Like many of his conservative brethren, Mr. Hewitt will undoubtedly be the recipient of several poor "reviews" that are based far less on the book-the person in question is unlikely to have read it-than the author's disagreement with Mr. Hewitt's political beliefs. Thankfully, even those of us from Mayberry can easily discern such "reviews," as one need only look for a decided lack of information about the book or an notable failure to address the parts the "reviewer" disagreed with, much less a petty personal attack.
As to the book itself, it is as timely and relevant as one could hope. There is no more pressing issue facing our country than national defense, and Mr. Hewitt makes a convincing case that the Democratic Party lacks the credentials and possibly the will to carry the war on terror forward. He supports his criticisms of the Clinton Administration not with petty hyperbole, but with a careful analysis of the rapid terror escalation that went largely without response. Afterwards, Mr. Hewitt provides an in-depth analysis of the words and actions of powerful Democratic leaders to show the Democratic plan for the war on terror consists of little more than a recurring attack on President Bush, a plan--using the most loose sense of the word--that lacks any substance to address the increasing danger our nation faces.
The most valuable sections of the book are those that explore the impact of the blogosphere and the role each person can play in the political process. As the traditional media of network news and print continues to lose influence to the Internet, a new means of distributing news and opinion has taken hold in the form of blogs. As a professional who does the majority of my work on the Internet, I was well aware of the power blogs can yield, but I found Mr. Hewitt's primer both illuminating and powerful. I also enjoyed the section where he powerfully illustrated the role each person--regardless of their income, location, or position--can play in the political process. Had I been aware of how little it takes to influence the democratic process, I would have begun to do so long ago.
In summary, Mr. Hewitt's book is a clarion call to action for those who value freedom, understand the depth of the threat to our liberties, and seek direction in working towards denying power to a party who addresses the war on terror in trite platitudes and--in its extreme and most disturbing excesses--attacks our nation's leadership with wild conspiracy theories unaccompanied by supporting evidence.
As a former Democrat roused to my current views by the events of September 11, 2001, I believe there is no more important advice one can take than to use the methods and facts contained in this book to deny power to the Democratic Party until they have demonstrated in word and in deed that their commitment to national security is as serious as their desire to win the 2004 election. Until the Democratic Party can formulate a reasonable plan for engaging our enemy with more substance than their usual chants of "Bush lied!--and this Republican wishes they would--Mr. Hewitt's treatise and the information it contains will remain one of the essential handbooks used by those determined to secure America's future.
