This town...

..is the title of a new book by Mark Leibovitch, chief correspondent of the NYT Magazine, about Washington DC. 

Welcome to the land of no eye contact.

Mark Leibovich

More specifically, the book is about Washington's political culture,

a pageant of body language,


and

the out-and-out panting

of people who

potificate for pay,

who

"can stagger through receptions with the best of them" (B. Obama),

who

"can can get in and out of a fund-raiser in 5 minutes" (H Reid),

who

never die or get older, only jowlier, richer, and more heavily made-up.


This town is

a crucible of easy wealth, fame, forgiveness, and next acts,

a place

where no  one takes friendship too personally

unless 

the proper kudo Kabuki is not delivered,

by people who are

the junior partner in a friendship. 

In this world

of self-selected personality types 
and

canival barkers, 
where

it's like getting paid to love your mother 
and where

the press is immediate gratification. It's where most politicians truly live. 
People

want to gallop across the stage in a funereal end-zone dance, 
until
they've worn out the red carpet 
and

their disgrace is in full spiral 
so that they have to join

the Muderer's Row of celebrity eulologists 
because

their outside game is much better than their inside game 
and

"anybody who sleeps with them deserves a medal." 
"Do people really talk like that?" (B. Obama)