Opinion: Another political daughter turns writer
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
What is it with the kids of political figures that drives them to the keyboard? As writers, we understand the impulse, of course -- it is by far the most honorable and noble profession available to humankind, after all -- but why do so many political daughters pick up the proverbial pen?
The latest into the fold is Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain from Arizona, who is about to join the blogosphere, according to a Women’s Wear Daily brief on the announcement party. We weren’t able to find an active page for the blog, but you all know about unexpected production delays. According to McCain, the idea is to create something of a Hunter S. Thompson ‘Fear and Loathing’ approach to politics, which could be interesting given the conservative outlook of her father, and the even more conservative outlooks of the Republican voters he’s soliciting these days.
Thompson, of course, was an American iconoclast, as erratic in his writing as he was in his drug intake. But he also inspired a generation of journalists with his sharp eye and even sharper pen (he once described Hubert Humphrey as ‘a treacherous, gutless old ward-healer who should be put in a ... bottle and sent off on the Japanese current.’ Now that’s political poetry.). As to his thoughts on former President Richard M. Nixon, well, you’ll just have to use your imagination.
McCain, although her writing will be blog-only (for the time being, anyway), joins the ranks of First Daughter Jenna Bush, Al Gore‘s daughters Kristin Gore and Karenna Gore Schiff, and Mary Cheney. Of course, Margaret Truman, who apparently writes better than she sings,beat them all to the punch.
If we missed any -- smart money would say we did -- feel free to add them in the Comments section.
-- Scott Martelle
