Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism--From Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond

Dionne Jr., E.J.

ISBN 10: 1476763798 / ISBN 13: 9781476763798

Published by Simon & Schuster, 2016

Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00090804348

Synopsis:

“Dionne's expertise is evident in this finely crafted and convincing work.” —The Los Angeles Times

From one of our most engaging political reporters and the author of Why Americans Hate Politics; the story of conservatism from the Goldwater 1960s to the present day Tea Party that has resulted in broken promises and an ideological purity that drives moderate Republicans away.

Why the Right Went Wrong offers a historical view of the right since the 1960s. Its core contention is that American conservatism and the Republican Party took a wrong turn when they adopted Barry Goldwater’s worldview during and after the 1964 campaign. The radicalism of today’s conservatism is not the product of the Tea Party, Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne writes. The Tea Partiers are the true heirs to Goldwater ideology. The purity movement did more than drive moderates out of the Republican Party—it beat back alternative definitions of conservatism.

Since 1968, no conservative administration—not Nixon not Reagan not two Bushes—could live up to the rhetoric rooted in the Goldwater movement that began to reshape American politics fifty years ago. The collapse of the Nixon presidency led to the rise of Ronald Reagan, the defeat of George H.W. Bush, to Newt Gingrich’s revolution. Bush initially undertook a partial modernization, preaching “compassionate conservatism” and a “Fourth Way” to Clinton’s “Third Way.” Conservatives quickly defined him as an advocate of “big government” and not conservative enough on spending, immigration, education, and Medicare. A return to the true faith was the only prescription on order. The result was the Tea Party, which Dionne says, was as much a reaction to Bush as to Obama.

The state of the Republican party, controlled by the strictest base, is diminished, Dionne writes. It has become white and older in a country that is no longer that. It needs to come back to life for its own health and that of the country’s, and in Why the Right Went Wrong, he explains how.

Review: "[A] masterly account"--Martin Kettle "The Guardian "

"A terrific analysis . . . I recommend it without hesitation . . . very interesting and important."--Tom Hall, WYPR Radio, Baltimore

"[Dionne] correctly identifies why we [Republicans] either fail to win power or, when we do, do not use that power to transform America. Conservatives who want to win and effectively use political power, then, must come to grips with the central question Dionne poses: does the intellectual legacy of Barry Goldwater prevent conservatism from being an effective governing movement? . . . Dionne's book for all its faults clarifies the challenge we face and poses the ultimate questions: If not us, who? If not now, when?"--Henry Olsen "National Review "

"Dependably intelligent . . . Dionne argues, with ample illustration decade by decade, that this right-wing populism would remain a Republican orthodoxy, latent or salient, throughout the time he covers. . . . Dionne comes closer to the facts with his tale of a ground bass of growls against moderation, swelling at times or diminishing, but continuously present."--Garry Wills "The New York Review of Books "

"To understand why the current conservative crackup so confounds and confuses the Republican establishment, you have to recognize that the party is facing two separate revolts taking place simultaneously: one led by Ted Cruz, the other by Donald Trump. The first is well described by E.J. Dionne in his important new book, Why the Right Went Wrong."--Fareed Zakaria "The Washington Post "

Praise for E.J. Dionne Jr.:

"The best new liberal rethinkers, like Dionne . . . are fair and sophisticated about American conservatism."--David Brooks "the Weekly Standard "

"Dionne's expertise is evident in this finely crafted and convincing work. . . . Lucid, pragmatic and buttressed by a parade of supporting facts."--The Los Angeles Times

"Talk about perfect timing. . . . an account of the GOP's internal tension. . . . Why the Right Went Wrong is particularly interesting in its assessment of the past decade. . . . The book is up to the moment."--The Christian Science Monitor

"Dionne is right that America needs an intelligent conservative party, and the insights of this decent man who, as an award-winning journalist for The Washington Post, has unique access to politicians make wonderful reading."--The Washington Post

"Substantial . . . Dionne demonstrates his thesis with a wealth of historical examples. . . . notably fair-minded."--The New York Times Book Review

Bibliographic Details

Title: Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism--From...
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: 2016
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Good