Usually when Americans go to Florida for a spell, they come back looking better -- tan, refreshed, relaxed, a few pina coladas under their belts. It didn't quite work out that way for America as a whole. What happened in Florida brought out the ugliest side of American politics. Now acclaimed journalist Jake Tapper takes us deep inside the battle to steal the presidency of the United States in a book that reveals, once and for all, what actually happened, and who got away with what.
Down and Dirty brilliantly explains exactly how the Bush forces out-maneuvered the Gore team, from the courtrooms to the canvassing boards, from the press rooms to the corridors of the legislature. Tapper paints vivid portraits of all the major players -- Katherine Harris, Jeb Bush, Sander Sauls, David Boies, William Rhenquist, Warren Christopher, Jim Baker, Phil Beck, and others -- drawing upon exclusive insider information and interviews. He puts together all of the pieces and reveals shocking details about what happened behind closed doors, what deals were cut and who did what. And he gives us wickedly perceptive insight into the two men at the center of it all: Al Gore, an uninspiring technocrat politician -- cold and ruthless -- who constantly sold out his friends, staffers, and values in his pursuit of power; and George W. Bush, a brilliant schmoozer and deft liar, with the intellectual inquisitiveness of your average fern.
Like a master detective, Tapper has pieced together the clues, followed up every lead, and kept going until he reached the dark heart of an American mystery. For anyone who thinks they know what really happened in Florida, prepare to be surprised. Down and Dirty is a landmark in investigative reporting and a book that will change forever the way we look at our president, and our political process. It reads like a classic political thriller, with an ultimate revelation that hits with the power of a lightning bolt, and every word is true.
