How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power by Adrienne Maree Brown

How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power Reviews

• 
  La Crosse County Library

  Review originally published May 2004
  
  You would have to be in a coma to not to know it is an election year. Many are already fed up with the whole process and it is six months to November. Our library system recently purchased a book that may make you get off of your cynical duff and become a participant instead of just a bystander in the whole electoral process.
  
  How to Get Stupid White Men Out of Office: The Anti-Politics, Un-Boring Guide to Power is the book that may make you get involved in elections. Editors Adrienne Maree Brown and William Upski Wimsatt have put together a collection of first-person stories of people that have been underdogs in the political arena. The political contests vary from local city council races to college campus issues to congressional campaigns.
  
  Included in this book are stories about how young people and marginalized voters such as LGBTQ+ people, punks, African-Americans, and Latinos banded together to make a winning difference in all types of elections. They like to point out how close the last presidential election was and that if just a few people had called all their friends in Florida the outcome of the 2000 presidential election could have been different.
  
  There are many stories about how small minority groups were brought together to make a difference in such diverse campaigns as Paul Wellstone’s senate race, Boston and Chicago city contests, and even Tammy Baldwin’s campaign for Congress in the Madison area.
  
  Most of the campaigns tell of grassroots types of organizations that phoned, knocked on doors, and went to local meetings and listened to voters. Many organized transportation to the polls on Election Day. The final section tells the major political parties that they need to show up at places young voters frequent, like concerts, and advertise during bar time on the radio when people this age might be in their cars and listening. Politicians need to market themselves to this demographic just like soda.
  
  There are also brief interviews with the contributors that ask questions like: “Which candidate would be best in bed?” “What actor or public person would you like to see in a smack down with Ah-nold?” “What slept-on group of voters would you like to see organized?”
  
  The book makes an appeal to young, uninvolved voters to get out, get organized, and make their votes count.
  
  The only downside is the small print, but I guess young voters would not have a problem with that. But it is filled with campaign methods that have worked and how to apply them. Creating coalitions among diverse minorities seems to be the key to winning elections.
  
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• 
  William Upski

  This is probably the most under-rated and useful book I've ever worked on. I hope more people read it -20 real life stories of young progressives winning and swinging elections. Complete with suspense and lessons learned.
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  Gemini

  This book was awesome, I wish I would have read it sooner, but better late than never. I was perplexed at times to see some of the stories that people shared that I was like that can't be right, really here in the US that happened? Oh yes it did. It was so hopeful to see the barriers that certain people went through & how they managed to not only survive but come out on top. These stories that were shared were from all over the US & it shows how power to the people really does make a difference. I know this is not always the case but just to see how when things are stacked against you in every way you still manage to be victorious. Simply amazing & so encouraging. It was even a bigger pleasure to see that our own (Boston's) Felix Arroyo was part of the book & that hit home as a fellow hispanic. He prevailed & became the 1st Latino city councilor. It really doesn't matter what nationality or background you are, this book really speaks to the underdogs & their way to the top (so to speak). I like how it gives you a snippet of each person who wrote about their story, it's almost like there should be a sequel so I can find out what happens.
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  Lisa Bonack

  This book was published in 2004 with the intent of voting Dubya out of office. I decided it was worth buying now in an effort to keep Trump to one term. They aren't saying all white men are stupid, nor are they saying that all stupid white men are white...or men. They're merely saying that things need to change to reflect the times. They do this by educating and motivating young people (many of color) and other marginalized groups to volunteer and, most importantly, to get out there and vote. It's a pretty fun read, given the topic. Back when I read it in 2004, I was introduced to Tammy Baldwin, who is now one of my U.S. Senators.
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  Amber Sinatra

  4.5/5 I loved reading different perspectives and stories about how voting matters and how young people can change outcomes! I neeeed an updated version of this book in recent years. That is my only request. Also, if you’re reading this, VOTE!
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  Fishface

  This was, meh, okay. It includes a lot of student stories about organizing their college communities and so on to get more minority recognition. They were fine as far as they went, but didn't give me the sense that they were coming up with ideas that would apply to the outside world. They don't seem to be engaging in what we really need -- governmental change OUTSIDE of college campuses.
• 
  lynna

  if you want a more progressive country... read this book.