Politics: Death of the Campaign Book

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Politics Death of the Campaign Book Jeb Bush's immigration book has had a rocky start. But books by future candidates are useless anyway. Let them die. By John Dickerson Posted Wednesday, Mar 06, 2013, at 05:35 PM ET Whether Jeb Bush's new book can influence the debate over immigration policy remains to be seen, but the publication of Immigration Wars has quickened the death of the campaign book. A grateful nation thanks him. Books written by people thinking about becoming president are nearly as weightless as the press release, but because they take the shape of a respected medium, they claim more attention. Using a venerable form to peddle mush fools voters, ties down critics, and enlists candidates in a protracted exercise to become even less forthcoming than they might otherwise be.  In Immigration Wars, the former Florida governor tried to take a bold stance on a seemingly insoluble issue. Good for him, and Bush is a good candidate to inject new ideas. He has a healthy supply of at least two laudable instincts: He is willing to break with his party, which suggests an independence of mind, and he prioritizes hard-won compromise, another useful quality at a time when lawmakers in Washington seem incapable of progress.  But the book has had a rocky launch. In it, Bush wrote that he does not support a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented workers in the United States. That was a reversal of his previous support for that position. Commentators immediately interpreted this switch as a move to court conservatives in advance of a 2016 presidential run. But upon publication of the book, Bush vacillated again, returning to his previous position, saying that he would support a ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Eric Holder to Senate Judiciary Committee: Aaron Swartz Case Was "A Good Use of Prosecutorial Discretion" What We Really Learn From Deleted Scenes Can You Get In Trouble for Performing CPR?	Advertisement
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