Senator Graham Cracker Hardback - 2004

by Date, S. V.

A biography of the one electable Democratic presidential candidate with the guts to provide a real alternative to George Bush.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida is the one electable Democrat running for President who provides a real alternative to George Bush. And S. V. Date is uncannily suited to write Graham's biography: an acclaimed novelist (praised by The New York Times Book Review for his "hilarious political satire"), Date is also a veteran journalist who has covered Florida politics since 1995 and has access to Senator Graham and his intimates.

Date reveals Graham's motivations and the sheer drive and talent that turned a country boy into a multimillionaire, two-term Florida Governor, United States Senator (since 1987), and now, a presidential candidate willing to speak unpopular truths. While most Democrats hemmed and hawed, Graham-"a modern-day Paul Revere" (The Washington Post)-unequivocally opposed the Iraq war, stating repeatedly and forcefully that it was diverting funds and focus from preventing future terrorist attacks in the United States.

The biography offers a balanced portrait of Graham. Date explores both the compromises Graham made to get to the top and his quirky side, including Graham's ritual of filling small notebooks with every detail of his day, as well as his inclination to break out into an occasional bad song, including the self-penned "I'm a Florida Graham cracker. Be a Graham cracker backer!"

Senator Graham Cracker, like the man himself, is straight-forward, funny, and smart.