Wonk Writing for Wonks–Not for Normal People,
June 26, 2006
Peter Beinart
I bought this book together with Paul Waldman's “Being Right Is Not Enough: What Progressives Must Learn from Conservative Success,” and between the two, would certainly rate this one as being the most detailed intellectually, but that is a flaw as well as a virtue. My eyes glazed over, between the fine print and the fine points.
Without any way disagreeing with the author's belabored and detailed commentary, I would boil the book down to two bottom lines:
1) Liberals also known as Progressives must restore their communion with the PUBLIC and draw the line between conservatives supporting corporate fascism, and the public interest focused on equal opportunity for INDIVIDUALS.
2) Deep in the book is the other bottom line: the Democratic Party has completely lost its mind and heart and its connection with the blue collar white worksrs (as well as other folks that one author would call the “working poor”).
This is a very serious book, and it will help the intellectuals among the left of center elite understand their failure, but this book is not going to win any points with the labor unions, the working poor, or the broader coalition of Independents, Reforms, Greens, Libertarians, and — my own proclivity — moderate Republicans.
