Could have been ripped from today's headlines!
353637
And we thought corruptions was only from third world counties.  This novel probably has more truth than fiction!  Great read.
2271420
Let me first mention this: the story was published in 2012, way before the Trump Age of divisiveness and fake news began. Why am I saying it? Because the book talks about the "fake news" four years before it happens! What I did enjoy about the story are the twists and turns that the author puts his character through and I also liked the funny take on Santa Anna's defeat and how its used for political folderol by the opposing party. (I honestly imagined the villain of the story as Donald Trump!) What I feel that the author could have worked on more are the characters' personalities which seemed to suffer from lack of development and I also wanted more of the villain in the story.
803038
It would have been an entertaining little story....if it was not true!  I agree with all the other reviews as this is "scary stuff".
4973189
This is the backstory to today's news. Unless you are unusually well informed about Putin and Russia, reading this will change you perspective.
659958
There is nothing better than the INSIDE story of what was going on behind the headlines of the 2012 presidential campaign. And as crazy as those headlines were, the wrangling behind the scenes only enhances the narrative of an already extraordinary campaign for the White House. PANIC 2012 contains great insider insight! A quick fun read ..that left me wanting even more detail ...would have loved to see the book ....before the final edit!
4544048
In the political climate that we live in today, the book was very enlightening without scaring me to death. Am I more aware? Yes. More skeptical of every news story I hear?  Most definitely...
2103123
The subject is extremely important. I would have liked a "real story" to explain the problem in a more consistent and entertaining way, but the subject is so important that any explanation for the public to understand is a service to America and the World. I hope everyone wakes up and stop this madness!
3169739
It is a good read and hard to put down even though he spends a little bit too much time on technical details that pull from the flow story...as he has done in earlier books. The shocker is that some parts of the story could have been pulled from today's headlines. Kinda creepy!
3140177
I am not a cover to cover reader of books like this...but what I have read so far has been very interesting.  I would like to know how these facts check out...and not by Media Matters for Today!  There so much bull out there, and I don't have a lot of time to do the research myself and discover if this guy is blowing conspiracy w/out anything to back it up or if it's hard, cold fact.
1990280
I'm glad I did not see the WaPost review before reading Lapdogs.  I felt Boehlert did a great job of placing his punches and making the vivid and very depressing case that the former Mainstream Media have foresaken their role as contrarians, fact-finders, and authority-defiers.  As most thinking people, and especially those who no longer settle for the MSM as their news source know full well, almost all of these folks at best are sycophants to the Bush administration these days. The arguably provable fact is that there is a very strong bias for the present administration, yet the outdated and disproven meme of "liberal press bias" still echoes in not a few apparently unoccupied skulls.

So, from me, high marks.  The dramatic contrast between the mainstream media handling of "pro-administration" issues like Schiavo and "anti-administration" (okay, more accurately, administration venality) issues as exemplified by the Downing Street Memo is well-documented.

This is one of the better summaries and encapsulations of our sorry journalistic meltdown that I have read.

However.  I've been accused (okay, praised as part of my job) of being a careful reader.  Boehlert's fine intent here is greatly harmed for those of us still hung up on the niceties by truly sorrowful, at least mediocre if not absent, editing and proofreading.  I finally came to underlining in annoyance and grief at the remarkably frequent occurrences of a multitude of errors - missing words, wrong words, extra words seemingly left from waffling as to best choice, etc., etc.  Beyond distracting.

I have tried to find a straightforward means of sharing my annoyance over D- editing with Simon & Schuster, but as is so often the case, their direct maildrop seems to be closely guarded.

But in the interests of promoting important polemic regarding press meltdown, I will get over it - and you should too.

Track this down and read it.  With any luck it will empower and help gird you for the upcoming election storm, which will doubtless feature appalling media nonsense, as they are by now so in the habit.
3093122
By virtue of my profession, I know a bit about what actually happened that night, not much, but enough to know we've been scammed by the author. I should have known better. So should the publisher, St. Martins Press. The auther, Chuck Pfarrer, has thrown together a bunch of already well-known stuff about the war against al-Qa'ida, added his actual SEAL experience (from a very long time ago), made some guesses, and tricked a here-to-fore credible publisher into printing this piece of fiction. I'm out a few bucks, but Pfarrer has to live with fatal damage to his reputation within the SOF community. If you want to know what happened on the bin Laden raid, reread what's been put out in the official accounts. It's sparse, but it's true, whether you choose to "trust" the government or not.<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/SEAL-Target-Geronimo-The-Inside-Story-of-the-Mission-to-Kill-Osama-bin-Laden/dp/125000635X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">SEAL Target Geronimo: The Inside Story of the Mission to Kill Osama bin Laden</a>
111412
An interesting read regarding a cyber attack, which could come straight out of today's news headlines. A creative, descriptive account of events that may occur following such an attack.
2286269
At the end of the day I don't know how much is actual fact and how much is made up, but it sure makes for an entertaining read. In the current world of twittering, facebooking and incessant blogging the mystique behind what goes on in Washington has pretty much been cratered. So it wouldn't surprise me if many of these events weren't in fact true. Yet by the end, more than painting general pictures of the candidates at times with their worst behavior exposed, it really shows how human these people are in the face of extraordinary circumstances and pressure. I mean, seriously, who'd want these jobs!
3260983
shocking; can't believe I never heard about this situation in the news.  unbelievable.  could this happen in the u. s.?  certainly hope not.
knowing americans,, it would be talked about all over the newspapers.
2936448
Although a work of fiction, the plot could have been taken from today's headlines. I can only pray for the same outcome.
2678629
First book of Ms. Wiehl's, although I've meant to pick one up for sometime.  Now, I will!  The Candidate was well written and could have been taken from any headlines in today's news stories.  The deception, plots and political intrigue were presented in an easy-to-read, suspenseful format.  Couldn't be more timely!  Keep writing, Lis!

Thank you to Ms. Wiehl's publisher, Thomas Nelson, and Netgalley.com for allowing me to be entertained by The Candidate.
176505
The Black Widow plot could have come from today's headlines.  Very erie.  I read the book in two days. Loved it.