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The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise
 
 
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The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise [Paperback]

Joe Scarborough (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)

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Book Description

October 5, 2010
In this groundbreaking book, Joe Scarborough tells Republican Party bosses what they don’t want to hear, explains why Democrats are making matters so much worse, and then shows leaders of both parties the way forward.

The Last Best Hope draws on the forgotten genius of conservatism to offer a road map for the movement and the country. Delivering a searing indictment of the political leaders who have led us astray, Scarborough inspires conservatives to reclaim their heritage by drawing upon the strength of the movement’s rich history.
With independent thinking and straight talk, Scarborough explains:

• How Washington and Wall Street conspired to create the housing bubble that caused America’s financial meltdown

• How the “candidate of change” has not only maintained but accelerated the reckless spending policies that led us to this historic economic collapse

• How Washington’s bailout culture will cripple America’s future if left unchecked

• How Barack Obama’s stimulus plan devolved into a socialist spending spree that would make FDR and LBJ shudder

• And how conservatives need to take a closer look at Ronald Reagan’s political career before claiming his great legacy

A fearlessly argued conservative manifesto that brings American conservatism into the twenty-first century, The Last Best Hope is a must-read for all who care about the direction America is heading.


From the Hardcover edition.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this disappointingly mundane book, Scarborough, host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, mistakes his skills at showmanship for those of critical analysis. From the Iraq War to the recent financial crisis, his arguments amount to little more than a superficial précis of the current political moment. For most readers, this book will be an ideological retread and an unimaginative slog. Unlike the recent writings of Reihan Salam and Ross Douthat, whose New Majority labored to be a prescriptive way forward for conservatives, Scarborough hardly gets outside of the well-traversed policy debates and received wisdom of Beltway professionals. While he sees his book as a blueprint for a renewed conservative politics, his only stab at unconventional thinking is to advocate a conservative embrace of green politics. For all the book's flaws, it never descends to ad hominem attacks or becomes a platform for gross personal vendettas, nor does it trade in the self-regard of the Olberman or O'Reilly variety, which is to Scarborough's credit. But these qualities are not enough to recommend readers pluck this one from the shelf, or even the bargain bin. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Conservatives need to read this book. Joe Scarborough is a real conservative.”
—Jed Babbin, Human Events

“In this engaging and timely book, Joe Scarborough undertakes a critical mission: the reinvigoration of conservatism in America. Aiming to take conservatives beyond reaction and beyond sentimentality, he asks the big questions, and does not shy away from offering answers. This is an important contribution to one of the most vital debates of the day.”
—Jon Meacham

“Joe Scarborough can save the GOP. This is a lively, likeable and important book. So my fellow Republicans–rejoice. We have a face! Now let’s get to work.”
—Christopher Buckley

The Last Best Hope is must reading for anyone who cares about the conservative movement.”
—Peggy Noonan


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Three Rivers Press (October 5, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0307463702
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307463708
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #438,240 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a former Congressman from Florida and the host of Morning Joe, along with Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. You can watch Morning Joe each weekday morning from 6am to 9am Eastern on MSNBC.

You can also catch Mika and I on The Joe Scarborough Show at http://www.wabcradio.com each weekday morning from 10am to 12pm Eastern.

I've authored two books. Rome Wasn't Burnt in a Day, published in 2004, predicted the collapse of the Republican majority and US economy due to the Republican Party's reckless spending. The Last Best Hope, which came out this summer, offers my view on how to restore conservatism and hope to America.

Before going into television, I was also the publisher and editor of the award-winning newspaper "The Florida Sun."

Currently, I live in New York with my wife, Susan, and our four children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
56 of 73 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
There is no mistaking that Conservatism in the United States is in turmoil right now. A few years after there was a sense of triumph and the idea of a permanent Republican majority in Washington, there was a sort of Gotterdammerung, and the structure came crashing down with the loss of both houses of Congress and the Presidency, in addition to a number of state and local positions, to the Democrats.

However, the death of the Republican party specifically, and Conservatism generally, has been exaggerated, much in the way the demise of the Democratic party was also overstated in the early 2000s. Joe Scarborough, who as a Congressman during the Gingrich as the Contract for America progressed, made a name for himself by being a solid conservative, offers an interesting perspective of the rise and fall of the ideology and practice over the past few decades. It is interesting that during the divided government of Republican Congress and Democratic Presidency, we had budget surpluses. When the Republicans gained complete control, that was not sustained.

Scarborough contends that the Republican party stopped being conservative, and that that was their primary problem. They spent too much, became too adventurous, and too confident of their own abilities to act alone in the country and in the world. As Scarborough said, one can't double the national debt and claim to be the fiscally responsible party. The party needs to be a big tent party again, according to Scarborough, which means it need to have a place for both Cheney and Powell.

Everyone quotes Ronald Reagan, he states, and that ideology is a good conservative one, but the specifics of Reagan's policies won't necessarily work today. It is more of an attitude, Scarborough says - Reagan was not someone who emphasized "hate" in the way that some conservative commentators do today. If the Republicans are to survive, Scarborough contends, then they must be more inclusive and become once again true to their conservative roots. This is an interesting feature - Scarborough admires Ronald Reagan, but he does not deify him. Reagan had many great qualities, but Scarborough refuses to engage the revisionist history that removes all flaws from Ronald Reagan. True conservatism much take Reagan warts and all, realizing that there was much success despite the flaws.

Scarborough is in some ways an outsider to the current conservative trend. His position on the liberal network MSNBC demonstrates this in some respects; his failure to always adhere to party or ideological talking points also demonstrates this. However, this also makes him a more effective critic, as he is far from being a liberal. In the book, Scarborough also addresses a few topics that also show this - he has criticism for the current Obama administration with their continuation of spending policies that are fiscally suspect (without denying the fiscal irresponsibility of their immediate predecessors, as some other conservative commentators often do). He also looks at the economic issues of the Wall Street banking collapse, including the collusion of both Democrats and Republicans over the past twenty years that contributed to an unsustainable housing bubble, whose collapse contributed greatly to this now-worldwide economic recession.

For those who enjoy watching Scarborough on the Morning Joe program on MSNBC, this will be a welcome book. For those who enjoying arguing with Scarborough, this will also be a welcome text. For liberals, conservatives and moderates, there is something here worth reading. We are at a crossroads in American conservatism, and Scarborough's text is an interesting addition to the ongoing debate.
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15 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I have great respect for Joe Scarborough. It can't be easy being the only conservative host on MSNBC.

After reading glowing reviews from Peggy Noonan and Christopher Buckley, I knew I had to get this book. Returning Conservatism back to its Goldwater/Reagan and even Edmund Burke roots has been a personal passion of mine for some time. And while my positions against Medicare Part D, Bush administration management of the Iraq War along with my generally federalist approach to same-sex marriage were against the day's grain, I still wore the R tag proudly.

But this book takes a while to get to its central point. The chapters really didn't tell me anything I didn't know and the positions for the future felt a little vague and generalized.

You're on the right track, Mr. Scarborough. Maybe you were aiming for a more general audience, but I would like a little more depth and specific policy proposals. But if you're planning a 2010 or 2012 run for office, please ignore my recommendations.

Amazon readers, if you're looking for a little more depth and exploration, check out The Conservative Soul by Andrew Sullivan.
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Very Disappointing! June 28, 2009
Format:Hardcover
I like Joe Scarborough, and I'm generally relatively conservative. I also like the generally non-partisan way he began the book - admitting that our record deficits, socialist spending sprees, reckless foreign policy, and an economy racing towards bankruptcy were originated by Republican leaders, though now President Obama is making things much worse. Scarborough also criticizes Republicans for holding rabid, unyielding ideologies, and asserts that conservatives must understand they can never again take a laissez-faire attitude towards Wall Street, even though they're opposed to limitations on small businesses.

Such open-mindedness made me hopeful that this would be a thoughtful work. Instead, Scarborough drags readers through a ideological analysis of too many current topics, using just the unyielding ideological approach that he earlier decried. (Ideological tours of current events are for me, a pragmatist, a totally boring and useless approach.)

Bottom Line:: Scarborough's "The Last Best Hope" is just too blah to recommend, and not vitriolic enough to get upset about.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
very informative and interesting!
I found this book to be very interesting and factual. I enjoy seeing the workings of our government from the insider viewpoint. Very informative.
Published 1 month ago by Marsh
At it's very best
This book is purely sophomoric at it's very best. I don't think any research, fact checking, or alternative analysis was done or needed for this work void of one unique thought. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Andrew Schwartz
Don't always agree with him but don't feel like he's shoving his view...
It's refreshing to see a conservative that abhors all the yelling and screaming that has typified the right this decade. Read more
Published 24 months ago by Amod A. Vaze
Conservative Opinions With Thoughtful Analysis
The author argues that conservatives should be grounded in realistic solutions which upholding their beliefs in restraining an overreaching government. Read more
Published on January 26, 2010 by LEON L CZIKOWSKY
Great Book! No Matter What Your Party Is, You'll Love It.
We have become big fans of Joe and Mika on The Morning Show. Joe is quite the writer and makes political reading fun and very interesting - not boring at all. Read more
Published on January 22, 2010 by Forhasta
Stick to Broadcasting
I personally like Joe and enjoy his MSNBC talk show. I agree with him on almost all of his points, but I could not finish this book. Read more
Published on January 2, 2010 by M. H. Stone
Better than I expected
This book is not shrill. It's thoughtful. I listened to the entire book, and I've already passed it on to others.
Published on November 19, 2009 by Jonathan Minsberg
The Last Best Hope
Joe is the true leader of the GOP, but is not above or afraid to point out all of it's shortcommings. Joe is the Host of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" which is adictive itself.
Published on September 28, 2009 by Danny A. Runions Sr.
the last civilized conservative
Scarborough gives hope that we can return to civilized discussion on right & left issues. He is a gentleman and doesn't shove his philosophy down your throat. Read more
Published on September 12, 2009 by milford metallurgist
Joe hits a home run
Joe Scarborough may himself be the last best hope of conservatives. I watch his morning show on MSNBC, the only show I watch on this network. Read more
Published on September 8, 2009 by jacki cook
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