Customer Reviews

Invasion of the Party Snatchers: How the Holy-Rollers and the Neo-Cons Destroyed the GOP

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funny but also appalling. Over the past few years, I've been upset at various issues and events (including, of course, the news about the war in Iraq). The author's involvement in recent history (going back to Goldwater) means this book gives valuable historical context that makes me even more upset at what's been going on. The book is a good read, and a good way to learn the story behind the story in recent GOP (and Democratic, for that matter) American politics, and I wish some of these events had made bigger news when they happened.

Vic Gold has seen it all and is the eternal truth teller. Washington has become the court of Louis XIV--decadent, depraved, disgusting and the GOP had been led by the nose into this sordid culture.

The once honorable party of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, whose organizing principle was less government and more freedom is now dominated by soulless, gutless access sellers who call principled conservatives "sexists and elitists" but whose main job is to convince Republican lawmakers to do un-Republican things. The party is dominated now by these feather merchants and screaming blonde bimbos.

The Republican Party has reached its "thermidor", Gold is right. The only way to save this village is to destroy it. Gold's book is a landmark, and a must-read for all-principled Conservatives. Gold's book is not for those who should recognize themselves in its pages, the unthinking and uncritical--incapable of the necessary introspection to right this ship.

Between anger, laughter, and more than a few, "Damn, I knew that" type of feelings, it is nice to see an original, thinking GOPer (perhaps that is an insult) Conservative (that works better) see the Bush administration and their neoconmen for what they truly are. As more and more rational thinkers were pushed out of the GOP by a small group of war-mongerers, intent on mis-using religion as a sword, and attacking anyone who disagreed with them as traitors, Gold's conversion is welcome, although somewhat late. His insights are interesting and informative, even though much of the story has already been ignored by MSM. His viewpoint of some well known facts makes this book a worthy addition to anyone's library collection of the upcoming demise and possible impeachment of the GOP and the neocon movement.

Nice quick read about one man's disillusionment with his own, perhaps former party. Vic Gold departs the GOP as he did the Democrats years before, and you get all the reasons here. Wear your asbestos long johns to read this one; Amazon's website advises that "products which might be dangerous should be referred to the Consumer Product Safety Commission." This one could kill a whole generation of neo-conservatives in the womb. I don't believe Vic will be getting work in the Bush White House any time soon. The book is rather like a prose version of Ted Rall's cartoon work, savage not so much from attitude but from the simple description of ugly facts. I hope he keeps writing these, and not only about Washington politics.

Did you know that as recently as a decade ago the Republican Party used to stand for limited goverment and a non-intervention foreign policy? Since WW2 it has been the Democrats who have started almost every war and failed nation building attempt while the Republicans have ended most of the wars.
But as Victor Gold describes in this book the Republican Party has been hijacked by the Neo-Conservative movement using the events of 9/11, and now are the 'Party of War'.
The Neo-Conservatives are actually a left wing socialist movement with a militant foreign policy. There is nothing conservative about them. They have voted for endless spending and debt, they have increased the scope and size of government into the everyday life of people. These are things people usually associate with the Democrats.
Victor Gold also spends some time in this book describing how the Republican Party has also come under assault from the evangelical religious movement.

I saw Victor Gold stumping for his book on some television show or other -- probably The Daily Show. I ordered the book simply because I now and then like to buy books from certain authors for no other reason than to give them money; authors whose opinions I share, authors I admire, authors who look nice in a particular colour -- my tastes are catholic. And, nothing says "You go, girl!" like sending money to a publisher. Anyway -- I bought Victor's book because he appeared touchingly in need of some validation. That was it, really.

Then the book arrived and I actually read it.

Well - I had forgotten so much about the Good Old Bad Old Days and Victor reminded me of it all... Goldwater Republicans! Wow! Hadn't heard that term in, oh, way too long! But reading about Barry and his merry men from Victor's adoring perspective brought it all back. I was a bleeding heart liberal in those days; got Clean For Gene and all that... I had also cleanly forgotten one of our arch-nemeses, Barry Goldwater, in the years of ever increasing bad craziness since then.

I find myself thinking these days that the old style conservatives were much worthier foes than this new lot of what Victor styles "neo-cons". As Victor outlines in his pithy little book, the old school cons were logical and consistent and abhorred arguments based on "gut feelings" or anything that might smack of fuzzy thinking. I miss 'em, bless their hearts. I miss people who would quote chapter and verse of the Constitution to back up their political views rather than the current lot who quote much other chapters and verses.
In short, I found Victor's book interesting and definitely worth the lamp light. If you're old enough to remember Barry Goldwater, read this book for the hope it holds out that one day the left's Loyal Opposition will recover their aplomb and once again become worthy intellectual sparring partners.
Or, just buy it 'cause Victor's a charming old git and you want to give him some money. Either way.

Very good, quick read, I read it between midnight and 6 AM in one sitting! (too much caffeine) It's clear that Mr. Gold does not like the evangelical Christian influence in the Republican party, but despite the sub-title he spends little to no time discussing the ascendancy of the "Neo-Conservatives". This is a big loss.

As a "liberal independant" former democrat, I fully enjoyed this book. It is an honest look at the multiple defeciencies of the Bush administration and the pathetically dishonest efforts of the neo-conj aristrocracy that surrounds and controls "W". I especially liked Gold's analysis of both Cheney and Powell. I consider Powell to be personally responsible for having gotten us into the war with Iraq, due to his having sold his soul to the criminals in the administration. His selling of the war to the UN and to the american people was the greatest disgrace I have ever witnessed. Shame on him, forever and forever!!! Excellent book, whether a Republican, Democrat or just a citizen who is sick and tired of the political sickness that is characterized by the current administration.

A must read if you've found yourself wondering where all the real Republicans went. Apparently there is still at least one left. Unlike any other anti-administration book, Vic Gold knows the whole story from the inside and, thankfully, is courageous enough to tell us. Ah - someone willing to take a career risk to say what they think is true. Not many of them left, eh?

Gold doesn't spare the Democrats when they deserve it either. My mother borrowed my book after I was finished - she said she thought she could open any page randomly, read it aloud and have us both nodding furiously in agreement and laughing hysterically. We'd all be in much better shape if, whether conservative or liberal, we had a lot more like Gold. Some days I really worry they broke the mold.

I only put this book down to feed my children. Otherwise, straight through.

Vic Gold for President. (Until then, though, read the book.)

In Crane Brinton's classic 1938 study, "The Anatomy of Revolution," the historian of France offered a four-step process for the unfolding of any revolution--(1) discontent, antagonism, and overthrow of the old regime, (2) revolutionaries gain power but moderating positions tend to invite disunity among those revolting, (3) extremists take over the revolution and rule through reigns of terror and virtue, and (4) a "Thermidorean reaction" against the extremes of the revolution and a return to stability.

This exegesis on Brinton's "Anatomy of Revolution" may seem unusual in a review of "Invasion of the Party Snatchers" but it is actually quite applicable. Victor Gold, a former speechwriter for George H.W. Bush and aide to Barry Goldwater, finds that both a revolution within the Republican Party and an attempted revolution in government have run its course since 1980. In the 1970s the Republicans coalesced around a conservative agenda that found its voice in the presidency of Ronald Reagan and a broad coalition of supporters with differing priorities, including many traditional Democrats. That generally moderate Republicanism became more radical in the 1990s and the first part of the twenty-first century as extremists gained ascendency in the party and ruled on behalf of narrow but powerful elements--especially the so-called neo-conservatives and the religious right--to the exclusion of other parts of the party represented by such individuals as Victor Gold. Gold and other longstanding Republicans are mounting their own version of a "Thermidorean reaction" against that radicalism and intend to retake the Republican Party and return to a more traditional and appropriate set of priorities.

"Invasion of the Party Snatchers" is a fascinating indictment of neo-conservatism and religious right political priorities within the Republican Party. Gold describes that he calls a war within the party for the "soul of the GOP." He catalogs a range of abuses as these revolutionaries sought to remake both the U.S. and Republican Party, and finds much wanting in the current version of the party of Lincoln. His critique is endlessly captivating, sometimes extravagant, and often illuminating. Written for a broad, non-academic audience, "Invasion of the Party Snatchers" pulls back the curtain of the Republican Party to reveal what is behind the scenes. Read in conjunction with several other books--especially "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America by Chris Hedges, "American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century" by Kevin Phillips, and "What's the Matter with Kansas? How Conservatives Won the Heart of America" by Thomas Frank--Victor Gold offers a valuable new perspective on recent politics in the United States.