments about the political scene turns out to be an extremely thoughtful exposition of what it takes to be a politician in the second half of twentieth century pluralistic America. He discusses who runs for public office, and why; the rewards of politics, and the drawbacks; the ethical dilemmas; the campaign -- changing party organization; the candidate -- the cult of the ""personality""- and he lists the qualities and virtues of the successful politician: moderation, sincerity, warmth- and more important -- a sense of history, an inner life, periods free from the responsibility of daily political decisions. An able, incisive effort which delivers much more than it promises.

Pub Date: March 19, 1958

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1958

Categories: NONFICTION