Andy Borowitz is best known for the Borowitz Report, his fake-news column of deadpan satirical headlines, which ran for years at The New Yorker until the magazine dropped the column at the end of 2023; he relaunched it independently in 2024. In 2006 he published The Republican Playbook, a mock campaign manual written as if it were real strategic advice for Republican candidates.
The joke
The book is formatted like a playbook: diagrams, plays, strategy memos and “talking points.” Its humor comes from saying out loud what critics believe campaigns do quietly, such as changing the subject, scaring voters and recasting weaknesses as strengths. It was written in the middle of the George W. Bush years, and many of its targets come from that moment.
Who will enjoy it
Let us be honest: this is a book for people who already disagree with the party it mocks. Republicans with a strong sense of humor may find a few laughs, but most will find it one-sided, and they will be right. Satire usually picks a side.
Still, the book’s sharpest jokes are about political cynicism in general, the way campaigns treat voters as marks to be managed rather than citizens to be persuaded. Swap the party names and many of the plays would work just as well for the other side. That is either the book’s hidden strength or its most damning joke, depending on your politics.
Dated, but quick
Two decades on, some references need footnotes. But the format holds up, and it is a fast read. Borowitz’s daily satire, now published independently, is the better place to see his talent at its sharpest.
Verdict
A light, partisan gag book, best enjoyed by the converted, with a few jokes that cut every way.
Sources: Andy Borowitz, Wikipedia; The Borowitz Report.
