Book: Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

Overview
Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She? collects the pointed, humorous political columns and essays that made Molly Ivins a distinctive voice in American journalism. Published in 1991, the book gathers pieces that range from local Texas observations to wide-ranging national commentary, all delivered with Ivins' trademark blend of outrage and affection. The collection showcases her ability to make complex political subjects feel immediate, readable, and often laugh-out-loud funny.

Content and Structure
The book is organized as a series of stand-alone columns rather than a single long narrative, which allows readers to dip in and out while still sensing an underlying continuity of perspective. Many pieces focus on Texan politics and culture, using local color as a lens to examine broader national trends. Interspersed are essays on major policy issues and political figures of the late 1980s and early 1990s, giving a snapshot of American political life from Ivins' fiercely populist viewpoint.

Themes
A persistent theme is the tension between political rhetoric and real-world consequences, with Ivins repeatedly calling out hypocrisy, incompetence, and the influence of money in politics. Gun control and civil rights recur as subjects, treated with both moral seriousness and caustic wit; Ivins refuses to separate moral judgment from comic relief. Texas culture is another focal point: she both skewers and celebrates the state's peculiarities, using them to illuminate how regional attitudes shape national policy debates.

Style and Voice
Ivins writes like a raconteur in a newsroom bar: conversational, scathingly observant, and often plainspoken to the point of bluntness. Her sentences are compact and punchy, leaning on irony and understatement rather than academic jargon. This accessible voice makes political critique feel like common-sense commentary, inviting readers who might shy away from dense policy analysis to engage with issues such as civil liberties, campaign finance, and institutional arrogance.

Notable Topics and Arguments
Many essays center on high-profile issues of the day, gun violence, the erosion of civil rights protections, the absurdities of political theater, and present them through vivid anecdotes and pointed historical reminders. Ivins has a knack for exposing the gap between politicians' public pronouncements and private motives, and for turning that exposure into a call for more honest, humane politics. Her attacks are often targeted at both parties when warranted, though a consistent sympathy for ordinary citizens and marginalized groups runs through the pieces.

Reception and Legacy
The collection reinforced Ivins' reputation as one of the liveliest and most fearless columnists of her generation, earning praise for its humor and moral clarity. Readers who appreciated plainspoken criticism of power found a strong ally in her voice, while critics sometimes bristled at her bluntness. Over time, the book has remained a useful introduction to her approach: part political roast, part civic sermon, and consistently aimed at holding leaders accountable. For readers interested in late-20th-century American politics through the eyes of a Texas-born skeptic, the collection remains both entertaining and thought-provoking.