Customer Reviews

I Forgot, Honey, Why Are We Democrats?

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I will not mince words with the reader -- I am a proud Democrat. I have pictures of FDR, Harry Truman, JFK, Robert Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey and even Jimmy Carter on my wall. I am a proud supporter of labor unions, such civil rights groups as the SCLC and the NAACP and a proud Americans for Democratic Action member. I believe in a world for justice, a God of justice and a spirit of justice for the world. This goes hand in hand with my Democratic leaning.

Thus, when I saw this book, I had to buy it. What I found was a very good pep talk to true blue Democrats. The great thing is that this book spoke to all Democrats - conservative Democrats, "Blue Dog" Democrats, Reagan Democrats(come home!), moderate Southern Democrats, New Democrats, Libertarian Democrats, liberal Democrats, labor and New Deal Democrats, left liberal Democrats and...well, the list goes on(alas - we are a diverse party!) This book left no group out on most issues(abortion, sadly, being the only one on which the author seems to want a litmus test).

To the author's credit - he seemed to unite Democrats on the one issue we all care about - the American community and the government's moral responsbility to it. The American people deserve not "small" government, which caters to the rich indirectly, but responsible government.

Personally, I am a die-hard New Deal Democrat who believes that every family deserves the right to good health care, education, a good job with a living wage, time with the family, equal rights and opportunity and dignity on the job. This is not a "lost dream" for any Democrat. This book specifies this dream well.

I highly recommend this book to any serious student of American politics, as well as to Democratic activists. I came away from it feeling I had a firm understanding of political competition in the U.S. and the driving forces behind the two parties. I also found myself in strong agreement with the aurthor on need for Democrats to communicate their message clearly and aggressively. If they do not, the Republicans will do it for them, as they have done successfully since the Vietnam war, and as perfectly illustrated in the recent mid-term elections.

The most remarkable thing about this book is its almost eriee accuracy in predicting the current economic situation from the vantage point of 1997. It shows what I have long suspected: that the Federal Reserve is essentially a negative influence in the economy, and that Republican Administrations mean stagnation, and perhaps even deflation. Libbey assembles some impressive statistics and graphics to demonstrate this, and lays out the economic logic to go with them. The message for a successful election campaign is plainly evident. Sadly, though, nobody seems to be listening.

Too often voters declare a political party without any knowledge of what the fundamental beliefs of that party are. I highly recommend this book to all groups and individuals who want a concise, easy-to-understand primer on the Democrat Party. The author comprehends his topic and delivers solid information to the reader. This book should be a staple in every voter's home.