Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps, and the Politics of RevengeOne of our most visible, trenchant, and witty political commentators, the author of the bestselling Why Americans Hate Politics, offers a tough critique of President George W. Bush and the Democratic opposition on the eve of a landmark presidential election -- and points to a way out of cynicism and defeatism. With passion, clarity, and humor, E. J. Dionne describes today's political atmosphere as the bitterest he can remember. Never have Democrats been as frustrated by their inability to move the debate. The party of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton, Dionne says, is lost in pointless feuds, outdated strategies, and old arguments. Democrats have lost track of what they stand for so they don't know what they're fighting for and besides, they've forgotten how to fight back. In describing how Democrats, moderates, and liberals have failed to match Republicans and conservatives in commitment, resourcefulness, and clarity, Dionne invents what is likely to become a popular parlor game among the politically committed. In "The Wrong Stuff," he lists ten futile arguments -- big versus small government, for example -- that Democrats keep having with themselves. "The Right Stuff" focuses on ten arguments they should start making about taxes, business, and the role of government. Dionne zeroes in on how a floundering Bush administration used September 11 to politicize national security issues for partisan advantage. Enraged but intimidated by ruthless opponents, the Democratic party failed to find its voice on security issues and was soundly beaten in 2002. Drawing on some lessons from the 2004 primary campaigns, Dionne argues that anger and frustration have in fact awakened progressives to the need for innovation in organizing, in approaching an increasingly conservative media, and in formulating politically useful and plainly stated ideas. Learning from the conservative movement's successes, liberals have begun the work of reconstruction. The politics of revenge, Dionne argues persuasively, can give way to something better: a progressive patriotism built on hope and optimism about America's role in the world and its capacity to renew social justice at home. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 81
Page 1
... liberal friend will certainly share my frustrations with Bush. For many liberals—and a great many who are moderate—the sense of alienation, estrangement, and anger inspired by this president is unlike anything they have experienced in ...
... liberal friend will certainly share my frustrations with Bush. For many liberals—and a great many who are moderate—the sense of alienation, estrangement, and anger inspired by this president is unlike anything they have experienced in ...
Page 2
... public view. The question I would pose to my liberal friend is: If Bush is as dumb as so many of his opponents claim, exactly what does that make us? Addressing what's dysfunctional among Democrats and liberals is one of the 2 INTRODUCTION.
... public view. The question I would pose to my liberal friend is: If Bush is as dumb as so many of his opponents claim, exactly what does that make us? Addressing what's dysfunctional among Democrats and liberals is one of the 2 INTRODUCTION.
Page 3
... liberals is one of the central purposes of this book. Why did it take the Democrats so long to stand up and fight back? My ... liberal, anti-American “spew,” to pick the interesting word used by one of my correspondents; (2) enthusiastic ...
... liberals is one of the central purposes of this book. Why did it take the Democrats so long to stand up and fight back? My ... liberal, anti-American “spew,” to pick the interesting word used by one of my correspondents; (2) enthusiastic ...
Page 7
... liberals and Democrats had Bush entirely wrong, that Bush was in fact far more moderate and pragmatic than any of his ... liberal and Democratic alienation and anger. Indeed, if conservatives as intelligent and open-minded as Brooks and ...
... liberals and Democrats had Bush entirely wrong, that Bush was in fact far more moderate and pragmatic than any of his ... liberal and Democratic alienation and anger. Indeed, if conservatives as intelligent and open-minded as Brooks and ...
Page 8
... liberals are so angry, that itself is evidence of the collapse of communication across political lines. In passing, Brooks acknowledges that some conservative may have gone just a bit nuts over Bill Clinton. “Now it is true,” he writes ...
... liberals are so angry, that itself is evidence of the collapse of communication across political lines. In passing, Brooks acknowledges that some conservative may have gone just a bit nuts over Bill Clinton. “Now it is true,” he writes ...
Contents
1 | |
1 Put on a Compassionate Face How an Idea Got Bush Elected and Got Him into Trouble | 21 |
2 Hes Ours Hes All Weve Got How 911 United Usand Divided Us Again | 47 |
3 Whats Wrong with the Democrats? | 87 |
4 Talking the Other Guys Talk Why Democrats Are Afraid of Their Own Principles | 103 |
5 Were All in This Together How the Right Won with the Media the Think Tanks and the Loudmouths | 137 |
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Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps, and the New ... E.J. Dionne No preview available - 2018 |
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