Spanking the Donkey is a raucous ride along the campaign trail for the Democratic nomination and the presidency. New York Press columnist Matt Taibbi follows the Democratic candidates; sometimes he attends key events in costume, other times he infiltrates the campaign staff and covers the story from the inside. Throughout, he offers refreshingly sharp portraits of both the candidates and the journalists he meets along the way. Most Americans consider the presidential election process to be a time of national discussion, the one ritual event that forces Americans to look themselves in the mirror and evaluate what they see. A healthy expression of the Democratic process is how it is often described, generally by reporters on the campaign trail who naturally see themselves as the great midwives of this healthy national catharsis.