The Running Mate: A Novel

by Joe Klein

Hailed as "astonishingly powerful" by The New York Times , and "written perfectly" by The Washington Post , Joe Klein's #1 bestseller, Primary Colors , was the most-talked-about political novel of the past century. Now acclaimed journalist and author Joe Klein returns with another brilliant and slyly subversive novel set in the gladiatorial arena he knows so politics in modern-day America.

U.S. senator Charlie Martin is a hot political property, dashing, honorable, irreverent -- and a decorated Vietnam veteran. The Running Mate follows this brash hero on a wild, exhilarating ride through the minefields of politics as usual.

But as Charlie quickly learns, combat is a cakewalk compared with the battles waged by free men in pursuit of glory and power. For Charlie's political star is beginning to wane ... a bid for the presidency ends in failure ... a young campaign volunteer's father decks him -- in front of the cameras ... a well-kept secret from Charlie's Vietnam days is revealed ... and a woman has entered his life -- one who loves him but is appalled by his life's work.

Suddenly Charlie must confront the two greatest challenges of his life -- a political opponent who has no scruples and a dazzling, unconventional woman who may force him to choose between love and politics. Charlie's dilemma is one that has come to haunt contemporary American Is it possible to be a good politician and a good man?

Genres: Fiction, Politics, American Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary

404 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Joe Klein is a longtime Washington, D.C. and New York journalist and columnist, known for his novel Primary Colors, an anonymously written roman à clef portraying Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign. Klein is currently a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and is a former Guggenheim Fellow. Since 2003 he has been a contributor at the current affairs Time news group. In April 2006, he published Politics Lost, a book on what he calls the "pollster-consultant industrial complex". He has also written articles and book reviews for The New Republic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, LIFE and Rolling Stone.

Reviews

[Patricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a certain genre of movies I refer to as the "white men in suits" movies. They are the kind of movies where many of the main characters look alike and not much is done to differentiate them. I'm always slightly confused during these films, because the characters are so interchangeable. So in the third reel when it is revealed that Mr. So-and-so was really a double agent/mafia don/retired baseball player I always think, "Wait, who was Mr. So-and-so?"

This book was much like that. The story of a long time Midwestern Senator had a lot of characters who were sparingly introduced and then referred to later not only by either their first or last names, but also a nickname now and then. "Who is this person?" I kept thinking as I read.

But I kept reading and aside from having little idea who was talking 60% of the time, I enjoyed this book. Charlie, the main character was wonderful to follow through his trials and tribulations. He really wanted to do the right thing, which was difficult in the changing political landscape of the early 90s. His father was a fun character who would wander in and out and I enjoyed a few of the staffers too.

I enjoy politics (though not so much these past years) and it was fun to have a fictional window to a Senate campaign. There were story threads that could have been more developed and story threads that wandered on forever, but overall this was a pretty okay book.

[Kristal Stidham · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's nothing really wrong with this book, it's just that the veil has been pulled back in the years since it's been published. The intrigues of being a candidate and the constant drama that results from the vetting process for a national political position are now well known (or, at least, no surprise). I give my stars based on my enjoyment of a book and, ultimately, this was a bit of a bore for me.

[Ray Hartley · Rating 4 out of 5]

In his brilliant Primary Colors, Joe Klein wrote a thinly disguised account of Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign with the author listed as "Anonymous". He had been outed by the time this sequel - a thinly disguised account of the machinations of John McCain's campaign - appeared. Without the freedom that comes with anonimity, this book was never going to live up to the fierce truth of Primary Colours. But it is still a great account of a political ego somewhat out of control.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a topical novel by Joe Klein, the author of the best-seller, Primary Colors (published anonymously at the time). I selected it as a fun read during the current primary season and enjoyed all of the political "insider" stuff. It was much more vibrantly written than the Jim Lehrer novel that I also read recently.

[Marvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good book--a good story about a US senator from "Des Pointe" in a midwestern state--but also surprisingly insightful about national politics & human relationships (which is, at root, politics).

[Clifford Wollum · Rating 3 out of 5]

What does a politician face when running for an office? Good insight with a love twist in this novel written in 3rd person.

On reading again this is love story, falling in, out, and back into love with a political angle.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Klein's 'Primary Colors' was a brilliant piece of political fiction (or should I say faction), and set the bar incredibly high for him when it came to his follow up. 'The Running Mate' is not at 'Primary Colors' level, but it is still a damn fine read.

Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of 'The Running Mate' is that the central character, Senator Charles Martin, is ultimately a bad politician and yet a decent guy, the obverse of Jack Stanton from Klein's earlier work (and a subsidiary character here). Martin is very run of the mill when it comes to how he navigates the various channels of power (governmental or otherwise); however as winning leads in a - dare I say - political romance go, his persona is engaging and identifiable. Martin's character is a few notches above the Everyman type in terms of his intelligence, charm, power and success, yet one can't read 'The Running Mate' and not empathise with him. He is not up for witty, semi-dispassionate dissection as Stanton and the world of US presidential politics are in 'Primary Colours'; Klein has focused on Martin so as to find some emotional resonance in a setting where bastardry and bloody-mindedness rule.

Whilst I may be extolling the merits of Klein's work on his central character, it does need to be said that at times the balance of the dramatis personae are a little ill-formed or flat. I don't believe this is due to bad writing; more the integration of the complex political world that Klein delves deeply into and the cast of dozens who populate the story. Martin's closest colleagues and friends all read well, and Nell (Martin's love interest) is certainly a fictional female character that retains attention. Yet the addition of advisors, politicans, journos etc etc dilutes the core raison d'etre of the novel; how does a good man reconcile his career and his desire for love.

Oh, it must be said that Klein really hits some amazing marks when it comes to the emergence of a populist Republican rival to Martin in his home state election race. Considering 'The Running Mate' was written in 2000 it veers into creepy Nostradamus-type prescience when talking about a campaign endorsed by Evangelicals, anti-abortionists and "Make America America Again" slogans.

I would recommend 'The Running Mate' to anyone who likes to dip their toes into US politics but perhaps more relevantly, to anyone who likes to read a good romance book written with intellect.

[Susan Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe Klein is the same guy who wrote Primary Colors under the clever name of Anonymous. If you liked Primary Colors, you'll like this. Actually, if you like West Wing (TV), you'll like this. I'm in both buckets. Charlie Martin is a US Senator, and while this plot revolves around his previous try for the Presidency and his current re-election campaign, it's basically a story about the real life of a US Senator - warts and all.

[Tara N · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something with the same energy as Primary Colors and did not get it.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm on the fence with this one. At parts I was truly into it, and others lost

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read and enjoyed "Primary Colors" several years ago, which Klein originally published anonymously, about Bill Clinton's first Presidential campaign, "The Running Mate" proved to be a lively corollary centering around the life and loves of a Republican senator.

In a postscript Klein mentions that his fictional Republican senator is an amalgam of several current and former Senators who are also Vietnam vets including John McCain, John Kerry and Bob Kerry.

Klein has worked as a journalist since 1969 and his first-hand knowledge of political life over the past forty years is evident in the book's rich and convincing background. His characters are interesting and the plot moves along briskly. It's a good read and a surprisingly sympathetic insight into pre=teabagger Republican politics given Klein's own political inclinations.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Running Mate refers not to a Vice-Presidential candidate, but to the girlfriend of fictional Senator Charles Martin who is up for re-election in 1994(and eventually loses), following his failed bid for the Presidency in 1992. Set between New York, Washington DC, and a fictional Midwestern state located in the authors mind somewhere near Iowa and Missouri, this book never quite gets moving. While there is plenty of stuff going on, the plot gets lost for awhile- though thankfully it reappears in time for the book to end.

A decent look at campaigns and politics, I would recommend this only to the truly obsessed.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. It starts in the present and then retells the past and works back up to the present. Originally I was only going to give this book one star, but as I trudged through the beginning it did get better. It was about a politician and I'm not really into politics so that may have hindered me. Also, almost all the characters were referred to by three different names (for example: Patrick Dunn was also called Patsy, Pat, Dunnsie - I thought it was confusing).

[Braunbear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gem by Joe Klein.
Interesting expose on the experiences of a presidential candidate and IS written based on the 'character' Senator Charlie Martin, one of the men who opposes Gov. Jack Stanton (of the book Primary Colors)in their bid for the presidental nomination.
(Loosely based on the Life of Bob Dole)

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unfortunately the Aberdeen library only had the abridged version, but I really liked it anyway. Joe Klein also wrote Primary Colors, which I adored, and this book was also politically driven and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the lovestory, since I endeavor to be a political wife.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for some fluffy reading, and for me political books like this fit that bill. This book was really fun, though if you're not a political junkie like me, it could get tedious and maybe even boring at times. I like hearing about the ins and outs of Washington and campaigns . . .

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe Klein's novel about American Politics...has the nice ring of an insider, or a truly closer observer, attempting to make sense of the wicked, complicated and financially corrupt crazy world of American Politics.

[Beth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh...only the third book in a lifetime of reading that I could not finish. Halfway through I stillo had not idea what the plot was and didn't care about the characters. I can't even sell this book at a garage sale.

[Ellen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it okay to rate a book if you didn't read it? Well, I thought I would enjoy this one, but within the first few pages the "f" word was used twice, and I decided that was too much. So I quit reading. The end.

[Gareth Carter · Rating 4 out of 5]

First half of the book is not very engaging. There is no cohesive story and the jumps between 1992 and 1994 are poorly outlined.

The second half of the book is superb. The plot kicks in and its genuinely interesting and enjoyable.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long. Nowhere near as entertaining as primary colours. Thought given the current us election that this would be a good time to give this one a go. I was wrong. I read Joe Klein every week in time magazine but this just didn't work.

[Shahid Hussain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rated it 2 for obvious reasons. Tried reading it at intervals to see if it would grab me in any manner but alas it was not meant to be.
wish Mr. Klien good luck with his future efforts. I do enjoy rading his short articles from time to time.

[Bill · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was an audio tape. I don't remember why, but we did not care for the story.

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

A U.S. Senator who is struggling in all facets of his life. It moves slowly in places and has a cast of thousands but is worth while.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the politically driven novel I expected, which was a nice surprise. Charlie Martin was, in fact, a senator but this is really a love and life story. I liked it more than I thought I would.

[Frederick Bingham · Rating 2 out of 5]

I could not get interested in this book.

[Claire Handscombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

How did I not know about this book?

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as Primary Colors but a decent fluffy political read to distract myself from this election season.

[Liz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I like watching the Newsroom on TV better