Political Science: A Novel

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Over twenty years before the election of Donald Trump, there was a prophetic novel about a vulgar, narcissistic, right-wing politician who runs for president with no hope or intention of winning, but solely as a means to increase his personal wealth.

Written in 1993, Political Science is a satire on the American political process and the corrupting influence of money. Billionaire brothers Reginald and Bret Worthington concoct what they think is a foolproof money-making scheme: find the worst presidential candidate in the world, make lots of outrageous promises to moneyed interests in exchange for campaign contributions, and then pocket the money when the candidate takes a dive in the primaries. To execute their plan, they draft unscrupulous redneck politician Thurmond Stonewall. But to everyone’s surprise, the voters embrace the unlikely candidate—and more so with his every gaffe, misstatement, and offensive comment—leaving the Worthingtons no choice but to devise increasingly outlandish ways to sabotage their own campaign.

Political Science follows the campaign as it zigzags frantically from one end of the country to the other, from fundraisers and talk shows to backroom meetings and hotel bedrooms. The insanity of the campaign escalates as it crosses paths with pollsters and pundits, politicos and prostitutes, and even transvestite Madonna impersonators. As seen through the eyes of Joel “Scoop” Heidelman, the campaign’s sardonic and perpetually besotted press secretary, Political Science is a rollercoaster ride through the underbelly of the American political system.