# The Lesser of Two Evils: An Election-Year Reading List.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lesser-of-two-evils-an-election-year-reading-list/252275>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 26, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lesser-of-two-evils-an-election-year-reading-list/252275 "2004-06-26T03:22:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lesser-of-two-evils-an-election-year-reading-list/252275/1 "2004-06-26T03:22:56Z")

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I’d been reading almost all the comics I could get my hands on to “catch up” to the canon. There are a few more major ones I haven’t done yet, but I got through Warren Ellis’ **Transmetropolitan**. Turns out it’s about living during an election cycle where your “choices” suck, and where the winner abuses his power to create a hellish police state. Not exactly optimistic, but a _great read_, and definitely gets you thinking.

Someone said “If you like that, try Hunter S. Thompson.” And I said “I’ve done **Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas**.” And they said, “You need **Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.** ”

Turns out it’s about a sitting Republican President who just barely beat his opponent in 1968. His Democratic contender? A nearly unknown Senator who comes from behind in the primaries when his main opponent begins screaming and twitching during speeches. The Senator must defend his voting record, because it turns out he voted for (a) a _very_ unpopular war, and (b) a piece of legislation that gave the government unprecedented wiretap powers. The problem? The Senator doesn’t really have much charisma: even the people voting for him are really just voting against Bu–er, Nixon.

Very topical.

So, politically-minded Dopers: what else are you reading this election season?