Books as Election Predictors, Part 2

It's been nearly a month since I decided to look at the candidates' books, so I thought it was time for an update.

Apparently McCain received a post-convention bump, as four of the five books he's written that are in our collection are currently checked out (though three are out to the same person. If that matters). Total number of circulations for all five books now stands at 76, up from last month.

Both copies of Obama's Dreams From My Father are currently out; the two copies of his second book are on the shelf (and there's one very equal opportunity reader out there who has a book out by each candidate!) Total number of times all four have been checked out is 120, an increase from a month ago.

I still don't know what, if anything, these figures reflect, but I'll continue to track these numbers. And I don't understand why Chuck Todd hasn't called yet to report this oh so interesting tracking data!

Clues for Real Life

Truth be known, I like rainy days. The kind that screams "England!" and brings up images of genteel tea shops, steaming cups of Earl Grey and scones slathered in strawberry jam and clotted cream. Or perhaps a lunch of shepherd's pie--or fish & chips--in a cozy pub. The kind of place where civility prevails.

But no, I'm bombarded by politicians telling me they deserve my vote because they know me, know my situation, and are the best to make my life all sunshine and roses. Oh, puh-leez, give me some credit! They know as much about my life as I do theirs! Their tones and rhetoric have already taken an ugly turn and election day is still two l-o-n-g months away.

So is it any wonder that I was drawn to Clues for Real Life: the Classic Wit & Wisdom of Nancy Drew? Perhaps, I thought, the candidates could draw some inspiration from Nancy (who always seemed to get what she set out to do). Granted, they could probably skip the chapters on "Solving Your Dating Dilemmas" and "The Style Sleuth" but what candidate of either party or gender wouldn't want to check out "Career Clues: Being Your Best on the Job", "Everyday Villains: Dealing With Difficult People", or "The Traveling Suitcase: Around the World with Nancy"?

For example, "A lesson learned from criminals-it never pays to flimflam the public" (from The Ghost of Blackwood Hall) is something all politicians should take to heart. And "Sampling too much local fare can lead to an unpleasant tummy ache" (an adage from The Clue in the Crossword Cipher) could be very helpful for candidates on the campaign trail. Real life issues, not name-calling or hype.

The book has provided smiles on a day that has offered few opportunities to do so. Now, if there was only a cuppa with my name on it...and a book to go with it.