Morning Drive: Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Talking

by Michael A. Smerconish

Book Overview

Never having seen trees, the children in Repulse Bay decide that the funny things sent them one year must actually be baseball bats. An autobiographical tale from Michael Kusugak's childhood tells a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1599215179
• ISBN13: 9781599215174
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Lyons Press
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.4" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Great Stories

A must-read book. I've been a listener of Michael's for years. It's nice to see the old stories in print now.

Captures the essence of his radio show

Smerconish's book, like his radio show, is entertaining and enjoyable because it's not about the politics. Yeah, there's politics in there in the form of his Suburban Manifesto, but those chapters are really more asides to the main story, a behind-the-scenes narration of his experience in talk radio filled with plenty of humorous anecdotes. If you're looking for a book to reaffirm your Limbaugh/Hannity political beliefs, this is not the book for you. If you like discussion more than indoctrination, it's a great read.

An Open-Minded, Thinking Conservative

Smerconish tends to come out on the conservative side of issues, but not without considering both sides and thinking first. Thus, he is a welcome contrast with most political pundits of either side. The bulk of "Morning Drive" consists of Smerconish's positions on various topics, backed up with various current events. Eg. on immigration, he believes we should solve the border problem first, then worry about what to do with those already here (something besides load them all up and ship them out). He doesn't feel that his marriage is threatened by homosexuals, nor should anyone else. Global Warming - given the stakes involves, err on the side of caution. Racial Profiling - use it, all the terrorists have a common background. Etc., etc.

Smerconovitch is outttaaa heeerrree!

Morning Drive by Michael Smerconish is a book that I have to resist the urge to use the age old cliche of it being "a breath of fresh air." Being a young and recovering political junky, I attribute my unrelenting attention to all things political to Smerconish's morning show in Philadelphia, the first of any sort of political talk radio that I ever listened to (and enjoyed). I readily appreciated Smerconish's intellectual approach to political science and was actually surprised to hear other pundits who seem to take a very unintellectual approach in their promoting of all things along the party line. As I followed his program, and read his book Muzzled, it became apparent to me that Michael Smerconish was something more/different than a red state conservative republican. He always seemed to the right of center but articulated very well on his show as it progressed the disparity between him and "his" political party. This subject, his differences in ideology and the intellectual approach he often embarks on, is only one of the great assets that the book, Morning Drive, has to offer. I have always liked Smerconish- obviously, when I was figuring out where I fit on the two-dimensional political spectrum and figured he was agreeable, but even now after I have set sail on a very different intellectual political viewpoint (libertartian-anarchism) I have honestly no malignant attitudes toward him and appreciate his well-reasoned and very thoughtful probing of the issues. I recall, shortly before I moved from Pennsylvania in late October, Smerconish's illuminating journey through who would get his vote in November and found it quite fascinating how open he was on-air, amidst an audience mostly perceived as right-wing. This insightful approach of his is documented very well in this book, and is well worth the read for those who opposed his decision, were happy with his decision, or have no clue what his decision was. Personally, and this is a side note, I reasoned to vote for neither of the terrible candidates and wish Smerconish had joined me on the road less traveled. Upon my arrival in my new home of California I began scanning the AM frequency air waves for morning talk radio to listen to on my drive to work. I immediately wished I could tune to the Big Talker (WPHT 1210 in Philadelphia) but knew that even if I could, in order to hear Michael Smerconish I would have to get up 3 hours earlier to make up for the time zone difference. Nevertheless I scanned the stations and happened on hearing the neocon, Mike Gallagher, whom I suspected could provide an entertaining show. It wasn't but 15 minutes until I noted the discrepancy between the two pundits, one intellectual and brutally honest and the other a complete Republican apologist that didn't seem so analytical as the former, but figured that was show biz and of course no two talking heads could be alike (I'm sure Smerconish would agree that no one wants to be as bald as him). Turned out