Customer Reviews

The Neglected Voter: White Men and the Democratic Dilemma

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I read this book in two days. It's intense, a really good read, and the best writing is, as others have said, when the author brings you inside the presidential races, most potently the ones that I never lived through but shaped so much of the politics I now do indeed live through, the late 1960s. Perhaps it was the polling data, which he does do a strikingly well job weaving with the narrative, but I had never looked at the gender gap this way. It's crazy but I cannot recall ever reading about the MALE side of the gender gap (and I read much of everything on politics): what Kuhn calls the White Male Gap. This is, straight away, a book about white guys, more than a third of our voters (which surprised me). At times I felt like I was reading about my father, who left Democrats with Reagan and as upset as he is at Bush, still can't get his heart around voting for a liberal. After reading this book, I finally understand why, why it all went down, why it is all around me when i'm talking politics, and why when these men in some sense abandoned the Democratic Party they took its ability to win a majority of Americans with them. This is the metaphor Kuhn uses, one of a divorce between Democrats and white men. It is indeed worth pondering... I recommend this book very much.

David Paul Kuhn, a journalist for outlets that cross party lines, handles a touchy subject with exceptional sobriety. His masterstroke is to neither criticize nor aggrandize the left, but to simply analyze how, practically, Democrats can win elections. This engagingly-written book left me feeling that I understood a great deal more about the electoral politics of my lifetime. Kuhn regards "masculine values" of honor and grit to be at the heart of the optimistic American point of view. By mocking or failing to represent these values, the Democrats lost their majority and their connection with the white (especially male) working class. It is notable that he quotes from right as well as left-wing figures, and that he quotes so often from Norman Mailer. It is as if Kuhn had to resort to the recently-deceased Mailer to find someone who stood classic notions of masculinity. A book whose title calls white men "neglected" will never sell as well as one like "who needs men?" or "stupid white men," but Kuhn's objectivity may actually change a few minds. There is a danger, however, that it will be overlooked because it doesn't fit neatly onto either side of the culture wars. That would be a shame. The book illuminates far more than its central topic.

As a Republican, I found this book very interesting and must say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading page after page about how the Democratic Party has failed at the polls because it has repeatedly attacked white men and failed to appeal to them. I greatly enjoyed every word of every sentence! Although the book's author is a Democrat, he very accurately describes the reasons why I and other white men I know vote Republican. In addition, the book's recommendations for getting the Democratic Party to attract white men are good ones. (Let's keep them a secret!)

Regardless of the political views of the reader, this book is extremely well written and researched and is very compelling. I would highly recommend it. Anyone who is interested in politics or current events should buy it.

(PS: Seth Kramer's review on this page is not based on a careful reading of the book, which does not blame the Democrats for Southern racists fleeting the party; rather, the book states that white men both in the South and elsewhere have shifted away from the Democrats and exhibit similar voting behavior.)

In my view, gender is going to the the fault line of the 2008 elections and this book does an outstanding job of explaining the history and current state of gender politics.

It absolutely is a must read for every candidate and his/her policy staff. Without understanding this book, they have little chance of winning the nearly 40% of the total vote constituted by the Neglected White Male Voter.
Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology
Florida International University
Miami

A very good read. If you are like me, you will be surprised by the conventional wisdom that this book turns on its head. Also, I guarantee as you read this book you will find yourself mentally parsing through the presidential candidates, trying to figure out who is going to be successful in reaching out to the consituencies that will elect the next president. It seems like anyone planning to vote in the upcoming primary elections is going to want to read this one before heading to the voting booth. Also, it is particularly thought provoking for those looking to understand the future strategic and policy directives of the Democratic party.

I'm a little disappointed that the coverage is limited to white people, but I knew that going in - obvious even from the title. It might be unfair of me not to give the book a higher rating. It is what it's advertised to be. It is well written, interesting and entertaining at times.

The reason I'm knocking off points is because I can't fight off the nagging feeling that there might be a reason that someone concerned about the future of the Democratic Party would focus in this way. I know that black men have had good reason to run from the party as well, as well as anyone concerned about families and the institution of marriage. Not that Republicans are much of an alternative - but sheesh!

The focus on white men remains in the vein of political rhetoric established by spin-doctors and talking heads. David Kuhn is part of that crowd, so -- like I say -- nothing dishonest IMO in the marketing of the book. I guess I just want more from a book than reinforcement of the spin on TV, and I'm concerned that books such as these may tend to keep the debate so narrowly focused that political candidates can navigate "issues" without ever being confronted by the real political and social problems they've caused.

I looked this book over at my local bookstore today. The central point of the book is that it is somehow the Democrats fault that the small-minded racists of the South decided that they wanted to become Republicans, and were encouraged to remain so when they decided to clothe their racism, sexism, and classism in their religion with the birth of the Moral Majority and the modern evangelical movement. How surprising it is that a middle-aged white man is concerned about the tragic plight of the middle-aged white man community. Cry me a river.