This book took a long time to get through. Just a lot of information about politics since the 1960s & Goldwater's race for the Presidency and up through to Trump running for President the first time. The rest of the title is: Conservatism--From Goldwater to Trump and Beyond. EJ Dionne is a liberal columnist but points out correctly that in the 1960s, '70s and even '80s there were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats, it has only been recently that the parties have become so insular to their side of the aisle and spectrum. He hits on the Tea Party and how they are similar to the right wing John Bircher's almost in the 1960s. How in the 1960s these right winger's were kept on the fringe but today they have overtaken the party--an interesting point I thought. Also because the right wing or maybe Tea party types have taken over the party they have pushed out moderates--the ones that would look to find common ground with the Democrats and is a big reason for our divided government. Book was published in 2016 so writing was basically done early in 2016 during the primary season when Trump was taking over--last chapter touches on this. So not as much about how or where Trump is taking the Republican party but still a lot of interesting stuff in the book.
This is one that will go on my keeper shelf/shelves, not so much for what was written but that it is an autographed copy--author signed it and dated it on 10/8/16--right before Trump's election. Just a fun thing to think about. Of course it was signed to a Myra so can't say it was for me obviously--ha ha.
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