Bartholomew St. James
The Contrarian Candidate
It’s debate night in America.
And the one man with a practical plan for defeating the twice-impeached president will finally be on that stage. Stand-up comic Charlie Wyatt launched his career on the back of his now opponent, once referring to him as DUPHUS – like POTUS, only not. Charlie voted for him in 2016, only to wake up the next morning with a monumental hangover and the sudden realization of what he’d done.
He couldn’t take that vote back. But with the help of his politico girlfriend Laura, he could challenge the man for the party’s nomination. And now thanks to Laura’s explosive new strategy, it seems Charlie may have a real shot.
But to win it he’ll have to survive the night. And that goes way beyond scheming gotcha questions and juvenile put-downs. Because there’s a gun-toting belligerent lurking in the debate hall, who’s conspiracy-driven madness has put Charlie in his sights. So as the evening grows to a climax, nothing less than Charlie’s life and the future of the country hang in the balance.
In other words, it’s a fairly typical night in the political life of America.
Author
Bartholomew St. James
Bartholomew St. James is a one-time political operative, and lifelong political observer, who’s turned his talents to reporting on the politics of our day. Why do that with fiction? Because he feels the answers to our political challenges can only be truly appreciated and understood when seen and heard, and touched and felt. Besides, he figures it’s way more fun that way.

Reviews
Welcome to debate night in America.
“Too entertaining to put down and too insightful to forget”
Lesley Hughes
Veteran Canadian Journalist
READ MORE
“Intense and fast paced”
Patrick Lowe
Filmmaker and Documentarian
READ MORE
“Provides hope and humanity”
Roger Currie
Columnist and Broadcaster
READ MORE
“Well written, funny and intense”
Dr. Richard Smith
Professor, Simon Fraser University
READ MORE
“A satisfying combination of wisdom and entertainment”
Jim Friesen
Photographer and Poet
Author of The Paradise Theatre And Other Poems
READ MORE
In The Contrarian Candidate, Bartholemew St James creates a parallel universe that deconstructs the current American socio-political situation while at the same time offering a possible way out. Charlie Wyatt, the unlikely hero, brings a philosophical antidote to the divisive powder keg we find ourselves in. Even as he ramps up the momentum on a simple but effective thriller, St James is able to provide a satisfying combination of wisdom and entertainment. A perfect book for right now.
READ MORE
“A tensely enthralling read. Dazzlingly original”
Joan P
United Kingdom
READ MORE
“Vividly captures the zeitgeist of the deeply divided America”
Joseph Rai
Journalist, India
Taking on the President in the upcoming election is an unusual candidate – a comedian named Charlie Wyatt. And that is why I thought the title – The Contrarian Candidate- is apt and witty. A huge chunk of the novel centres around the Presidential debate between Charlie and Teddy Tuff, who is sort of an incarnate of the current President and is standing in for him during the debate. The debate dissects topics from the trade war with China to the President’s notorious sexist remarks that created an uproar across the world. The author goes into depth into these topics and these parts make for an insightful read. Charlie, who himself had voted for the President in 2016, is witty and likeable. But very realistically, the author also exposes the flaws and vulnerabilities of Charlie and if his comedian’s wit is enough to topple the conniving incumbent and hold the most powerful position in the world. At the macro level, the author seeks to explore the degree of truth in the old adage that politics is a dirty game. The author has also successfully portrayed the consequence of the incumbent President’s regime that has stoked nothing but divisions and hatred. Like many perhaps, there is a yearning in the author’s voice for a world where people agreed to disagree and the atmosphere was relatively harmonious and less suffocating. This quote encapsulates this well:“There was a time not so long ago … when we didn’t feel such distance and such hatred towards each other. But nowadays it seems like things have gotten so bad that most of us can’t even remember that world, can’t even remember when we could actually talk to each other.”One can only hope for a return to some semblance of that period when we were more tolerant towards each other.READ MORE
“A very enjoyable and timely read”
Bill McLeish
Calgary, Canada
READ MORE
Submit your review

My Blog
Let’s think about this…
The Campaign that Never Ended
With another Biden/Trump rematch looming, I decided to have a look back at the blogs I wrote in the run-up to the 2020 election. And I found they had plenty to say about the current political mess. So if you want to have a look, click the above image to go to the page where they can be found in chronological order.
The Election Aftermath
January 6th didn’t happen over night. And it didn’t happen in a vacuum. As multiple investigations now show, there was plenty of evidence for what was to come. The question then becomes, why did no one in authority do anything to stop it, when it was so clear what was happening? To see how clear it was, click on the above image to see my blogs from that period. You might want to take special note of my pre-election blogs about “The Coming Civil War.”
Why Can’t Chris Christie Gain Traction?
Christie has the one talent anyone who wants to beat Trump must have – an innate, Rickles-like ability to use one-liners to shoot him down. It’s only because of Trumps hapless former opponents that that strategy came to seem unworkable. So why is he lagging in the polls? And why is he ultimately likely to fail to win the nomination?
On Amazon Best Seller lists
The Contrarian Candidate is making its mark in several of the Amazon Bestseller categories. The eBook version has been ranking at #57 in the Kindle Store. We're even more excited to report great rankings in these specific areas:...
Available through Barnes & Noble
This is a reminder to our readers in the USA and customers of Barnesandnoble.com that The Contrarian Candidate can be purchased in its paperback version through this well-known bookseller. Barnes & Noble, or simply bn.com, serves more than 600 communities in all...
Bestseller in Amazon’s Political Fiction category
The Contrarian Candidate has hit the Amazon Bestseller List. It is well into the Top 100 Paid books in the Political Fiction category, Kindle Edition, having even hit #27 in this continuous ranking of a growing field of excellent books. We are excited to be a...