Professor Wellstone Goes to Washington: The Inside Story of a Grassroots U.S. Senate Campaign

by Dennis J. McGrath, Dane Smith (Contributor)

"This is a book about progressive political energy and what it takes to overcome a plutocratic opponent's massive reelection apparatus and war chest. Wellstone and his energetic colleagues hurled smarts, sweat, and shoe leather against big money and its smooth slogans -- and won. All around the country, citizens who want a government of, by, and for the people can learn from this campaign and win against government of, by, and for the Exxons, General Motors, and DuPonts." --Ralph Nader

Before he became the most visible symbol of progressive politics in the U.S. Congress, Paul Wellstone was a political science professor and community organizer in Northfield, Minnesota. He went on to serve two terms in the Senate and was in a close race for his third term at the time of his death in October 2002.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jim Melcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finest discussion of a campaign's events I've ever read. Dramatic, well-written, interesting.

[Ellen the Herbivore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Count me among the hundreds of thousands (millions, maybe) who still remember and revere the late Senator Paul Wellstone. I first saw him in 1990, when he came to speak to the National Lawyers Guild chapter at my law school. I thought, "I agree with him on everything, but how's a little floppy-haired guy who looks like he borrowed his dad's suit and gestures with his hands all the time going to win in Minnesota?" Particularly because his opponent, Rudy Boschwitz, was a Senator out of central casting -- tall, distinguished, handsome in a suit or a flannel shirt.

What a treat it was to be wrong, and I wound up volunteering on his 1996 campaign. And crying my eyes out when his plane went down on 10/25/02 with no survivors.

It was a treat to read this detailed work about how he won the Senate race in 1990. Probably part of my enjoyment was that I was adjacent to a lot of what went on in this book. It is probably less interesting for someone with no MN connection. Given that it was 30 years ago, I also don't think it has much to teach people about how to run campaigns now with hugely different technology.

But if you're just looking for a true-life David and Goliath story and you like reading about politics, here you go.

[Charles Conner · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mentor, friend, and a good man...

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

It didn't have as much campaign "insider" stuff as I liked and it didn't end as inspirationally as it began (like everything in life). I'd recommend it to a campaign person but no one else.