Was in Waterstone’s yesterday, and came across this section, which I’ve never seen before. I know, it seems impossible to publish a book at the moment that doesn’t involve teenage vampires, but I’d no idea that it had actually become its own genre.
What’s fascinating about it is that whereas it has been common for bookshops to have romance sections, which are sometimes divided into historical fiction, etc, I find the sheer specialisation of this to be mind boggling. Who would have thought there were so many people out there with a fetish about shagging vampires?
Maybe I’m wrong, but I get the impression that the level of hatred and suspicion directed at President Obama is an issue that hints at something very dangerous about American politics. Now, let’s be honest: President Bush was hated by many too, and it got me thinking. Is this the way it is going to be, that every election is a faceoff between the two Americas? For example, if the Congress is won by the GOP on Tuesday, will they use it as a tool to attempt to destroy the Obama presidency, the way they tried to destroy President Clinton with the Starr report?
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t blame Republicans for this, after all, some of the dumbest conspiracy theories about 9/11 and President Bush have come from the left. It’s the destructive winner-takes-all nature of modern American politics that is becoming so distasteful. Attempting to be a middle of the road Democrat or Republican is almost self destructive now, and this is not the way it used to be. President Reagan was able to work with Speaker O’Neill, yet now, working with people from another party is regarded as a weakness. Just ask Charie Crist.
Maybe I’m wrong, but I get the impression that the level of hatred and suspicion directed at President Obama is an issue that hints at something very dangerous about American politics. Now, let’s be honest: President Bush was hated by many too, and it got me thinking. Is this the way it is going to be, that every election is a faceoff between the two Americas? For example, if the Congress is won by the GOP on Tuesday, will they use it as a tool to attempt to destroy the Obama presidency, the way they tried to destroy President Clinton with the Starr report?