Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again [Paperback]

David Frum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 20, 2009

With a new Afterword on the results of the 2008 presidential race, an intensely controversial book that the Wall Street Journal says “should be required reading for all GOP candidates.”

David Frum was one of the first Republican insiders to warn the GOP of danger ahead in 2008. In this passionate, urgently readable book, Frum analyzes the conservative crisis—and offers new hope for conservatives in the years to come. On issues from healthcare to terrorism, the environment to abortion, the challenge of China and the problem of childhood obesity, Frum offers exciting new ideas to rejuvenate conservative politics.

Frum’s work has been hailed by Newt Gingrich and denounced by Rush Limbaugh. His ideas have been debated from the pages of The New Yorker to the conference table of the Republican Senate Policy Committee—and they will continue to shape the conservative debate in the long years to come.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In his new book, Frum (The Right Man), former speechwriter to President Bush, offers a conservative blueprint for accommodating challenges central to the next half-century of American life. Drawing on his expert knowledge of domestic politics and foreign policy, Frum shows how Republicans must evolve in accordance with the challenges and fluidity of contemporary America to win hearts, minds and elections. After staking out viably conservative positions on the salient political battles in America-healthcare, education, the economy, foreign policy, embryonic stem cell research, taxation and the like-Frum shines when dealing with the grand strategy of taxation, particularly his pro-growth model for accommodating domestic spending obligations such as social security. His analysis is particularly striking in its advocacy for consumption taxation in lieu of taxes that stifle investment and free enterprise. Taxes aimed at upper-class consumers rather than savings and investment is a provocative idea worthy of consideration. And although Frum's ideas are good, if not brilliant, the final chapter, in which he describes the errant behavior of the Bush administration, seems like a tardy rebuke to a president he once called The Right Man.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“In his treatment of what ails conservatism today, Frum is penetrating and wise . . . and dead right.” —National Review

“Serious reappriasial and fresh, challenging ideas.” —New York Times Book Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; Reprint edition (January 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767920325
• ISBN-13: 978-0767920322
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,041,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Conservatism needs new thinking, January 18, 2008

By 

Michael T Kennedy (Lake Arrowhead, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again (Hardcover)

Unlike one reviewer whose opinion is posted here, I have read the book. It is a very interesting critique of the recent drift in conservative thought. As Frum points out, most of the battles from the 1970s have been won. Crime, out of control in 1974 when the movie "Death Wish" got standing ovations in movie theaters, has dropped steadily. Los Angeles has fewer murders than any time since the 1950s. New York is livable (although I'll have to take others word on that. I hate the place.). That problem is solved although Britain seems to be sinking into the same morass now as a result of the same policies that were reversed here by the conservatives in the 1980s. Supply side economics has pretty well replaced Keynesian economics everywhere but the Congressional Democratic caucus. Taxes have been cut until 80% of Americans pay more in payroll taxes (FICA, etc) than income tax. We won the intellectual battles but, as Frum points out, we at once began to enjoy the fruits of victory and forgot that, in politics at least, nothing is ever finally settled. The high point for conservatism was 1994 when the Republicans took Congress on a platform of conservative principles. Everything since has trended down.

Some of his most thought provoking comments pertain to health care, a special interest of mine. He is concerned that the middle class has been getting a raw deal for the past twenty years, partly due to health care costs. I have studied health care both as a physician and as a gradate student in health care economics. I won't get into details but Frum poses serious questions that Republicans will have to answer if they wish to retain power at the federal level. That section alone, is worth the price of the book.

He has serious questions about foreign policy for the next few decades and criticism of some of the Bush Administration's puzzling decisions about the handling of radical Islam. He has a long chapter on what he calls "Green Conservatism" that poses questions about energy policy. The only good suggestion that Al Gore ever made publicly (Some his private suggestions in the Clinton Administration sound far more practical than his dull public persona would suggest.), was the 50 cents per gallon gas tax. Had this been done in 1992, and the revenues devoted to defense, we would be far more secure. A carbon tax is one of Frum's suggestions.

This is a very practical and intellectual book with ideas that should be debated in the Republican Party. I don't agree with all his suggestions; his education and health care ideas need a lot of study, but the first step in solving a problem is to look at it objectively. This book does that well.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking, even when disagreeable, May 5, 2009

By 

Bears (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again (Paperback)

I've become quite a fan of Frum from his well reasoned commentaries on Marketplace, so I thought I'd give his book a listen.

While it's now clear to me that the author and I have many differing opinions, he has done a nice job challenging Americans to come up with better solutions to many of the problems with which we've thus far dealt unsuccessfully. His book also helps non conservatives get a better understanding of the conservative agenda.

In the end I found the author a little too trigger-happy, a little too naive that the theory marriage begets well adjusted children is causation and not simply correlation, and a little too hypocritical that the American family should be strengthened but should not include homosexuals. But even as a non conservative I value several of his other ideas.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A Very Poor Start -, November 3, 2008

By 

Loyd E. Eskildson "Pragmatist" (Phoenix, AZ.) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again (Hardcover)

Frum believes American cannot revert to Reaganism because our problems are different now, and then proceeds to do exactly that. While he also realizes that Republicans must offer the middle-class a better deal, he proceeds to support policies that have failed or repeatedly been rejected.

Frum correctly points out that Democrats' have consistently pushed more spending for education - a policy that has failed. However, Frum's recommendation - charter schools, have not proven effective either. American spending on both public education and health care (covered next) approximately double that of other nations - reaching wasteful levels that undermine our economy. What is needed is an approach that both encourages greater parental and pupil involvement, and less spending as well.

Frum also prescribes increased competition within health care. However, current competition within health care creates major INCREASES in administrative costs via higher marketing, rate-setting, contract negotiation, new enrollee evaluation (pre-existing conditions), etc. Moreover, enrollee turnover largely erases value from prevention efforts such as smoking cessation and obesity prevention.

Frum then claims higher U.S. drug prices create incentives for drug development in the U.S. - forgetting that most drug development monies come from government, and that both drug research and production are now moving to lower-cost Asia. He also asserts that competition between (confusing) Medicare drug-plans have reduced costs, and somehow forgets the enormous savings foregone via prohibition of government negotiating drug prices.

Frum correctly points out that Americans should assume greater responsibility for their health (and education), but offers no mechanism for encouraging this. More importantly, he ignores the wide regional variations in medical care with no corresponding impact on health - a MAJOR opportunity to both improve outcomes and reduce costs.

Moving to pensions, Frum predictably supports privatizing Social Security - hardly an attractive option when the market has just fallen nearly 50%, and the risks associated with often expensive investment options are only partially understood by investment bankers themselves.

Frum hits his nadir on economic issues - beginning by attacking the political viability of a regressive flat tax, and then proposing a minor variation of such. He complains about Sarbanes-Oxley making American stock markets less attractive than foreign ones (laughable in comparison to the current subprime mortgage debacle, and our only too recent plethora of 2001-era accounting fraud), proposes lower tariffs (and even greater outsourcing of American jobs), and reducing illegal immigration (absolutely). Finally, he infers that improving pupil achievement (desirable in itself) will have a substantial impact on the trade deficit (vs. Chinese workers earning $100/month laboring 13 hours/day for six or more days/week (plus all the noodles they can eat and free 12/room quarters).

Bottom Line: Republicans will not improve their attractiveness unless they improve the effectiveness of their recommendations, and that will not happen until they become much better informed and less loaded with philosophical baggage.