Running Against the Devil

Warning: Out of Genre

If you’re a diehard Trumpster, read no farther – you won’t like this book.

Rick Wilson is a lifelong conservative Republican who is also a Never Trumper. He makes appearances on MSNBC, and before Trump, he traveled in elite Republican company, as an election adviser who successfully defeated many Democrats. His latest book, Running Against the Devil, does two things. First, it describes what having Trump in the White House would look like – a very scary prospect in which Trump is unchecked as he continues the destruction of our democratic institutions. Second, it describes how one would win the upcoming election, which will still be close. Trump has a bottomless war chest and some smart (unlike himself) people who will work tirelessly on his behalf. Wilson’s focus is on the Electoral College and what must be done to win there, not in the popular vote.

It’s worth reading, or at least skimming. Near the end, Wilson writes, “Well? How about it? You’re in a bar fight with bikers, not a fucking Princeton debating society. You gonna pick up the axe handle and start swinging, or you gonna try to win based on a 600-page healthcare plan.?” That quote captures the tone of this book.