Cheating Presidents and Forever Bridesmaids

The Scandal Plan; or, How to Win the Presidency by Cheating on Your Wife by Bill Folman. You read that right. Cheat on your wife, become President (though I was under the impression that you got to cheat on your wife after you became president). I enjoy comic political novels. If the story preaches me all that is wrong with the American system of electing a president (or any election), then I will probably not read it. If it suggests that it will be funny, I'm in. I have not read many political novels, I admit, but this one was funny and thought provoking. Funny election movies are a little more up my alley (The Candidate, Bob Roberts, even Election). Scandal Plan has a presidential candidate who is perfect for the job, but, unfortunately, doesn't appear to the average American as human. Ben Phillips has been a politician ever since he ran for a student council position. Ben Phillips knows (as he's known since he was in high school) that he is not cool and will never be cool. Sadly, coolness is a bit of a factor in becoming president. He is now a Senator and does the job he's supposed to do without the typical muckraking and sleaziness factor that most of us associate with politicians nowadays. His chief campaign advisor, Tom Campman, is not beyond blackmail to advance his candidate. The Plan is Campman's design. How do you talk an honest man into going along with a made-up scandal? Dangle the office of the presidency in front of him. At the end of the novel, I find it very interesting that Campman rationalizes his actions as follows: "Did any of it matter? If the right man was in office, was there really any harm in what he'd done?" (Page 435) A well-paced, fun, seemingly absurd novel with ideas that you may shake your head at but the results of which should not surprise you (so long as you're a cynic like myself). About to read The Jade Queen. Haven't started it yet, but it's about an archaeologist, which I thought would be fun. Will update when I'm finished.
I saw 27 Dresses in theatres, and enjoyed it (didn't think it was fantastic and a must-buy but definitely worth seeing). My question to myself was, as it sat on my counter for most of the week, should I watch it again? Is it really worth watching again? I asked a friend if it was worth a second watch. "Yes," was the reply. O all right, I'll do it. So I watched it last night, and yes, it definitely was worth a second watch, not only for Katherine Heigl (whom I really enjoy) singing "Bennie and the Jets" (I'm still determined to look up those lyrics ... what are they really?) but because it was a cute, slightly girly movie. Kind of like Forgetting Sarah Marshall leans a little more towards guy humor but has enough to keep girls interested, 27 Dresses leans toward girl story but (from my female perspective) isn't so awfully sappy that a guy wouldn't see it. But I wouldn't force a guy to see it. Aside from all that, I remember I hated Jane's sister, Tess. Before she was bridezilla, she was that cute friend you had that all the guys fell all over because she presented herself exactly as the mirror opposite of the guy she was interested in. Annoying. Selfish. Bratty. Ergh. Judy Greer is another highlight of the film; it was nice she got to play a character a little more risky than she usually plays. She often ends up as the cute but dorky friend who pines over the guy but may or may not get him in the end. One of her earliest lines in the movie is "Where are all the cute guys?" Jane says to her, "Can't you keep it in your pants for one wedding?" Definitely different for Judy Greer.
In the midst of library mess, I remain your Savage Librarian.