Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right: American Life in Columns

by Michael A. Smerconish

 Opinionated talk show host and columnist Michael Smerconish has been chronicling local, state, and national events for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 15 years. He has sounded off on topics as diverse as the hunt for Osama bin Laden and what the color of your Christmas lights says about you. In this collection of 100 of his most memorable columns, Smerconish reflects on American political life with his characteristic feistiness. A new Afterword for each column provides updates on both facts and feelings, indicating how the author has evolved over the years, moving from a reliable Republican voter to a political Independent.  
 
Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right covers the post-9/11 years, Barack Obama’s ascension, and the rise of Donald Trump. Smerconish describes meeting Ronald Reagan, having dinner with Fidel Castro, barbequing with the band YES in his backyard, spending the same night with Pete Rose and Ted Nugent, drinking champagne from the Stanley Cup, and conducting Bill Cosby’s only pretrial interview. He also writes about local Philadelphia culture, from Sid Mark to the Rizzo statue.
 
Smerconish’s outlook as expressed in these impassioned opinion pieces goes beyond “liberal” or “conservative.” His thought process continues to evolve and change, and as it does, he aims to provoke readers to do the same.
 
All author proceeds benefit the Children’s Crisis Treatment Center, a Philadelphia- based, private, nonprofit agency that provides behavioral health services to children and their families.  
 

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

Audible Audio

First published May 30, 2018

Reviews

[Ashley Gleiter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this after seeing Smerconish speak the weekend before the world shut down in March 2020. While I tend to have a pretty far-left mindset, and thus don’t share most of his views, I enjoy and appreciate the obvious logic and middle-of-the-road sensibility to much of his thinking. (Worth noting as a flip side to the appreciation of logic: My disagreement is primarily with the lack of nuance in a lot of the opinions Smerconish shared in these columns. I repeatedly felt like he relied on oversimplification to defend or explain his perspective, which was a bit frustrating.)
The best part of this was the commentary at the end of each article. It was interesting to see where his thinking has changed, and at least as interesting to see where it hasn’t. I appreciate the author’s willingness to acknowledge past flawed thinking and judgement, and even more so, I appreciate his transparency when including those columns in this book that demonstrate the most change in his thinking/views.
I learned a lot about the US over the last 20 years. I also had to read way too much about Reagan (yuk), and had to somehow stomach the implication that Roger Waters is less enjoyable to be around than Ted Nugent (double yuk). Among other things. But that might be a good thing, because what it reminds me is that it’s good to challenge your thinking and to sit with opinions and stories and views different than your own without needing to respond to those differences with anything other than curiosity.
That’s how we all end up together in the end, in the middle of the road instead of a ditch on either side.
(At least, I think that was the point!)

[Norma J. Engelberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smerconish keeps you reading

A good columnist is one who keeps you coming back even when you don't agree with their views. I'd heard his SiriusXM radio show but I had never read any of his columns. This compilation, each column chosen by the author and explained in an afterword, gives readers a chance to see how a person's opinions change over the decades and how, sometimes, they don't. I didn't always agree with what he had to say but I was always engaged. Some columns made me laugh while others made me cry. That's another sign of a good columnist.

[Craig Amason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been listening to Michael Smerconish on his Sirius/XM call-in radio program on POTUS for several years, but this is the first of his books I have read. This is a collection of columns written by Michael from the early 2000s to 2017 for the major newspapers in his hometown of Philadelphia. He covers a broad field of topics, including politics, current events, family, musicians, and other celebrities. It is obvious that the events of 9-11-01 left a permanent mark on him, and he returns to the topic several times. There are plenty of personal interest pieces that will be less relevant to most readers, but they are still interesting primarily because of Michael's delivery. He has an impressive vocabulary, and he manages to discuss some of the most serious topics of the day with careful consideration and humor.

A licensed lawyer, a political commentator, and the host of his own show on CNN, Smerconish has an unusual breadth of experience and a refreshing perspective. He refuses to be pigeonholed as a liberal, conservative, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, or any other label that serves to divide the population more and more each year. His commentary is honest and respectful, but he resists political correctness whenever possible. No one will likely agree with him all the time, but it is hard not to appreciate his informed opinions and thoughtful conclusions. For those who are tired of the divisiveness that characterizes modern discourse in this country, Smerconish is a breath of fresh air. I highly recommend this book, along with Michael's radio program, CNN show, and his ongoing columns that appear in newspapers across the country. I also suggest the Audible version of this book, with Michael reading the columns, each with its own afterward update written for the collection.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Michael Smerconish. I started listening to his radio program after the 2016 election, and had the opportunity to meet him after one of his speaking engagements in 2019. So naturally, I felt really at home reading this. And having the audiobook accompany me, which is read by Michael, made the experience better.

I'll admit, I didn't read all of the columns, which is why it can only get a 4 out of 5 for me. Michael's writing is great, and I loved the Afterwords that followed each column. But much like I would with a newspaper or online news site, not every subject is going to interest me. However, I read enough of them that I felt like it was all worth it. In some of them, you really get to see Michael's "political transformation" into what he is today. It just goes to show that people's views can change, and that we should encourage discussion and debate between opposing opinions if we want to create more unity.

If you're a fan of Michael Smerconish, you should buy this book and at least skim through it to pick out the columns you enjoy. Plus all author proceeds go to charity, so it's for a worthy cause.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy Michael Smerconish's radio program on the SiriusXM Potus channel. He is one of the rare political commentators out there that would be described as a centrist and, more importantly, one who is open to discourse from all sides of an issue. As it turns out, he is even more than that.

This book covers about 15 years of Michael's columns written for newspapers in Philadelphia and covers a wide range of topics from politics to education and from daily life to friendships. I truly enjoyed getting to know his viewpoint on many areas in addition to politics. Still, there is enough political stuff here to satisfy the politics junky. As a bonus, Michael adds "afterwords" on all columns (there's 100 here) to update the content and to update his current view on the matter. Well done.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long time listener, first time reader! I picked this book up at a Mingle Project event in 2024 as part of the evening’s signing. I didn’t realize that the book was already several years old or that it’s a compilation of newspaper editorials. 🤷🏻‍♂️ Sometimes that’s what you get with spontaneity. With that said, I enjoyed this book. There were some great stories and life lessons. On the flip side, I am not from Philly, Pennsylvania, or the east coast and was born in the mid-eighties. As a result, there were many references to people, locations, and events that I knew nothing about. If you enjoy Smerconish I think you will enjoy this book.

[Infamous Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting reprise of some of his editorial columns and CNN shows. It was enlightening in how he changed from a Republican to and Independent due to recent past events. I have enjoyed his radio show on Sirius and I thought he was a Democrat or and Independent. I was surprised to learn more about how his views evolved. He spends all his time in this book rehashing old columns and giving us a small paragraph at the end of each chapter telling us his current day stance on things. It was not what I thought I was going to be reading.

[Carolyn Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been listening to Michael Smerconish on SiriusXM's POTUS channel for several years. I was thrilled to learn that he had written a book that contained some of his newspaper columns. Though I don't always agree with Michael's position on an issue, he always opens my eyes to another way of thinking. I would recommend this book to anyone who is tired of all of the hate and tension in our county. It is a "breath of fresh air."

[Brandi Alcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are a follower of Michael Schmerconish’s show on POTUS SiriusXM or his show in CNN you know his politics are his own. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind, he tries to represent both sides of the ever polarized political climate of the USA.
His articles now in essay format are interesting, especially the post comments, years after his original opinion. I respect how he can own his mistakes and will keep on listening with pleasure to POTUS on my morning commute.

[Mckenzee Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I, for the most part, enjoyed this. It is a bit dated, with the last column being from 2017 (although this is an occupational hazard for books on current events), but still somewhat relevant, and very well written. I don't agree with all of Smerconish's political beliefs, but he is a fair writer and presents most people in the best possible light. Overall, relatively interesting, but not a must read.

[Lisa Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Smerconish on CNN and feel he does a great job of telling both sides. I don’t think I would have known if he were Democrat, Republican or Independant (which is high praise) until I read this book. I loved it; with his thought-provoking, funny & insightful columns and I loved the afterwords he provided after each column.

[Connor Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smerconish has many great stories, some interesting on surface level, and some much deeper. From a 7 hour dinner with Fidel Castro to having Donald Trump be a secret admirer of his TV show, this collection of columns has plenty of eye opening information amassed from his ~35 year career in politics

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than a comilation of columns, but also easy to dip in and out when you have time. A little dated but also a good reminder of how things change.

[Linda Ronne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, the author has experience so many historical events and tells about them in a way that makes you care what he saw, felt and heard.