Bumper Sticker Liberalism

May 14, 2012
With a clear rightward slant, journalist and novelist Goldblatt (Africa Speaks) deciphers the fallacies behind contemporary liberal bumper stickers. He skewers slogans from the aura of revolutionary icon Che Guevara to the threat Sarah Palin posed as the “patron saint of stupidity,” but devotes a surprising amount of research to sections like a list of quotations detailing prominent politicians’ belief in Iraq’s possessing weapons of mass destruction. All of this helps to shape the lighthearted and energetic monologue into something tangible, which is not to say that this book is simply reportage. The humor leans toward hyperbole, but works more often than not, and while it only touches on the Occupy movement, issues like health care and tax reform feel much more in the moment than the arguments against “Bush Derangement Syndrome.” While some of his arguments feel shaky and a closing series of call and response bumper sticker smack downs should be funnier than it is, on the whole, Goldblatt offers an entertaining exploration of the rationale behind modern liberal political slogans. Agent: Scott Gould, RLR Associates.