Customer Reviews

Power Plays: Win or Lose--How History's Great Political Leaders Play the Game

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In Power Plays former Clinton advisor and Fox News Channel political analyst Dick Morris has written an instant political and historical classic for the early 21st century that mirrors and duplicates the energy and quality of an instant political and historical classic of the late 20th century.

Thr other book was Chris Mathews' 1988 book, Hardball, which pulled together anecdotes and strands culled from his years working as a Congressional staffer. Critics called Hardball a modern day version of Machiavelli's The Prince, it became a best-seller, and for many years was MUST reading for anyone event remotely in a political career or studying political science. Hardball also solidified Chris Mathews' role as a superb political analyst.

Now, in Power Plays, Morris offers us another book with another great title -- and the content lives up to the title. Even a person who finds politics and history a bit dull will
find it hard to put this book down. Power Plays MOVES...and DELIVERS.

Lucidly and convincingly, Morris outlines what he calls the five classic kinds of Power Plays: Stand on Principal, Divide and Conquer, Triangulate (enacting some of your
opponents programs so they don't have ammunition, while still delivering to your supporters) , Reform Your Own Party, Use a New Technology, and Mobilizing the Nation in Times of Crisis.

But Morris doesn't offer sleep-inducing stuff: he provides clear-cut, highly lively, quote-filled and painstakingly-researched examples of powerful politicos (in the US and in other countries) who succeeded in using, or failed because they failed to use, these kinds of power plays.

Power Plays is a primer for those in power, those who aspire to power, and those who analyze power. I suspect it'll be in print for a LONG time since much of it will not be outdated. The only part that will date is his analysis of President Bush (who triangulates and mobilizes the nation) compared to former President Bill Clinton -- but this is a book will probably be reprinted and updated for many years to come.

Morris also notes that these power plays can be applied to the business world -- for advancing a company or office employee's position, image and power.

My favorite sections were his analysis of Al Gore (unsuccessful: didn't stand on principle), the late NY Governor Nelson Rockefeller (failed triangulation), Bill Clinton and
George W. Bush (successful triangulations), plus the chapters on FDR, JFK and Richard Nixon. The most dazzling foreign leader power plays: Churchill's (several kinds of power plays). The most dazzling American leader, in terms of using the power plays: Ronald Reagan.

This 360-page, well-index book is MUST READING for anyone a)interested in a political career, b)students of political science, c)office seekers, d)students of history who
will enjoy the way he has classified events and personalities into specific political trends and strategies, d)anyone who is interested in politics.

Dick Morris, well known political operative and architect of Clinton's 1996 "triangulation" strategy has attempted to write a book of political history. He partially succeeds and partially fails. In this book, Morris looks at a number of different political figures from the 19th and 20th century. (Actually, except for Lincoln, all are from the 20th century) In trying to analyze why some had success and others failed, Morris breaks his stories into categories of strategies. Some politicians such as Churchill and De Gaulle are regarded as having stood up for their beliefs while waiting for others to come around to their view. Others are regarded as having triangulated their positions between two opposing views. These would include G.W. Bush and Clinton of course. He also examines politicians who exploited new technologies such as FDR with radio and JFK with television. The book is generally interesting but Morris has two major problems. First, he sees all policy advocated by political figures as strategic. This is certainly what I would associate with the Clinton administration but I hardly think that Churchill had electoral strategy in mind when he entered the wildreness for a dozen years. Morris fails or perhaps cannot differentiate governing from running for office. The other problem is in his insistence on forcing square pegs into round holes. There is really very little similarity between De Gaulle's France and Lincoln's pre-Civil War united States. Nor can Wilson's problems in selling the Versailles treaty be equated with actually running for office. In my view, Morris would have done better to simply take a dozen or so of these stories and looked at each one as unique while using his expertise in electoral strategy to show what a political figure did right or wrong. To force each story into a few very broad categories weakens this book considerably. I would still recommend reading it, however.

"Power Plays" is one of the finest books I've read on politics. Dick Morris does an exemplary job underscoring the successes and failures of major political figures ranging from the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Charles De Gaulle to Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and George W. Bush. He successfully compares and contrasts how politicians like Clinton and Blair successfuly reformed their political parties, and led them to victory, while others, most notably George McGovern, led reformations within their parties yet lost their own bid for political power. Morris succinctly outlines several different types of political power plays, ranging from standing on one's own principles to divide and conquer and what Morris has coined as "triangulation"; co-opting the positions of your opponents and turning them into yours. "Power Plays" is a fascinating look at political history which should be required reading for both politicians and historians.

Dick Morris has organized successful political campaigns since his days as a student at New York City's illustrious Stuyvesant High School. His perceptive insights on current political campaign strategy as well as his terse historical overview of major American and foreign politicians will be of interest to anyone intrigued with politics, not only politicians and historians.

Morris' latest book, Power Plays, is byfar his best in recent years. There is a noticable switch from his past books,to a new and exciting style that combines historical and political analysis. Each chapter attacks a unique topic and evaluates the issue from both a successful and an unsuccessful angle.
My favorite chapter was the last one that discusses a leader's ability to mobilize a nation in times of crisis, the parallels to today are obvious and it is interesting to read the conclusions that Morris makes. Like Morris, I question whether or not Bush will be able to keep his focus throughout this war on terroism and "an essentially unknowable enemy".
Power Plays is the perfect mix between history and politics, and Morris carefully leads you through some of the most important lessons in history and their political implications. It's a great read with valuable lessons to be learned.

In Power Plays, Dick Morris's expertise as a political strategist shines through. The man who had/has a passion and, in my opinion, a polished panache for making the pursuit of power seem like play, here, so neatly and so effectively, classifies and categorizes some of the world's greatest leaders into one magnificently logical and orderly collated collection. He brilliantly and deftly reaches back into some of the most intriguing moments in political history and makes us scratch our head and say, "So that's what happened!" My favorite chapters are the ones about Churchill (fortunately for us, he gains prominence in two). While reading about him is always uplifting and inspiring, it is even more so in the wake of September 11th.
Fan or not of Mr. Morris (And I am!) this book has something for everyone. I must admit that I thought that the book might be a bit heavy duty for the average Joe Schmoe (like me!) but it wasn't. It was thoroughly delightful and cozy - like a really wise (REALLY WISE!) grandfather revealing - and reveling in - history, both past and present, with all the clarity and detail as if he had been there himself. This book can go from the corridors of Congress, to the college campus to the beach bungalow and all the little tidbits gleaned from between the pages can be used just as easily by those who have the power, those who want the power and those who, for now, anyway, find power in having that just-right, juicy, little historical morsel to pepper into the cocktail hour conversation. Just as Mr. Morris came to realize that Ronald Reagan and Charles De Gaulle must wait for their moment to shine, I truly hope that this book affords Mr. Morris his well-deserved moment to shine!

Historians and Political Scientists tend to focus on what leaders' have accomplished, weighing them as effective or not, rather than examining how they achieved them, or even how they came to office in the first place. This overlooked aspect of history is known as political strategy, and Dick Morris has taken a huge step in filling that void with his stunning new book "Power Plays." Morris cites six different types of strategies that political leaders can use. But the use of these strategies alone are not a prescription for success or failure. It is how leaders' execute these strategies that determines whether or not they will prevail. For example, both Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater pursued the same policy goals using the same basic strategy, what Morris calls Standing On Principle. But whereas Goldwater was combative and negative, Reagan was joyful and positive. Goldwater ran against the liberal establishment, while Reagan ran against the Soviet Empire. Morris continues to examine the successes and failures of the six strategies through well-written historical examples, and his juxtaposition of the two outcomes from the same strategy makes the book convincing. Along the way, Morris treats us to other previously unknown illuminations of history. Wilson could have the vote for the League of Nations had he campaigned on idealistic and nationalistic principles rather that legalistic ones. Gore would have won in 2000 had he stayed aligned with his traditional environmentalism. Rockefeller strayed too far to the left to be elected but GW Bush managed the feat by not isolating his base of support. We are also introduced to how leaders should act in times of crisis, as exemplified by Roosevelt and Churchill durin the Second World War. How not to act in a crisis was exemplified by Johnson during Vietnam, which cost him his Presidency. Morris' book is therefore a real achievement, which incorporates historical examples into a well-defined theoretical framework, making this a genuine piece of political science that will not only stand the test of time, but may well influence more scholars to study campaign strategy in addition to more traditional historical pursuits.

Simply put, this book is an excellent primer into the world of political strategy. Morris' book is an easy read, but lacks any real critical depth, in my humble opinion. If you're interested in sneaking a peak into the world of political strategy, then this is the book for you. If you're a seasoned political consultant, this is the still the book for you - we musn't forget Santayana!

I'm sure there are some people who will be immensely critical of this book - those people: ralph naderites, those 10,000 buchanan voters in west palm beach, the religious right, and well, al gore - but thats simply because they lack the moral clarity and stomach to accept politics for what it really is - a big game: he or she who accumulates the most power, wields influence and changes the world. Inasmuch, Dick Morris has done a excellent job of summating lessons from history and extricating key political themes.

It's the "Art of Politics" through the lense of history.

It dosen't matter if you want to get into politics localy or nationally, this is the book for you. While I found there were a few needless chapters,(see his persistence on vote.com in the "future" section) most of the book is an absolute must to read.
The book is written well, with valuable insight and lessons from history and experience. I think anyone wanting a career in politics should give this one a read, they will be smarter for it.

Another excellent book by one of the finest political consultants, presidential advisers and at times a behind a scene world shaker in the persona of Dick Morris.

The author outlines several case studies on how a person seeking power can succeed or fail once power is within his domain. I particular found his studies on Johnson to be of insightful accuracy. It is evident that when you become use to power and confident you can handle it, the time of pride is paramount as you fail and fall. Johnson's Vietnam War and War on Poverty were policies that he thought would make him great. He thought he could correct any weakness in them, but they ended up consuming him and all his power. The legacy of death, debt and failure is a price America is still paying just to satisfy his misguided judgment for personal praise.

Additionally, I came away from seeing booby traps that each President or his well intended aides set up for him. For example, Clinton cannot practice American principles and values by violating them. In times of crisis, this kind of leadership is more dangerous than any enemy outside as you weaken the American people's beliefs from within. One can survive as Clinton proved, but he can never flourish and his own legacy is left blemished for others to cover.

And this is clearly contrasted by how President Reagan practice his own power. Regardless of media pundits, created criticism or being called stupid to sleepy, Reagan just stood up and took them all on by standing on his own personal principles of beliefs. It made all others adjust to his vision and in the end set the stage for market economies, bankrupting communism and placing America values in the forefront of an ever-dangerous world bent on socialist societal suicide.

Dick Morris is the first one to call if your a CEO, Elected Official or Foreign Leader in trouble of your own making or choosing. He showed all of us how to handle personal embarrassment and public ridicule by acting on his own principles of values with admissions, apologies, and honesty. No one knows better how to stop the rain of your critics than Morris.

I highly recommend this book because of the writer's insight not because of any poetical or political agenda. Dick Morris knows about power and how to advise someone to use it when they have it. He is to be listened to and learned from, not made fun of because of envy.

Morris examines why various political leaders, particularly reformers, won or lost. He looks and the strength and weaknesses of these leaders, what they did, the opportunities taken and those missed. This book is essential not only for those in politics, but anyone who is looking for a fresh look at leadership in general. Most of the books I read go on a bookshelf once I am done - this one is right behind my desk, as I find myself referring to it often. Truly an excellent book.