That's No Angry Mob, That's My Mom: Team Obama's Assault on Tea-Party, Talk-Radio Americans | Political Book | American Conservatism Analysis | Perfect for Political Science Students & History Buffs

Decades after the fact, I sometimes still think about an old college friend. While I concerned myself with the issues that mattered - like how to pass a class I never attended, and which frat house would have the best weekend party - she was latching on to every activist (read: Liberal) group within driving distance of our dorm.The moment I best remember, the one which pretty much defined her character for me, was when she teed off on me in a 20-minute rant - a diatribe about religion that closed with the line, "Some behaviors are so @#!@#! offensive, they *need* to be illegal!"I just stared at her. I was at a complete loss for words, because I had no idea how to respond to something so absurd. And dangerous.As the years have gone by, I've often felt that same shocky paralysis in the face of the rage - and the resulting absurdities - of political zealots (within any group). When I decided to read "That's No Angry Mob", I was expecting a fun read, one that would soundly tweak those types while entertaining me. And Michael Graham certainly doesn't disappoint: This is a fun book, filled with Graham's quick wit and irreverent attitude.What I didn't expect were the searing insights into the attitudes and beliefs of those who seek not only to control, but to eliminate all dissension. For example, in describing "normal folks", Graham says: "... they don't view politics as an all-encompassing struggle. They don't need 'the fight' to give meaning to their existence - they already have a life."That one had me thinking for a while - a long while - and it's just one of the many insights that I'll take with me from this book. I'm pretty sure that the next time I'm confronted with a political purist of any kind, I won't be struggling with paralysis: I'll be trying not to laugh.