(reviewed by JD Jung)
#CommissionsEarned
“Democracy is on the way out. Who will control the aftermath?”
This political thriller serves as a cautionary tale that takes place in the very near future, possibly as early as 2024. What would happen if a no presidential candidate received the majority of electoral votes (270) or popular votes? Then the election would be determined by the contingency procedure outlined in the Twelfth Amendment. The House of Representatives would choose the president from the top three candidates. Also, there is no mandate that this process be held in public.
Martha Hass runs the tip line for the New York Times. She receives a potentially explosive audio recording of senior members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff plotting a military takeover of the country through a contingent election. When she brings this to the attention of the Editor-in-chief, he squashes the story because it is not reliable. However, she has confidence in her source, so should she leak it to a non-traditional outlet in order to save the country?
Cooper Sherman is running for president on the centrist Maverick Party ticket. Though he is a tech billionaire, his party’s goal is to remove money from politics. It hopes to take votes away from the center of both the Democratic and Republican parties. As the election unfolds, readers are drawn into a complex web of scandal, deceit, and morally ambiguous characters, including a right-wing tech giant’s oppo man determined to destroy Sherman.
The Last Election takes us through the early stages of the election cycle through the inauguration, including the personal and professional lives of those involved.
The platform of universal basic income and the slogan “Do the Math.” is reminiscent of co-author Andrew Yang’s 2020 presidential campaign, but we can see the potential harm that third parties can pose on our system.
Though the story is captivating from beginning to end, I think that it could have been more cohesive. There’s a lot going on with multiple characters, and these elements could have been more tightly woven.
Still, The Last Election is a gripping political tale that provides a realistic look into American politics. It will leave readers pondering the fragility of democracy and the power of information long after they’ve turned the final page. This political thriller is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of politics, media, and the future of American democracy.
