Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right

Opinionated Columns on American Life

By: Michael Smerconish

Narrated by: Michael Smerconish

Opinionated talk show host and columnist Michael Smerconish has been chronicling local, state, and national events for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Philadelphia Inquirer for more than 15 years. He has sounded off on topics as diverse as the hunt for Osama bin Laden and what the color of your Christmas lights says about you. In this collection of 100 of his most memorable columns, Smerconish reflects on American political life with his characteristic feistiness. A new afterword for each column provides updates on both facts and feelings, indicating how the author has evolved over the years, moving from a reliable Republican voter to a political Independent.

Clowns to the Left of Me, Jokers to the Right covers the post-9/11 years, Barack Obama's ascension, and the rise of Donald Trump. Smerconish describes meeting Ronald Reagan, having dinner with Fidel Castro, barbequing with the band YES in his backyard, spending the same night with Pete Rose and Ted Nugent, drinking champagne from the Stanley Cup, and conducting Bill Cosby's only pretrial interview. He also writes about local Philadelphia culture, from Sid Mark to the Rizzo statue. Smerconish's outlook as expressed in these impassioned opinion pieces goes beyond "liberal" or "conservative". His thought process continues to evolve and change, and as it does, he aims to provoke listeners to do the same.

©2018 Michael A. Smerconish (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

Great book reviewing his past work with updates

Smerconish is one of my favorites😀 This book is insightful if you follow his work.

Great book by a great guy for a great cause

easy listen with awesome stories. loved the updates to the articles and insight. If I could say one thing to Smerconish it would be to not bend over backwards trying to relate to the deplorable trump base. it's not worth it to focus on the America they thought existed but didn't and can't return because it's s figment of their imagination. Looking forward to the next book.

Great listen and a great companion to his radio show

I didn’t have the pleasure of reading Smerconish’s columns as a New Mexico resident. An avid listener of his show, I enjoyed the look back over the years of his opinion and e peek into his life through his columns. Smerconish covers a whole spectrum of topics and never disappoints with his wit. Any fan of his SiriusXM radio program will appreciate his body of knowledge in this book.

Classic Michael!

Absolutely love the recap of Michael’s historic career through his written word…as an avid SiriusXM listener, I’ve heard many of these perspectives before, but this is an excellent listen from start to finish.

We Need More Like Smerconish

Really good listen. Michael is a pleasure no matter what the subject. Several columns were very touching -- like going to a viewing (wake) in South Philly or talking about his many mentors. We really need more people like Michael in politics and the media -- INDEPENDENT THINKERS! If you like his radio and/or CNN show you'll love this audiobook.

A great collection of stories and history

I have listened to Michael since the first day when he arrived on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. These collections of stories were both familiar to me as a regular listener and included delightful surprises. it is a wonderful listen for anyone interested in American history as Michael has been involved in some very unique things throughout the years and certainly anybody interested in the history of Philadelphia as that clearly is his hometown which he Treasures. the audio quality is impeccable as I would expect nothing less from Michael and TC as the editor.

Enjoyable listening

The book was very well done and clearly spoken. Enjoyed his updates after each chapter, really helped explain his current, as well as his previous points he was trying to convey. Anyone that enjoys Smerconish on his talk shows will be entertained by this book.

finished it in two sittings!

just what I expected from Michael
slow start great finish
as a daily listener of his Sirius program I was excited this was my first smerconish book but not my last

Smerconish for President!

I love his views and overall attitude about politics and life! I highly recommend this wonderful book!

Enjoyed This

Smerconish is one of the very few conservatives I have respect for these days.
Just a reminder that there may still be hope.