Political memoirs can teach us a lot (or not)

I recently finished reading Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s (D) memoir, “True Gretch: What I’ve Learned About Life, Leadership and Everything in Between.” It is a very readable, informative and even humorous book, with valuable insights for young politicos and average citizens alike.

The book did get me to thinking about why politicians write such personal accounts and confessions. The more honest a memoir is, it seems, the more the author has laid their life out there for all to see and criticize. Such exposure and vulnerability can be very endearing, but it can also be politically harmful.

My first boss, Rep. John B. Anderson (R-Ill.), wrote a memoir in 1972, “A Congressman’s Choice: Between Two Worlds.” It was about the tug and pull between politics and religion. How does a person keep his faith and handle all the demands, pressures and temptations of elective public office? The book was published by the religious press and was not a runaway best seller. But it did lay out for all to see how the worlds of politics and religion can not only co-exist but complement each other.

My curiosity about why political officials write such personal memoirs led me to review some of the more recognizable members of Congress and books they have authored. I am indebted to Wikipedia and their “bibliography on U.S. congressional memoirs” for listing over 90 such titles. From these I culled about two dozen or so of the most recognizable members and their book titles which, taken together with the sometimes more revealing subtitles, and the stages of the authors’ political careers when written, I was able to draw some conclusions about motivations, even without having read most of the books.

Based on these rather flimsy criteria for judging why members do it, I came to the conclusion that most simply want to tell their stories — what they think is unique about their personalities, accomplishments and hopes for the future. They genuinely believe that the more honest and open they are about these matters, the more likely their constituents are to like and reelect them.

Yes, many of these autobiographers have their eyes on one day seeking higher office, and a well written memoir can introduce them to wider audiences they will need to succeed. My first boss, John Anderson, ran for president in 1980, eight years after his memoir appeared.

Other politicians turn to ghost writers to pen quickie campaign puff pieces that have little value beyond providing convenient covers to envelope family photo albums.

The motivations for writing personal, political memoirs are not only informational and educational, but can also run the gamut from confessional and aspirational, to self-promotional and even vengeful. Some of the most well-known members of Congress are those who are outspoken — liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat — who have captured the continuous attention of the media. Their books have selling power.

Some of these memorable members’ memoirs include former Rep. Bella Abzug’s (D-N.Y.), “Bella! Ms. Abzug Goes to Washington;” former Rep. Robert Bauman’s (R-Md.), “The Gentleman from Maryland: The Conscience of a Gay Conservative;” former Rep. Shirley Chisholm’s (D-N.Y.), “Unbossed and Unbought;” former Rep. Pat Schroeder’s (D-Colo.), “24 Years of House Work — and the Place is Still a Mess;” and former Rep. John Lewis’s (D-Ga.), “Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement.”

Other memoirs are by well-known leaders in Congress: former Speaker Tip O’Neill’s (D-Mass.), “All Politics is Local;” former Speaker Tom Foley’s (D-Wash.), “Honor in the House;” former Speaker Newt Gingrich’s (R-Ga.), “Lessons Learned the Hard Way;” former Rep. Mickey Edwards’s (R-Okla.), “Behind Enemy Lines: A Rebel in Congress Proposes a Bold New Politics….;” and former Speaker Jim Wright’s (D-Texas), “Reflections of a Public Man.”

That last one gained some notoriety as contributing to Wright’s resignation from the House in 1989. It was simply a compilation of his speeches, for which he had negotiated a 55 percent book royalty deal. It was then bought in bulk by friends and given away to voters, thereby avoiding violating the ethics limits on honoraria and outside income.

One of my favorite memoir titles is by formerly conservative Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla.), who is now a co-host of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” with his wife, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist: “Rome Wasn’t Burned in a Day: The Real Deal on How Politicians, Bureaucrats and Other Washington Barbarians are Bankrupting America.”

I am now reading former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-Calif.) just-released memoir, “The Art of Power: My Story as America’s First Woman Speaker of the House.” First elected in 1987, she voluntarily stepped down from her leadership post in 2023. Presumably, part of the art is knowing when to give up power, or at least its trappings. She is running again for reelection this fall.

Don Wolfensberger is a 28-year congressional staff veteran, culminating as chief-of-staff of the House Rules Committee in 1995. He is author of, “Congress and the People: Deliberative Democracy on Trial” (2000), and, “Changing Cultures in Congress: From Fair Play to Power Plays” (2018).