The Kristi Noem saga has exposed an open secret about the political publishing industry: a tiny percentage of "authors" in the space write their own books. And those real authors are often smothered by fake authors with a machine in place to promote their fake autobiographies, which take time and opportunity away from those who have put in the work.

For politicians, I would estimate that maybe 1 percent write their own books. Some spend occasional time with their ghostwriter in order to best express their personality and ideas. Others, like Noem, just mail it in entirely, and have the ghostwriter rely upon public material from speeches and appearances. ...

I write all of this to say that there is an incredible lack of authenticity amongst the political class, who attempt to give off the impression that they have the time, ability, intelligence, and fortitude to publish their own works. It goes without saying that their constituents deserve so much better than being suckered into financing this endless grift.

(via Instapundit)