The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party [Hardcover]

Sidney Blumenthal (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Sidney Blumenthal—trenchant analyst, best-selling author, and senior adviser to former President Bill Clinton (and more recently, Hillary)—offers a penetrating journalistic and historical examination of the ongoing collapse of Republicanism. Closely charting the Party’s imploding reputation in America and the world, as well as the potential consequences of George W. Bush’s radical presidency for the 2008 election, The Strange Death of Republican America will be required reading for anyone interested in politics and concerned about the fate of the nation. In these essays and opinion columns written by Blumenthal over the past few years for The Guardian of London and salon.com, along with a new and stimulating introduction, Blumenthal provides a unifying and overarching perspective on the Bush years.
Blumenthal scrutinizes the past and present state of the Republican Party, which he believes portends the incipient demise of their vaunted political machine and the Republican era since the Nixon administration. The issues on the table range from the legacy of Nixon’s imperial presidency and its influence on Dick Cheney to Karl Rove’s failed strategy for political realignment, as well as conflicts within the military and intelligence communities over Bush’s policies, and the underlying political shifts that are demonstrably weakening the once-strong foundations of Republican philosophy and governance.
These essays have the cumulative effect of an irresistible factual and historical tide—a portrait of a party in self-destructive decline that will grab the attention of anyone fascinated by the world of politics.

 

A selection of the Progressive Book Club.

 

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this incisive and timely essay compilation, Blumenthal, a former adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, charts the fatal radicalization of the Republican Party, its imminent great unraveling and the consequences for the 2008 election. Blumenthal argues that the presidency of George W. Bush heralds the decline of the Republican Party after 30 years of political dominance, moderating his otherwise passionate indictment of the GOP by acknowledging that power ebbs and flows between the two parties over time. He likens the current shift to the implosion of the Johnson presidency and subsequent weakening of the Democratic Party, saying, Vietnam ended a Democratic era as definitively as Iraq is closing a Republican one. The consummate Washington insider, Blumenthal has a host of high-ranking (albeit often anonymous) sources, and surprising portraits of power pepper the book: of Bush as a classic insecure authoritarian given to imposing humiliating tests of obedience on his staff (such as locking Colin Powell out of a cabinet meeting for being late), Laura Bush as deeply disdainful of Rove (allegedly dubbing him Pigpen), former Majority Leader Tom DeLay as the Republican Stalin, the ruthless consolidator and centralizer. Authoritative, meticulously researched, these previously published pieces evade many of the clichés that ensnare partisan political writing and is instead a lively—if deeply sobering—panorama of political life during the Bush presidency. (Apr. 1)
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Review

In this incisive and timely essay compilation, Blumenthal, a former adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, charts the fatal radicalization of the Republican Party, its imminent "great unraveling" and the consequences for the 2008 election. Blumenthal argues that the presidency of George W. Bush heralds the decline of the Republican Party after 30 years of political dominance, moderating his otherwise passionate indictment of the GOP by acknowledging that power ebbs and flows between the two parties over time. He likens the current shift to the implosion of the Johnson presidency and subsequent weakening of the Democratic Party, saying, "Vietnam ended a Democratic era as definitively as Iraq is closing a Republican one." The consummate Washington insider, Blumenthal has a host of high-ranking (albeit often anonymous) sources, and surprising portraits of power pepper the book: of Bush as "a classic insecure authoritarian" given to imposing "humiliating tests of obedience" on his staff (such as locking Colin Powell out of a cabinet meeting for being late), Laura Bush as deeply disdainful of Rove (allegedly dubbing him "Pigpen"), former Majority Leader Tom DeLay as the "Republican Stalin, the ruthless consolidator and centralizer." Authoritative, meticulously researched, these previously published pieces evade many of the clichés that ensnare partisan political writing and is instead a lively—if deeply sobering—panorama of political life during the Bush presidency. --Publisher's Weekly (Apr. 1)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Union Square Press; 1St Edition edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402757891
• ISBN-13: 978-1402757891
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #660,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for readers interested in the big picture, April 7, 2008

By 

japrufrock - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party (Hardcover)

Sidney Blumenthal established his journalistic credibility long ago. Because of his pit-bull loyalty to the Clintons, he is despised and reviled by right-wingers who have never read a word of what he's written. But for people who want an elegantly written book that puts the entire conservative movement into perspective, this is it.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bush, April 9, 2008

By 

rcpmac "rcpmac" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party (Hardcover)

In this incisive and timely essay compilation, Blumenthal, a former adviser to both Bill and Hillary Clinton, charts the fatal radicalization of the Republican Party, its imminent "great unraveling" and the consequences for the 2008 election. Blumenthal argues that the presidency of George W. Bush heralds the decline of the Republican Party after 30 years of political dominance, moderating his otherwise passionate indictment of the GOP by acknowledging that power ebbs and flows between the two parties over time. He likens the current shift to the implosion of the Johnson presidency and subsequent weakening of the Democratic Party, saying, "Vietnam ended a Democratic era as definitively as Iraq is closing a Republican one." The consummate Washington insider, Blumenthal has a host of high-ranking (albeit often anonymous) sources, and surprising portraits of power pepper the book: of Bush as "a classic insecure authoritarian" given to imposing "humiliating tests of obedience" on his staff (such as locking Colin Powell out of a cabinet meeting for being late), Laura Bush as deeply disdainful of Rove (allegedly dubbing him "Pigpen"), former Majority Leader Tom DeLay as the "Republican Stalin, the ruthless consolidator and centralizer." Authoritative, meticulously researched, these previously published pieces evade many of the clichés that ensnare partisan political writing and is instead a lively--if deeply sobering--panorama of political life during the Bush presidency.
[...]

26 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the sooner . . . the better, May 11, 2008

By 

cvairag (Allan Hancock College) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Strange Death of Republican America: Chronicles of a Collapsing Party (Hardcover)

We can finally thank a Clinton aide for something - putting into words what seemingly was happening in 1944 - but due to some incredible PR - and a lot of filthy money - evidently did not. People talk about 30 years of Republican dominance - as this book seems to - starting with Reagan - but really we should start counting froim the rise of Nixon in Earl Warren's California and Bush family interests in Texas. After Dewey, the Republicans knew they were licked in the East, and presciently pinned their hopes and extended their energies Westward. Yet, who did the Republican Party ever represent, at the core, but the corporate elite and old (east coast) country club money? Blumenthal articulates much of what is happening today - hopefully - our Middle-East Policy - our entire policy of militarism and militarization - ardently supported by those two recalcitrant bastions of Republican popular support - the military and the defense and defense related industry - accounting for 1/3 of the working population in real terms. How any service (working for wage) person could vote Republican has always befuddled me. The phenomena of people voting against their own best interests and stuffed ballot boxes are not exactly novel. But Blumenthal does not allay my fears - after all, as the departing Pope Greenspan said: "Billy (Clinton) was a good Republican". Truly, the line between the two parties is as blurred as ever (even Mark Twain commented on it), especially when it comes to pilfering the taxpayers' money (our money). Yet, in honor of the Elder Cato, he gives me a chance to say it once more: FOR AMERICA TO SURVIVE, THE REPUBLICAN PARTY MUST BE DESTROYED. And for that, he deserves as many stars as there are in the sky - whether or not his justifications will endure for long.