Potus Geeks Book Review: Romney-A Reckoning by McKay Coppins
What's it like to be a Senator willing to vote according to your conscience and your understanding of the Constitution, at a time when doing so will earn you the wrath of your party and place you and your family at risk of physical harm from angry, riled-up zealots accross your country? In Romney-A Reckoning, McKay Coppins, a journalist for the Atlantic magazine, gets unprecedented access to the subject of his biography, the subject's family, his private journal, his email and twitter accounts, and even interviews with the current and past presidents and other leading political figures. The result is one of the most talked-about books of 2023.
Coppins writes exceptionally well, and he produces a Goldilocks-sized product of 323 pages (not to long, not too short, just right) that traces life of Mitt Romney from his childhood as the son of a self-made man turned CEO and state Governor (George Romney), to his teen years as a Mormon missionary in France, his courtship of Ann Davies, his success in the business world and as the CEO who saved the 2004 Winter Olympic Games, to both successes and failures in the world of politics.
Coppins claims to have an aggreement with his subject to write a product without censorship or editing by Romney, and this appears to be the case. The book presents a generally favorable portrayal of its subject, though it also presents a "warts and all" perspective. Two aspects are especially highlighted, one being Romney's Mormon faith. (Coppins shares the same faith, and states in the Author's Note section that the Church dislikes the label "Mormon," insted preferring its proper name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but says that he uses the term because his subject does.) A second is Romney's unashamed willingness to change his position on issues as he ages, a refreshing quality in an age when such behavior is quickly labelled as "flip-flopping." (Let's face it, all of us come to realize that some of our first impressions call for second thoughts.) The author also cites many instances when Romney expresses his disgust over his colleagues who refuse to do the right thing because of fear of how this will affect their chances for re-election (the most blatent example being their taking back their initial outrage against Donald Trump over his fanning the flames of insurrection and rioting on January 6, 2021.)
The author's recounting of Romney's various electoral campaigns (such as his failed bid to unseat Ted Kennedy in the senate, his successful run for Governor of Massachusetts, his unsuccessful run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, and his loss to Barack Obama in the race for the Presidency in 2012) offer fresh insight into these events. The author notes how Romney was mocked for his warnings in the 2012 campaign to be on guard for aggression from Vladimir Putin. But the most discussed aspect of this book is Romney's unabashed opinions of his colleagues in the Senate for their hypocracy and their infidelity to their oath to uphold the Constitution. Also interesting are Romney's unlikely friendships with moderates from the other party. (Romney and Kristen Sinema seem like the odd couple, but both share the view that voting their conscience is called for regardless of how it affects their re-election chances.) The author even describes his interview with President Joe Biden in which the President expresses respect for Romney and talks about a personally guided White House tour that the President gave to one of Romney's sons and his family.
A frightening aspect of this book is reading about the venom that exists today from those on the fringes of both political parties who have gone so far as to make death threats against Romney or accost him and his family in public over political disagreements. Romney's votes for conviction in the impeachment trials of Donald Trump, his vote for confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court, his marching in a Black Lives Matter protest, and his contempt for those who still cry that the 2020 election was "stolen" have literally put his life at risk.
This book is more than just a political biography. It is a cautionary tale of where politics in the US are heading and an important reminder of the need for the restoration of civility and respect for diversity of thought.
Coppins writes exceptionally well, and he produces a Goldilocks-sized product of 323 pages (not to long, not too short, just right) that traces life of Mitt Romney from his childhood as the son of a self-made man turned CEO and state Governor (George Romney), to his teen years as a Mormon missionary in France, his courtship of Ann Davies, his success in the business world and as the CEO who saved the 2004 Winter Olympic Games, to both successes and failures in the world of politics.
Coppins claims to have an aggreement with his subject to write a product without censorship or editing by Romney, and this appears to be the case. The book presents a generally favorable portrayal of its subject, though it also presents a "warts and all" perspective. Two aspects are especially highlighted, one being Romney's Mormon faith. (Coppins shares the same faith, and states in the Author's Note section that the Church dislikes the label "Mormon," insted preferring its proper name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but says that he uses the term because his subject does.) A second is Romney's unashamed willingness to change his position on issues as he ages, a refreshing quality in an age when such behavior is quickly labelled as "flip-flopping." (Let's face it, all of us come to realize that some of our first impressions call for second thoughts.) The author also cites many instances when Romney expresses his disgust over his colleagues who refuse to do the right thing because of fear of how this will affect their chances for re-election (the most blatent example being their taking back their initial outrage against Donald Trump over his fanning the flames of insurrection and rioting on January 6, 2021.)
The author's recounting of Romney's various electoral campaigns (such as his failed bid to unseat Ted Kennedy in the senate, his successful run for Governor of Massachusetts, his unsuccessful run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2008, and his loss to Barack Obama in the race for the Presidency in 2012) offer fresh insight into these events. The author notes how Romney was mocked for his warnings in the 2012 campaign to be on guard for aggression from Vladimir Putin. But the most discussed aspect of this book is Romney's unabashed opinions of his colleagues in the Senate for their hypocracy and their infidelity to their oath to uphold the Constitution. Also interesting are Romney's unlikely friendships with moderates from the other party. (Romney and Kristen Sinema seem like the odd couple, but both share the view that voting their conscience is called for regardless of how it affects their re-election chances.) The author even describes his interview with President Joe Biden in which the President expresses respect for Romney and talks about a personally guided White House tour that the President gave to one of Romney's sons and his family.
A frightening aspect of this book is reading about the venom that exists today from those on the fringes of both political parties who have gone so far as to make death threats against Romney or accost him and his family in public over political disagreements. Romney's votes for conviction in the impeachment trials of Donald Trump, his vote for confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court, his marching in a Black Lives Matter protest, and his contempt for those who still cry that the 2020 election was "stolen" have literally put his life at risk.
This book is more than just a political biography. It is a cautionary tale of where politics in the US are heading and an important reminder of the need for the restoration of civility and respect for diversity of thought.