Belated Book Review: John Moe's Very Funny Conservatize Me

Since there's a pretty heavy overlap between the set of people who read this site and the set of people who listen to KUOW, we're going to guess that most of you already heard of Conservatize Me by KUOW's John Moe, despite our inexcusable failure to review this entertaining, thought-provoking book. For those who haven't, profuse apologies.

The #1 thing we enjoyed about this book is that it's the first we've read of this genre of political books that manages to be funny without being smug. Al Franken's a funny man, but his gospel of superiority wears thin, which is probably why Air America the radio network has been about as popular as Air America the movie.

Moe's funny without being didactic. And not half-smile funny, but laugh-out-loud funny. And we aren't ones to laugh out loud easily unless damage to someone's groin is involved.

He also is clear-sighted enough to see analogues to righty behavior in lefty behavior. For example. on picking out his outfit for the Rexburg, Idaho, 4th of July parade:

I went with a rather busy blue ball cap with an American flag on the front, a yellow ribbon on the side (showing either a commitment to the war in Iraq or devotion to Tony Orlando), and the words SUPPORT OUR TROOPS on the back. I'm always a sucker for imperative sentences. ... You're not only saying what you think, you're demanding that whoever happens to read your sticker or T-shirt or hat does what you tell them. It's the same concept liberals employ when they ask passing motorists to Free Tibet.

You'd think a book about Red America by an NPR host would have the reader nodding along with condemnations of the Iraq war, homophobia and pro-lifeyness. Instead, it got Seattlest thinking more critically about liberals. We even broke with strict urban archipelago liberal policy and criticized a Democrat shortly after finishing the book.

We're lucky to have such a curious, critical mind in our town, and--watch out, Stan Boreson--Moe's making a strong case for funniest Scandinavian in Seattle.

Moe's final reading from Conservatize Me is tonight at Elliott Bay at 7:30.