Life of the Party: A Political Press Tart Bares All is a 2011 memoir by Lisa Baron describing her time as a spokesperson for Ralph Reed.
Lisa (Baron) Shore is a former spokesperson for Ralph Reed, who did not share many of his political views; even though the people she worked for were fundamentalist Christian, she was Jewish.[1]
Content about her work with Reed makes up the majority of the book.[2] She stated that the book reveals previously secret information, including Reed's view of the Jack Abramoff Indian lobbying scandal and Baron's sexual life;[1] it describes an encounter with Ari Fleischer.[3] The book also chronicles her political work with Christine Todd Whitman;[4] Baron made negative statements about Whitman, including some Stephen Lowman of the Washington Post stated "violate this website’s standards of decency."[2] Kirkus Reviews stated that the sexual encounters "seem almost quaint" since there was a "long list of prominent conservatives who have been caught doing much worse".[1]
As of 2009[update] the author was married to Jimmy Baron, a host of a radio program.[5]
Foster Kamer of Gawker stated that the "great" book, described as one of several "political tell-alls", "is the Republican version of Primary Colors and Coyote Ugly meeting in the middle."[6]
Kirkus Reviews described the book as "A misguided focus on sex and booze overshadows the moments of insight and inspiration."[1] It criticized the focus on social life over day-to-day life in politics.[1]
Michelle Goldberg, an opinion columnist for The New York Times, characterized the book as "a self-portrait of a cynical, fame-hungry narcissist".[7] On December 3, 2018, The New York Times published a response by Baron.[8]