Customer Reviews

We're Right, They're Wrong: A Handbook for Spirited Progressives

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This book was published as a piece of pro-Clinton [information] during the 1996 presidential campaign. Consequently, there is a certain datedness to much of what Carville has to say, plus a generous dose of campaign rhetoric extolling the virtues of the Democratic approach to (domestic) government policy. In truth, Bill Clinton is presented as far more of a populist progressive than was actually the case.

So why should anyone read this book now, nearly six years later? First, James Carville is a smooth-talker who entertains as he explains. His down-home, aw, shucks approach to the issues would almost have you forget what a shrewd political tactician he has proven to be. If nothing else, he does an excellent job of explaining what the Democratic Party has purported to stand for since the days of Franklin D. Roosevelt, i.e., the notion that government has a proper and constructive role to play in regulating business, providing basic human services, and providing a "safety net" for people who suffer misfortune as a result of economic setbacks, natural disasters, or just plain bad luck. He also provides much useful and carefully laid-out descriptions of some of the more successful government programs that unfortunately, people in this country have either forgotten about or have come to take for granted.

The context for Carville's book back in 1996 was the attack on "big government" by Newt Gingritch and the rest of the conservatives who swept into Washington in 1994, purportedly with a mandate to fulfill a "Contract With America." Although it turned out that they had no such mandate at all, for a time it seemed to be almost universally accepted that "government does nothing well" and that "liberal" is a dirty word. Carville's spirited defense of those things that government HAS done well succeeds in demonstrating just how shallow and yes, self-interested the reactionary attack on many useful and constructive programs actually was.

Given that Newt and his crew largely faded away from the front pages during the latter portion of the nineties, what is the importance of Carville's treatise now? The truth is that the current administration is proving to be the most conservative in recent history; consequently, it apparently has every intention of accomplishing through the executive branch what it was unable to accomplish through the legislative branch a decade ago. Because the events of September 11 and beyond have demonstrated that government does matter and can do some things well, the rhetoric associated with this new conservatism is somewhat different from what we heard from Newt and his allies. However, the basic theme of pro-corporate pandering to the ultra-rich remains the same. Consequently, much of what Carville says in this book regarding the regressive and reactionary nature of much of the agenda of the Republican right remains absolutely on target. For that reason alone, people interested in politics and government will benefit from reading this book.

What happens when you mix a Rajin' Cajun with Politics... You get the truth. Touche' Mr. Carville. Your book has already proven to be true life-saver for me, a 24K Cajun, stuck right smack dab in the middle of Dole and Bushwack, I mean Bush Country in a suburb of South of KC.

I enjoyed the book, but I love the rapid response and extended response part especially! It puts the mojo on the "good ole' boy network!"

This handbook will help to make your time spent at parties or at any event of one of your wonderful, yet, Republican friends and company not only more interesting, but you may also find that people will pay attention to you, whether they agree or not and it will either reply with anger or it might just scare the heck out the them.

What I like is the fact that he gives you the facts. Then, if you don't believe it, you can follow the trails and he will lead you right to it, the original quotes or what ever the issue, right their in your face, through his heavily researched and well-armed footnotes. I researched the footnotes that truly caught my interest, and was astounded to see where some of this "reliable information" comes from in the GOP. Where do the Republicans find some of these people?

This book is not only worth reading, it is worth reading again; or as a gift to a family member or friend who always has a lot to say about politics, and are really not aware of the real ongoings in politics behind the scenes, and for really great Cajun receipts.

Don't take his word for it, check his sources; they speak for themselves!

James Carville points an accusatory finger on the cover of his book, WE'RE RIGHT AND THEY'RE WRONG, and then spends under two hundred pages setting out to prove his point. Contained in this slim volume are a lot of witticisms, common sense observations, and some devastating facts and figures that he brings out in support of his philosophies. You may not agree with what he says in the book, but you can't deny the power of his passion and the clarity of his thoughts.

Carville has a folksy commonsensical writing style. He throws in numerous references to his childhood and family in Louisiana. One of his philosophies that he attributes to his Cajun mother is the idea of the "5/65 Democrats". She espoused the idea that there are only two important activities that a person should be engaged in between the ages of five and sixty-five - either having a job, or training for a job. Carville revisits this idea many times after its introduction, effectively using it to counter right-wing assertions that government programs encourage laziness and inefficiency. He repeatedly points out that helping people find jobs and giving them access to training are the two things he finds to be of paramount importance. He angrily dismisses the arguments of cutting education and training programs in order to fund tax cuts for the wealthy.

Although the book was written to coincide with the 1996 Presidential and Congressional Elections, there is still plenty of relevant material here. Carville's responses to Republican's plans such as school vouchers, the flat tax, "big government" and others still resonate today. And some of the passages that have dated are still interesting to read about in a purely historical sense. Although the Clinton Health Care package will never see the light of day, Carville's defense of it makes for fascinating reading. He also dedicates numerous pages to all of the liberal programs that have been opposed by conservatives but which have definitely proved their worth. He defends the programs, pokes holes in the arguments of their detractors and offers suggestions for improvement. With many political books devoted purely to pointing out mistakes and foibles, it's reassuring to read someone defending ideas that have been helpful and effective.

As the title suggests, Carville divides the book fairly evenly between defending the left-wing concepts that have merit and attacking the right-wing ideas that are flawed. It's a balanced approach. And, thankfully, Carville spends the required amount of time needed to site his sources. Fourteen pages are reserved merely for Carville to name exactly where he is taking his statistics, quotes and facts. This is an invaluable service; if you want to look up these things for yourself, you only have to search.

It's a pity that the people who would learn the most from this book are the ones who are least likely to read it, either though disagreement with Carville's previous statements, or just a disinterest in politics. The writing style is simple and straightforward enough not to alienate any political novices, while containing enough meat to satisfy the political junkies in the audience. The Ragin' Cajun served up a winner.

Carville is exactly right -- us liberals are too nice! We've taken too much from the right and we're ready to fight back against Republican propoganda and misinformation! We need to stand up for the little people, progressives! In this time of economic prosperity, we need to act to preserve Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and environmental programs. If only we had one hundred more of you, Cueball, the government would be a much kinder place.

This book is a spirited defense of progressive ideals. It is read by the author, which makes for a great listening experience. Carville is the kind of Democrat we need more of nowadays: someone who is unabashedly proud of our tradition. Despite current GOP efforts to canonize Ronald Reagan, we know who the really great presidents of this century have been; and with the exception of TR, not a single one of them has a "R" following their name.

One of the merits of this book is, despite its having come out a few years ago, its pertinence to today's debates. Carville's commentary on "Mr. Family Values" himself, Newt Gingrich, coupled with his stanch defense of the Clinton's, is enough to hearten even the most discouraged Clinton supporter.

My only reservation about this book is that Carville at one point makes a remark about hairdressers that smacks a bit of a classist and elitist perpsective -- not the James Carville that we know and love. After all, if the Democratic party doesn't stand for all the hairdressers (and "trailor park trash") of the country, it doesn't stand a chance of a snowball in hell of doing anything worthwhile. Carville makes a convincing case that we do, in fact, stand for something of which to be proud -- which makes this momentary lapse all the more disappointing.

Carville really gets under republican's skins, mostly because he makes such a compelling case for a liberal agenda. Carville clearly explains why education funding is so important, and how funding continuing education can be used to SAVE money in the long run (by moving people off welfare). This book is largely based on the idea that "the only two respectable things for someone between the ages of 18 and 65 to do are woking or getting yourself educated", and the government should help facilitate this. Since this book was written, the US has moved away from Mr. Carville's philosophy, so if you agree with him, reading this book is pretty sombre.

Just like Harry Truman, the Ragin' Cajun' gives 'em hell. James Carville wants to put Democrats back on the offensive. Carville, chief strategist of Bill Clinton's 1992 War Room, is out to break the GOP'S Contract with America.
In We're Right, They're Wrong, Carville serves up a sassy, no - holdsbarred response to the right - wing myths spewing out of Congress and polluting the AM airwaves. Carville rips apart Republican bluster and [extreme] programs and offers smart, compassionate, no-nonsense alternatives. Tired of getting browbeaten at neighborhood barbecues and school board meetings? We're Right, They're Wrong gets progressives off their heels and back on the attack.

With Carville's trademark wit, political savvy, and street smarts, We're Right, They're Wrong is a broadside for our times, the most provocative book of the 1996 campaign season.

Carville writes like he speaks -- full of passion about everything. One can almost hear his Cajun drawl and rapid-fire style in this book.
Of course it's partisan. It makes no pretense about being otherwise.
It's also packed with examples of Democratic successes, suggestions on improving the country and tips on battling the sound bites, accusations and fabrications of the neo-conservatives.
Sources are footnoted and verifiable and he quotes acknowledged experts and sources to back up the points he makes. This truly could be a handbook for the spirited progressive, if only it were longer.
Even despite its slim size, It's packed with useful information written in an entertaining style.

i am not entirely comfortable with the degree to which carville believes in government. i would be a much bigger fan of his if he would ever acknowledge the validity of some of the leftist critiques of government. but thats not what hes about, and thats ok. hes just plain right in his identification of ways in which we are all better off as a result of particular government actions. im glad that a representative of the left, moderate though he may be, had the gumption to tell it like it is, and to resist the onslaught of the neoconservative tirade against "big government," which is obviously nothing more than thinly veiled, extreme self-interest.

First off, let me say that, like James Carville, I am a democrat from Louisiana. That said, although I enjoyed the always colorful personality of Carville, this book should be read critically.

In this book Carville sets out to prove that liberal democrats "are right," and conservative republicans are wrong. This poses my major problem with the book. Carville is too much of an "us versus them"-type of guy. Certainly it is okay to argue that you are right, but no matter what, the conservatives are always going to have to work together with the liberals. Carville is very opinionated and has no problem making claims on certain issues; be wary of this and read this book realizing that there are always two sides to the story (one side is usually right, I'm just saying to be aware that Carville may not always be right).

I did find this book quite enjoyable. Carville weaves funny stories throughout, and the tone of the book is very amusing. One feature of the book that I especially liked was how Carville throws random little "lagniappe" (Cajun word for "extra") throughout. For instance, he includes a recipe for some backyard BBQ, five tips on successful potato salad, and the five worst republicans.

One other problem with the book is that because Carville tackles specific issues in politics, it is more often than not outdated. Nevertheless, one can still learn about key issues by reading this work. Topics include welfare, tax design (flat tax too), size of government, school privatization and the voucher system, and Carville's take on race, which is especially good. Carville often uses statistics to back up his democratic ideals on these issues, and although he does not take his analysis to the next level, his defenses are often quite good. The best chapter in the book discusses succesful government programs (for those that question the efficiency of government). An appendix to the book includes even more programs, and I found these very informative.

Carville spends one chapter discussing Clinton's healthcare plan that failed. Although the chapter begins by saying that "losers deny responsibility and dole out blame," Carville spends fifteen pages blaming the press for the failure of something he worked on. Perhaps the press and they're "editorial goops" were to blame, but Carville loses a lot of credibility when he opens with that quote, and then goes on to dole out blame.

Overall, the book is a quick, enjoyable read and I recommend it to all interested in politics, regardless if you are a democrat or a republican.