Review – The Confirmation

Confirmation By Ralph Reed/ Fidelis Books Reviewed by Donn Taylor, author of Rhapsody in Red President Bob Long’s independent candidacy succeeded because public disgust with both political parties prevented any candidate from winning a majority in the Electoral College, and the House of Representatives eventually chose Long as President. So he enters office surrounded by enemies in both parties and in powerful lobbying groups who wish to destroy his presidency. Perhaps equally troubling are Long’s supporters who want to force him into untenable political positions. Into this maelstrom of conflicting interests comes the problem of winning confirmation of a critical Supreme Court nominee-one whose votes will determine the liberal or conservative direction of the Court and decide whether Roe v. Wade will be overturned or upheld.

Author Ralph Reed is superbly qualified to write this saga. As a leader of the Christian Coalition he supported the 1991 nomination of Clarence Thomas and was a close-up witness to the defamatory confirmation process that quickly turned into blood sport. From his decades of political experience, Reed has peopled his novel with a wide variety of sharply-drawn characters in conflict with each other: the Senate majority leader who defeated Long for the party’s nomination only to be defeated by Long in the general election; the woman-chasing chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee; a super-lobbyist colluding with a super-industrialist; the egotistical head of an evangelical political group; a “pro-choice” lobbyist ready to employ any means of upholding Roe v. Wade; an expert but amoral campaign manager to whom winning is everything; willing but imperfect and vulnerable candidates for the Court; media sharks hungry for a sensational story at anyone’s expense?. These are only the beginning, and there are many other striking characters and accurately described locales.

Reed skillfully weaves these conflicting personalities and motives into a complex novelistic tapestry of increasing interest and suspense up to the book’s final page. All in all, his novel provides a richly rewarding experience for everyone with an appetite for realistic political thrillers.