Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again

by David Frum

Book Overview

The bestselling author of Dead Right and The Right Man predicts that the Republicans will lose the next election, and argues that they have lost sight of the real issues that concern Americans today. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767920325
• ISBN13: 9780767920322
• Release Date: January 2009
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Thought provoking discourse for genuine conservatives

Both the Republican and Democrat national parties are built on the "big tent" theory: that they are to incorporate all the divergent views of their respective constituencies into a single party, rather than have dozens of splinter parties as in Europe and elsewhere. The result has been a remarkably stable system of government. The serious student of politics knwos that within the larger party, there is always a dominant faction and that this dominant faction changes from time to time. For about thirty years, genuine conservatives dominated the Republican Party. With them came the West's victory over the Soviet Union, the freeing of Eastern Europe without bloodshed, forcing welfare and budget reform on the nation and other victories, large and small, including the historic 1994 election victory. Perhaps because of its very success, the Republican Party lost its way and genuine conservatives were shouldered aside. Now comes David Frum, a Canadian, with his thoughts on how Conservatism can win again. It is indeed a thought provoking book, but not one that will be adopted as a Conservative bible. Frum's basic thesis is that conservatives have lost their way, that too many of them have lost touch with the changing public and its views. He is right in his perceptions, but his prescriptions may not be acceptable to real conservatives. For example, Frum goes on at length about how his proposal for a new way of viewing the abortion issue. I have a better idea, I think: ignore. Just say that the government has no business getting involved with the question at all and take the Republican Party out of a can't win situation. Frum's suggestions on trying to get people to understand that terrorism is a real problem, on the other hand, are sound as are his suggestions for true reform of public education. To his credit, Frum doesn't declare that his ideas are the only ideas. They are suggestions to get the debate rolling - and his book is laudable for that. It is, in fact, excellent and thought provoking reading. One thing Frum can't do in this book, however, is to reconnect conservatives to the leadership of the Republican Party, which truly seems to have lost its way. Jerry

Conservatism needs new thinking

Unlike one reviewer whose opinion is posted here, I have read the book. It is a very interesting critique of the recent drift in conservative thought. As Frum points out, most of the battles from the 1970s have been won. Crime, out of control in 1974 when the movie "Death Wish" got standing ovations in movie theaters, has dropped steadily. Los Angeles has fewer murders than any time since the 1950s. New York is livable (although I'll have to take others word on that. I hate the place.). That problem is solved although Britain seems to be sinking into the same morass now as a result of the same policies that were reversed here by the conservatives in the 1980s. Supply side economics has pretty well replaced Keynesian economics everywhere but the Congressional Democratic caucus. Taxes have been cut until 80% of Americans pay more in payroll taxes (FICA, etc) than income tax. We won the intellectual battles but, as Frum points out, we at once began to enjoy the fruits of victory and forgot that, in politics at least, nothing is ever finally settled. The high point for conservatism was 1994 when the Republicans took Congress on a platform of conservative principles. Everything since has trended down. Some of his most thought provoking comments pertain to health care, a special interest of mine. He is concerned that the middle class has been getting a raw deal for the past twenty years, partly due to health care costs. I have studied health care both as a physician and as a gradate student in health care economics. I won't get into details but Frum poses serious questions that Republicans will have to answer if they wish to retain power at the federal level. That section alone, is worth the price of the book. He has serious questions about foreign policy for the next few decades and criticism of some of the Bush Administration's puzzling decisions about the handling of radical Islam. He has a long chapter on what he calls "Green Conservatism" that poses questions about energy policy. The only good suggestion that Al Gore ever made publicly (Some his private suggestions in the Clinton Administration sound far more practical than his dull public persona would suggest.), was the 50 cents per gallon gas tax. Had this been done in 1992, and the revenues devoted to defense, we would be far more secure. A carbon tax is one of Frum's suggestions. This is a very practical and intellectual book with ideas that should be debated in the Republican Party. I don't agree with all his suggestions; his education and health care ideas need a lot of study, but the first step in solving a problem is to look at it objectively. This book does that well.

an important book

This is a very insightful book. Frum captures the ideological problems today on the right and suggests the obvious truth that far too many refuse to listen to. The right needs to develop solution to todays problems and a political agenda that addresses them from a conservative point of view. For example, everyone knows health care in America and health insurance are broken. Ask anyone who runs a medium-size company. The movement needs to pull its head out of the sand and come up with positive reforms to fix the system rather than allowing the debate be between nationalization and doing nothing. Simple solutions like returning health care to a situation where people pay a real price for health care rather than a phony marked up price designed to force people into the insurance system. The conservative movement today needs to refresh itself ideologically and to start talking about what its for rather than talking about what its against.

David Frum's New Book is Mandatory Reading

David Frum refuses to be conned by the hypocrisy of many American voters. He is well aware that they often speak out of both sides of their mouth. They may initially demand cuts in the budget, but soon afterwards they will compel their elected officials to provide them with larger entitlement programs. May God help the libertarian conservative who fails to realize this harsh reality. The author is probably right to point out that George W. Bush would not have been reelected in 2004 if he had not advocated the prescription drug benefit to Medicare. Republicans also blew a golden opportunity to change the Washington, DC landscape because of pure greed. A large number of them forgot why they ostensibly moved to our nation's capitol. Instead, they opted to become well paid lobbyists and therefore compromised their original mission. The leftist community has long race carded the illegal immigration issue. An objective and dispassionate discussion is often near impossible. The same holds true for affirmative action policies, which inadvertent discourage blacks from working hard in school. Why not avoid the difficult tasks if you know your selection to a good university is a sure thing? Perhaps the most important chapter in the book is the one entitled "Goal Five: Win the War on Terror." Frum does not hesitate in being blunt: "For decades, American have urged the Europeans and Japanese to spend more money on their own defense. The next Republican president should accept that it will be very difficult for them to do this. As far and away the riches and youngest member of the Western alliance, the United States will have to shoulder a rising share of the burden." You may not be interested in war, Leon Trotsky reportedly asserted, but war is interested in you. Isolationism regrettably is not a viable option. Americans cannot afford to continue taking a vacation from history. Mr. Frum has written a book that you must read. It is also imperative that you do so as quickly as possible. Crucial elections will be held in November. We cannot afford to procrastinate. Time may not be on our side.

Every American should read this book!!!

David Frum perfectly details the problems that the modern conservative movement faces and the policy decisions that can win. He details how the topics that liberal democrats seem to own can be solved with pragmatic conservative solutions that will resonate with the American electorate.