On politics

the long version

With a style that combined biting sarcasm with the "language of the free lunch counter," Mencken shook politics and politicians for nearly half a century. The political arena afforded Mencken a special opportunity to showcase his talents. He despised hypocrisy and found numerous easy targets among politicians. But while he could be merciless in attacking local and national leaders, Mencken always interspersed his scathing commentaries with entertaining exaggeration and high humor. This collection of seventy political pieces, drawn from Mencken's famous Monday columns in the Baltimore Evening Sun during the twenties and thirties, shows the "Sage of Baltimore" at his satirical best. While social attitudes may have changed, the value of Mencken's words on American politics offers us a timeless perspective.