Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right
Opinionated Columns on American Life
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Narrated by:
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Michael Smerconish
About this listen
Opinionated talk show host and columnist Michael Smerconish has been chronicling local, state, and national events for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 15 years. He has sounded off on topics as diverse as the hunt for Osama bin Laden and what the color of your Christmas lights says about you. In this collection of 100 of his most memorable columns, Smerconish reflects on American political life with his characteristic feistiness. A new afterword for each column provides updates on both facts and feelings, indicating how the author has evolved over the years, moving from a reliable Republican voter to a political Independent.
Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right covers the post-9/11 years, Barack Obama's ascension, and the rise of Donald Trump. Smerconish describes meeting Ronald Reagan, having dinner with Fidel Castro, barbequing with the band YES in his backyard, spending the same night with Pete Rose and Ted Nugent, drinking champagne from the Stanley Cup, and conducting Bill Cosby's only pretrial interview. He also writes about local Philadelphia culture, from Sid Mark to the Rizzo statue. Smerconish's outlook as expressed in these impassioned opinion pieces goes beyond "liberal" or "conservative". His thought process continues to evolve and change, and as it does, he aims to provoke listeners to do the same.
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Story
What began as an off-campus team party with two hired strippers accelerated into a rape investigation - one that exposed prosecutorial misconduct, shoddy police work, an administration's rush to judgment, and the media's disregard for the facts. In It's Not About the Truth, Mike Pressler, the former Duke University lacrosse team's coach, and best-selling author Don Yaeger expose vivid details, including the day Pressler was fired.
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Highly Recommended
- By Dave on 08-08-07
By: Don Yaeger, and others
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Bobby Kennedy
- The Making of a Liberal Icon
- By: Larry Tye
- Narrated by: Marc Cashman
- Length: 19 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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History remembers Robert F. Kennedy as a racial healer, a tribune for the poor, and the last progressive knight of a bygone era of American politics. But Kennedy's enshrinement in the liberal pantheon was actually the final stage of a journey that had its beginnings in the conservative 1950s. In Bobby Kennedy, Larry Tye peels away layers of myth and misconception to paint a complete portrait of this singularly fascinating figure.
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Absorbing
- By Jean on 01-18-17
By: Larry Tye
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The Book of Joe
- The Life, Wit, and (Sometimes Accidental) Wisdom of Joe Biden
- By: Jeff Wilser
- Narrated by: Johnathan McClain
- Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The aviators. The Amtrak. The ice cream cones. The memes. Few politicians are as iconic, or as beloved, as Joe Biden. Now, in The Book of Joe, Biden fans will finally have the definitive look at America's favorite vice president - and what he can teach us. Structured around key moments in Biden's life and career - and filled with Biden-isms like "That's a bunch of malarkey" and "I may be Irish, but I'm not stupid" - this blend of biography, advice, and humor will reveal the experiences that forged Joe Biden, and the lessons we can use in our own lives.
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I LOVED it!!!
- By Leslie on 11-19-20
By: Jeff Wilser
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Shortest Way Home
- One Mayor's Challenge and a Model for America's Future
- By: Pete Buttigieg
- Narrated by: Pete Buttigieg
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Once described by The Washington Post as "the most interesting mayor you've never heard of", Pete Buttigieg, the 36-year-old Democratic mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has improbably emerged as one of the nation's most visionary politicians. First elected in 2011, Buttigieg left a successful business career to move back to his hometown, previously tagged by Newsweek as a "dying city", and transformed it into a shining model of urban reinvention.
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Reveals a Person Wise & Experienced & Literate
- By dbbks3 on 03-17-19
By: Pete Buttigieg
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Giuliani
- The Rise and Tragic Fall of America's Mayor
- By: Andrew Kirtzman
- Narrated by: Gibson Frazier
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Rudy Giuliani was hailed after 9/11 as “America’s Mayor,” a national hero who, at the time, was more widely admired than the pope. He was brilliant, accomplished—and complicated. He conflated politics with morality, made reckless personal choices, and engaged in self-destructive behavior. A series of disastrous decisions and cynical compromises, coupled with his need for power, money, and attention gradually ruined his reputation, cost him political support, and ultimately damaged the country.
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You Clearly See His Story
- By Anonymous User on 10-06-23
By: Andrew Kirtzman
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November 22, 1963
- Reflections on the Life, Assassination, and Legacy of John F. Kennedy
- By: Dean R. Owen, Helen Thomas - foreword
- Narrated by: Arnell Powell, Kimberly Farr, Arthur Morey, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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As the fiftieth anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination draws near, the events of that fateful day will undoubtedly be on the minds of many throughout the world. Here Dean Owen curates a fascinating collection of interviews and thought-provoking commentaries from notable men and women connected to that notorious Friday afternoon. Those who worked closely with the president, civil rights leaders, celebrities, prominent journalists, and political allies are among the nearly one hundred voices asked to share their reflections on the significance of that day and the legacy left behind by John F. Kennedy.
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Disappointed in the content
- By ScoobyDo on 03-04-21
By: Dean R. Owen, and others
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Lady Bird and Lyndon
- The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President
- By: Betty Boyd Caroli
- Narrated by: Amanda Carlin
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A fresh look at Lady Bird Johnson that upends her image as a plain Jane who was married for her money and mistreated by Lyndon. This Lady Bird worked quietly behind the scenes through every campaign, every illness, and a trying presidency as a key strategist, fundraiser, barnstormer, peacemaker, and indispensable therapist.
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Lady Bird & btw Lyndon
- By Richard on 11-27-15
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Game of Thorns
- The Inside Story of Hillary Clinton's Failed Campaign and Donald Trump's Winning Strategy
- By: Doug Wead
- Narrated by: Doug Wead
- Length: 13 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Here is the first insider account of the precipitous fall of Hillary Clinton. How the scandals of a lifetime finally reached critical mass. How, in the last few days of the campaign, some on her staff saw the ghostly shroud of defeat creeping over them but were helpless to act, frozen by the self-denial of the group.
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President Donald Trump stopped that Clinton Machine
- By Paulette on 03-05-17
By: Doug Wead
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Boom!
- Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the '60s and Today
- By: Tom Brokaw
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 18 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Boom! One minute it was Ike and the man in the grey flannel suit, and the next minute it was time to "turn on, tune in, drop out". While Americans were walking on the moon, Americans were dying in Vietnam. Nothing was beyond question, and there were far fewer answers than before.
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boring survey of a generation
- By Andy on 01-01-08
By: Tom Brokaw
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A Woman in Charge
- The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton
- By: Carl Bernstein
- Narrated by: Dick Rodstein
- Length: 24 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Carl Bernstein's stunning portrait of Hillary Rodham Clinton shows us, as nothing else has, the true trajectory of her life and career, with its zigzag bursts of risks taken and safety sought. Marshaling all the skills and energy that propelled his history-making Pulitzer Prize reporting on Watergate, Bernstein gives us the most detailed, sophisticated, comprehensive, and revealing account of Hilary Rodham Clinton yet.
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in depth and well-written
- By Katherine on 07-20-07
By: Carl Bernstein
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Once in a Great City
- A Detroit Story
- By: David Maraniss
- Narrated by: David Maraniss
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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It's 1963, and Detroit is on top of the world. The city's leaders are among the most visionary in America. It was the American auto makers' best year; the revolution in music and politics was underway. Walter Reuther's UAW had helped lift the middle class. Once in a Great City shows that the shadows of collapse were evident even then. Yet so much of what Detroit gave America lasts.
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Great read
- By Jordanel on 01-02-16
By: David Maraniss
What listeners say about Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John OConnor
- 01-13-21
Great book reviewing his past work with updates
Smerconish is one of my favorites😀 This book is insightful if you follow his work.
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- Jeff M
- 10-06-18
Great book by a great guy for a great cause
easy listen with awesome stories. loved the updates to the articles and insight. If I could say one thing to Smerconish it would be to not bend over backwards trying to relate to the deplorable trump base. it's not worth it to focus on the America they thought existed but didn't and can't return because it's s figment of their imagination. Looking forward to the next book.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Sean H
- 03-30-21
Great listen and a great companion to his radio show
I didn’t have the pleasure of reading Smerconish’s columns as a New Mexico resident. An avid listener of his show, I enjoyed the look back over the years of his opinion and e peek into his life through his columns. Smerconish covers a whole spectrum of topics and never disappoints with his wit. Any fan of his SiriusXM radio program will appreciate his body of knowledge in this book.
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- aaron brunello
- 05-10-24
Classic Michael!
Absolutely love the recap of Michael’s historic career through his written word…as an avid SiriusXM listener, I’ve heard many of these perspectives before, but this is an excellent listen from start to finish.
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- Joe
- 06-14-18
We Need More Like Smerconish
Really good listen. Michael is a pleasure no matter what the subject. Several columns were very touching -- like going to a viewing (wake) in South Philly or talking about his many mentors. We really need more people like Michael in politics and the media -- INDEPENDENT THINKERS! If you like his radio and/or CNN show you'll love this audiobook.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Scott
- 12-26-18
A great collection of stories and history
I have listened to Michael since the first day when he arrived on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. These collections of stories were both familiar to me as a regular listener and included delightful surprises. it is a wonderful listen for anyone interested in American history as Michael has been involved in some very unique things throughout the years and certainly anybody interested in the history of Philadelphia as that clearly is his hometown which he Treasures. the audio quality is impeccable as I would expect nothing less from Michael and TC as the editor.
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- Anonymous User
- 07-04-21
Enjoyable listening
The book was very well done and clearly spoken. Enjoyed his updates after each chapter, really helped explain his current, as well as his previous points he was trying to convey. Anyone that enjoys Smerconish on his talk shows will be entertained by this book.
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- Larry Smith
- 08-06-18
finished it in two sittings!
just what I expected from Michael
slow start great finish
as a daily listener of his Sirius program I was excited this was my first smerconish book but not my last
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- Hooahh
- 06-16-18
Smerconish for President!
I love his views and overall attitude about politics and life! I highly recommend this wonderful book!
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- R. Sterns
- 06-07-18
Enjoyed This
Smerconish is one of the very few conservatives I have respect for these days.
Just a reminder that there may still be hope.
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