by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 27, 2008

Hunter S. Thompson became a fierce observer of American politics at a crucial moment in the nation's history. After the heartbreaking convention of 1968, young liberals had pinned their hopes in 1972 on South Dakota's George McGovern. But though he'd eventually win the nomination, McGovern found his candidacy being overlooked by the mainstream political reporters. The best coverage of his campaign ultimately came from the one full-time reporter assigned by Rolling Stone magazine - the gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thomson.

Riding his motorcycle from one primary state to the next, Thompson created a sharp portrait of the reality in America's political process. The newspaper reporters had been wrong in their predictions, but Thompson knew what propelled McGovern's success. The huge energized base of boomers had defied the odds, knocking on enough doors in the crucial early primaries to propel McGovern into front-runner status. And when mainstream news reporters reported a crushing procedural setback for McGovern at the Democratic convention, Thompson recognized it for what it was. Behind the scenes, McGovern had engineered a tactical victory that would eventually clinch the nomination for the liberal candidate.

"New Journalism" promised a personal perspective on news stories, and Thompson was well-positioned to deliver. Thompson writes that he'd come to understand the thrill that lurks behind political journalism - the addictive study of the wheels of power. He likens the process to his obsession with football scores - the statistical analysis of one opposing force against another. From the primaries to the convention, he ponders the greater game - and the book echoes his fresh insights with great drawings by Ralph Steadman.

Thompson's genuine enthusiasm ultimately brought him close to the center of the political process. Thompson describes one especially weird moment during the primaries, eating breakfast while someone across the room is apparently saying the words "Hey, Sheriff." Eventually he realizes the speaker is George McGovern, and he's talking to Thompson himself. (Thompson had run for sheriff in his hometown of Aspen, Colorado.) Thompson records their conversation, but notes honestly that it was strange that the party's eventual nominee would be standing alone and nearly unnoticed at the restaurant, even in the middle of his greatest political success.

But Thompson's access wasn't just limited to the Democratic candidate. President Nixon shared Thompson's enthusiasm for watching football. (Nixon once confronted a protesting college student on the White House lawn by asking, sincerely, "How's the football team doing this year?") In one of the strangest moments in the history of political journalism, a secret service agent approaches Hunter S. Thompson and confesses that the President has to ride alone in the back of a limousine for a long campaign stop. He asks if Thompson would be interested in joining him.

Ultimately Hunter S. Thompson and Richard Nixon share the back seat of the Presidential limousine - and discuss their obsession with football scores together.

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