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 The party of Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Clinton, Dionne says, is lost in pointless feuds, outdated strategies, and old arguments.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
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Page 2
... voting day draws closer. Democrats have to reassure their own base—over and over and over. The result is that Democrats always seem to be trying to nail down one special interest group or another. Secure in their base, Republicans can ...
... voting day draws closer. Democrats have to reassure their own base—over and over and over. The result is that Democrats always seem to be trying to nail down one special interest group or another. Secure in their base, Republicans can ...
Page 13
... voters in 1998 rebuked the Republicans and signaled their distaste for the whole enterprise. The angriest voices were amplified through their access to conservative foundation money and through the rise of new conservative and right ...
... voters in 1998 rebuked the Republicans and signaled their distaste for the whole enterprise. The angriest voices were amplified through their access to conservative foundation money and through the rise of new conservative and right ...
Page 14
... votes cast aside because of irregularities. Even if the Republicans had not caused the irregularities (though many Democrats were suspicious), surely Democrats were owed a fair count of their own vote. But with a ruthlessness that ...
... votes cast aside because of irregularities. Even if the Republicans had not caused the irregularities (though many Democrats were suspicious), surely Democrats were owed a fair count of their own vote. But with a ruthlessness that ...
Page 18
... votes to Al Gore in the election of 2000. Yet as I argue in chapter 3, the party that once galvanized a nation by declaring that there is nothing to fear but fear itself became afraid— afraid of being too liberal, of being weak on ...
... votes to Al Gore in the election of 2000. Yet as I argue in chapter 3, the party that once galvanized a nation by declaring that there is nothing to fear but fear itself became afraid— afraid of being too liberal, of being weak on ...
Page 22
... votes at crucial moments. The strategy had succeeded for at least a decade, and it ultimately succeeded on Bush's big tax cut when most moderates (including Jeffords) fell into line. Because the moderate Republicans rarely rebelled when ...
... votes at crucial moments. The strategy had succeeded for at least a decade, and it ultimately succeeded on Bush's big tax cut when most moderates (including Jeffords) fell into line. Because the moderate Republicans rarely rebelled when ...
Contents
1 | |
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 |
6 A Fair Fight Why Democrats and Liberals Should Stop Being Afraid | 177 |
Notes | 209 |
Acknowledgments | 225 |
Index | 231 |
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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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Popular passages
Page 80 - The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.
Page 177 - Our consideration is limited to the present circumstances, for the problem of equal protection in election processes generally presents many complexities.
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