Scott Brown to "write" a book

[MBS]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/02/11/browns_next_chapter_published_author/

:rofl:

Seeking to cash in quickly on his newfound celebrity, the freshman Republican from Massachusetts is shopping his autobiography to publishers. Brown has retained agent Robert Barnett, a Washington attorney whose high-powered clients include President Obama and former president Bill Clinton, among other luminaries.

Unlike Governor Deval Patrick, who has been slowly penning his own story alone, Brown will work with a yet-to-be-named collaborator - to minimize distraction while he is representing the state in the Senate, his spokeswoman said yesterday. . ..

. . .

In Massachusetts, the possibility of a Brown book deal generated plenty of short-term buzz, at least.

David Guarino, a political strategist and spokesman for Salvatore F. DiMasi, former Massachusetts House speaker, yesterday put a suggested title on his Twitter account: “From Cosmo to Cloture: My Short Ride to the Top (in a Truck).’’

Article also mentions JK's 2003 presidential-campaign book (semi-snarkily, unfair comparison, etc, but main event was treatment of Brown)

[karynnj]

1. I wouldn't underestimate this

(I had started to write this on the GDP or GD thread on this but didn't post because it was too likely to be misunderstood by some of the Clinton people.)

Consider the video that introduced Bill Clinton to most of America. The theme was essentially this kid growing up raised by a single mom, then with an abusive step father, having the strength to fashion a vision of hope. Now ignore that Clinton is much smarter - especially as smart is not as important in the strange culture we have as various personality things are.

Brown's story (at least as seen by the Boston Globe stories) could fit a Republican version of that meme. His parents divorced and there were elements of abuse. Oddly, in this upside down image world, his shop lifting could be more helpful in his "story" than things in JK's like being the debate star for Yale. In Brown's case, you have him joining the military. (Yeah he was never deployed, but the BG gave it more unadulterated positive coverage than they gave Kerry for being a genuine war hero.) You also have him "working" hisway through law school.

As Palin, with all oddities, eventually pales, there could be a place in mythology making for a kid from a hard background, initially drifting away, but then pulled back by the military and a strong faith (whether that is backed up or not) and his own strong family to become an every man talking truth to power taking on what everyone said was a hopeless task to triumph because of who he is and the truth of his message. (Before scoffing, remember the media sold the "lost sheep" Bush in 2000.) This seriously could hit almost every Republican theme.

I think he is a lightweight from hearing him speak, but I could see his inarticulateness compared to say, JK, being spun as modesty and realness. You also have the power of a very attractive, approachable family. His background and family make him a more serious threat than Palin. (He is helped by the Bush and Palin jokes from the left - comments from the left that he is a lightweight will be dismissed as - the MSM says that of all Republicans.)

I suspect that going for this before he really has unpacked his stuff in his office is because he really does intend to go for 2012. This is not surprising. Obama jumped to take advantage of a historical chance, but he had a viable chance to simply lay low and accomplish great stuff as a Senator or possibly be named as VP. Brown may see that his only chance is to jump on this unique moment when he is the hero to the right. His best chance is to be the Presidential or VP nominee in 2012, because it is tough to see how he threads a needle doing things as Senator that lead to his re-election in 2012 and keep the right happy enough. (The closest precedent there was Edwards, who most saw as endangered in a Senate race in 2004 even though he benefited from the same attractive family/ loved by the media situation.)

[Inuca]

2. "Modesty"?

Sorry, I could not resist :-).

As for the rest of your analysis, I hope you are wrong, but after Palin nothing seems impossible any more. From the (extremely) little I know about him, he seems to have more substance than she does, not that means much... I cannot stop from wandering where these two people would be if their good looks were taken away from them.... which in Palin's case may happen pretty soon, maybe not the looks per se, but perkiness and sexy winks don't look so cute and endearing when you are 50, do they? A catty thing to say, but that woman drives me NUTS, she is everything I always despised in a woman.

[karynnj]

3. I did intentionally - and with pun intended - use that word

In his case, the modesty applies to not showing off his intelligence - unlike people like Kerry, Gore, Obama etc

I don't think it was Brown's good looks. I think Kerry is right - there was anger, Coakley ran a poor campaign, and he was a fresh face. From the few interviews I saw, he does seem like, if he were a neighbor, not a Senate candidate, he would be described as a nice guy, with a successful, attractive wife and two nice kids. Not what I would say of the Palins.

I have kids slightly older than both - now assume we were in the same town. I would not have a problem with them hanging out with the Brown kids, while I would hope they would avoid the Palin ones. Silly analysis, if it even deserves that word, but it does say something. What scares me is that Brown and his family give the right an easy way to move away from Palin, who likely could never overcome his negatives, to another attractive family, without the baggage.

[wisteria]

4. Your assessment scares me. Is this what our country has come too?

I was going to write something smarta**, but now I have to step back and consider that some people may well push him and he will be willing to go for President.This celebrity instead of substance in our politics is not in our country's best interest. He may have to fight Romney for this position though and Romney has a lot more money and more credentials.

[Blaukraut]

5. Totally agree with you

While we all know that Brown is no intellectual colossus, we also need to realize that this is only a disqualifier for higher office in minds like ours. Just look at the previous president - also no mensa member - yet he was lauded by media and public alike for being a guy who is approacheable. I.e. the guy you want to have a beer with. Same with Palin. To paraphrase the Rude Pundit: Guys want to fuck her, and women want to BE her, which makes her eminently qualified to run for president in too many people's eyes.

Brown appeals to the increasingly anti-intellectual electorate, and he knows it. So, yes, he's going to cash in on this and run for president in '12. Sadly, I saw this coming as soon as he garnered national/teabagger attention. This is why it's so frustrating that, as little as his win had to do with national issues, that didn't matter to the national media. It's all in the perception, so it became a self-fulfilling prophecy. The media wanted it to be a referendum on Obama and congress, and therefore they turned reality around on everyone. The biggest loser in this is Massachusetts, closely followed by the rest of the nation, should he succeed with his aspirations.