⚾ Book Review: Insider Baseball by Joan Didion
A razor-sharp dissection of American political theater, where optics eclipse substance and the illusion of consensus reigns supreme.
Originally published in The New York Review of Books and later included in her collection Political Fictions, Joan Didion’s Insider Baseball is a masterclass in political critique. This Vintage Short Kindle Single offers a compact yet potent version of her essay, focusing on the 1988 presidential campaign and the performative nature of modern politics. With a Goodreads rating of 3.88/5, readers praise its incisiveness, elegance, and enduring relevance.
🧠 Core Themes
- The Process: Didion uses “the process” as shorthand for the scripted rituals of American politics—campaigns, conventions, press briefings—designed to maintain the illusion of unity while avoiding real issues.
- Media Complicity: Journalists, spin doctors, and candidates all play roles in a narrative that prioritizes optics over truth.
- Alienation of the Public: The essay highlights how political discourse has become so abstracted and sanitized that it no longer reflects the concerns of ordinary Americans.
💬 Why Readers Admire It
- Elegant Prose: Didion’s writing is spare, precise, and devastatingly effective.
- Prescient Insight: Though focused on the 1988 campaign, her observations feel eerily applicable to today’s political climate.
- Cultural Critique: She doesn’t just analyze politics—she exposes how it intersects with class, media, and identity.
⚠️ Critiques
- The essay’s tone is cynical, which may alienate readers seeking hopeful or solutions-oriented commentary.
- Some readers unfamiliar with the 1988 election may find the references dated, though the underlying critique remains sharp.
- It’s not a narrative but a reflective essay, so those expecting a story arc may be disappointed.
📣 Reviewer Highlights
“Didion betrays ‘the process’—the way in which power is exchanged and the status quo is maintained… All insiders participate in a political narrative designed to obscure rather than address actual issues.” — Goodreads summary
“A monster of an essay… Didion followed Dukakis through California and saw through the entire charade.” — Sheila O’Malley blog
🏁 Final Verdict
Insider Baseball is essential reading for anyone interested in political journalism, media studies, or American cultural critique. If you want to understand how campaigns became theater and why voters feel increasingly disconnected from their leaders, Didion’s essay is as relevant now as it was in 1988.
