Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America [Hardcover]

Eric Alterman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 2008

The bestselling author demolishes myths about liberalism in a spirited polemic

Thanks to the machinations of the right, there is no dirtier word in American politics today than “liberal”—yet public opinion polls consistently show that the majority of Americans hold liberal views on everything from health care to foreign policy. In this feisty, accessible primer, bestselling author Eric Alterman sets out to restore liberalism to its rightful honored place in our political life as the politics of America’s everyday citizens.

In Why We’re Liberals Alterman examines liberalism’s development and demonstrates how its partisans have come to represent not just the mainstream, but also the majority of Americans today. In a crisply argued though extensively documented counterattack on right-wing spin and misinformation, Alterman briskly disposes of such canards as “Liberals Hate God” and “Liberals Are Soft on Terrorism,” reclaiming liberalism from the false definitions foisted upon it by the right and repeated everywhere else. Why We’re Liberals brings clarity and perspective to what has often been a one-sided debate for nothing less than the heart and soul of America. Why We’re Liberals is the perfect election-year book for all of those ready to fight back against the conservative mud-slinging machine and claim their voice in the political debate.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Alterman, journalist and proud liberal, readies his readership for the coming day when the word liberal is given a wash and rinse after being slimed by conservatives. Arguing that liberals are so downtrodden they may have forgotten who they are, Alterman provides a refresher course, explaining what liberals believe and why liberal policies are reviled, even though most people approve of their basic ideas as long as they aren’t identified as liberal. His insightful examination of so-called liberal problems (secularism, abortion, dovish foreign policy) leads into an extensive and sharp rebuttal of all the crimes attributed to liberals. In ironically entitled chapters—“Why Do Liberals Hate Patriotism?” “Why Do Liberals Blame America First?”—Alterman fights back with facts and wit. He busts myths in “Why Do Liberals Deny America Was Founded as a Christian Nation?” but he owns up to the fact that liberals do like to tax and spend (conservatives do, too, just on different things). Readers of Alterman’s What Liberal Media? (2003) will find some familiar points here, but this rock-’em, sock-’em defense effectively proves that not all liberals are wimps. --Ilene Cooper

Review

“Alterman (What Liberal Media?), is an omnipresent columnist and blogger, proud to identify himself as a liberal—but, he says, many others shy away from the word because it has been corrupted by conservative political activists. Because of the clever, dishonest conservative campaign to discredit liberal programs, far too many in the electorate dismiss liberal political candidates as unpatriotic, elitist, atheistic, free-sex, reverse-racist, murderous (a.k.a. pro-choice) wimps. Alterman labors mightily to erase the myths and bury the lies pushed by antagonists such as Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and others. The trouble is that defining liberalism is a difficult matter, which makes Alterman’s polemic anything but laser-like. Another problem is that in attacking conservatives, Alterman falls into some of the traps he attributes to them, including name calling and over-generalizing. He is persuasive, however, when he turns the tables, demonstrating that conservatives are frequently as elitist and hypocritical as they claim liberals to be. Despite the presence of George W. Bush in the White House, Alterman claims opinion polls prove overwhelmingly that the majority of Americans prefer the liberal agenda. His hope, he says, is that his book will "open the way for Americans to get the government they repeatedly say they want."
—Publisher’s Weekly

“Alterman spends a lot of time clearing away the falsehoods spread by both right-wing and mainstream media figures, but the core of the book is a vigorous defense of liberalism as a credo—a credo, Alterman argues persuasively, that most Americans actually subscribe to in its constituent parts. Acknowledging that liberalism is notoriously difficult to define, he nonetheless provides an extensive and nuanced analysis of its substance.”
—ATLANTIC MONTHLY

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1St Edition edition (March 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670018600
• ISBN-13: 978-0670018604
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #845,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 70 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Standing up for the Silenced Majority, March 31, 2008

By 

Kellie M. Powell (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America (Hardcover)

Republicans have devoted a lot of resources to the smearing of liberals, but Eric Alterman is not going to let them get away with it. He has a mission to correct misconceptions spewed by conservatives and regurgitated by mainstream media. His well-researched Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America is chock-full of the staggering statistics, rational reasoning, and liberal principles that are under-represented - and sometimes completely absent - in the so-called "liberal media." This history of liberalism is an opportunity for young progressives to read about a time when liberalism was unbelievably popular, and to discover the origins of stereotypes that plague modern liberalism, many of which are baseless.

In chapters like "Why Do Liberals Hate Patriotism?", "Why Do Liberals Hate Religion?" and "Why Are Liberals Such Wimps?", Alterman attacks the assumptions that liberals are "soft" on national defense and crime and rejects the nonsensical labels - like "elitist," "tax-and-spend," and "anti-family" - that form the modern liberal public relations crisis. While any self-described liberal should realize the ridiculousness of these accusations, many are treated as fact by both conservative and moderate pundits and media sources. Proud liberals may feel the book is preaching to the choir, but as the old saying goes, "That's how you make them sing." Liberals have a lot of singing to do if they want to reclaim their good name, and provide the logic and compassion America needs to fight the reactionary politics and religious fundamentalism offered by conservatives.

Alterman insists that liberals have a unique opportunity at this particular moment, and also acknowledges the difficulties we face. He has no problem with telling liberals what they're doing wrong, and he makes some interesting suggestions for politicians and pundits in the wake of the utter catastrophe of the Bush regime. Some of his ideas are already being used by prominent Democrats; however, other ideas of his walk a fine line between pragmatism and abandoning liberal ideals. Alterman does not want liberals to make the same mistakes they have made in the past - a logical, if somewhat bloodless stance.

The most inspiring part of Why We're Liberals may be the argument that a supermajority of Americans hold liberal viewpoints, but do not call themselves liberals. In his conclusion, Alterman writes: "...most Americans are indeed liberals. They'd prefer to live in a society with increased equality of opportunity; greater access to health care for all; a more equitable system of taxation; a healthier respect for the environment; and a less belligerent and more cooperative foreign policy." If liberals are in fact a silent majority, it is time for us to demand the representation we deserve.

27 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A curious title, April 5, 2008

By 

Jon Hunt "musician, teacher" (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America (Hardcover)

Eric Alterman's "Why We're Liberals", is a thoughtful if overly dry book about liberalism in America today. It has some merit, much to the author's credit. For a generation, the right has pounded the left to the point where "liberal" is one of those four-letter words, and then some. Alterman reminds the reader that until liberals stand up and defend that term, (politicians especially) we're not going to move very far.

Much of the book has little to do with why so many of us are liberals, but rather focuses in on how conservatives view liberals and how they go about their mischievous deeds with inaccuracies that go beyond the pale. Alterman does a good job in citing quotations to that end and indeed that is his finest contribution. But he also has a proclivity to sink into polls and other factual numbers that don't elevate what should be a terrific exposé of the right wing. When speaking of Maureen Dowd he quotes a journalist as saying that "she's a liberal by default". Given Alterman's fixation on non-liberal thinking I felt myself in exactly the same position....liberal by default.

Alterman concludes with a terrific last few pages about why we are liberals. I wish I had seen more evidence throughout his book regarding the positive aspects of being on the left, but for those who want some comfort food, "Why We're Liberals" will provide some snacking along the way.

31 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great guidebook defending the liberal position, March 28, 2008

By 

Mark Daniels (Anywhere, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why We're Liberals: A Political Handbook for Post-Bush America (Hardcover)

Not since Joe Conason's "Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How it Distorts the Truth" have I found such a wonderful guidebook defending the liberal/progressive ideology while simoultaneously revealing the myths and lies of the republicans for what they are. For decades now, the republicans have systematically associated the "liberal" label with any number of negative stereotypes in the minds of the American people. Their smear campaign against liberals has become so successful that even the most liberal of politicians now shies away from the word for fear of it sinking their political career. Thanks to right-wing politicians and the Punditocracy, Americans have come to associate "liberal" with permissive attitudes, spendthrift "tax and spend" fiscal policies, elitism, political correctness, immorality, socialism, communism, and even treason.

And yet, as both this book and Conason's "Big Lies" point out, polls consistently show that a "supermajority" of Americans take the liberal position on almost every issue. America is liberal, it just doesn't realize it.

This book is actually very similar to "Big Lies" and makes almost all of the same arguments. It's better than Conason's earlier book, however, because the references are more up-to-date. ("Big Lies" was published in 2002.) I'd recommend either book - preferably this one - to any liberal seeking verbal ammunition in his/her arguments with republicans. Let Alterman's "Why We're Liberals" (or Joe Conason's "Big Lies") serve as your Liberal Bible: read it, re-read it, memorize what you can, and the next time a republican tries to trounce you with one of those bogus liberal stereotypes, you can fight back. The Right may have won the victory of semantics - successfully making "liberal" a dirty word - but we continue to win the war of ideology, because most Americans DO agree with our positions. We just have to effectively show them we stand for what they, too, stand for.