The Big Con

July 23, 2007
The author, a senior editor at the New Republic
, is best known for declaring “I hate President George W. Bush” in 2003. This book traces the roots of his dislike back 30 years, when supply-side economics took over the Republican Party and made cutting taxes the GOP answer to all political and economic questions. “American politics has been hijacked by a tiny coterie of right-wing economic extremists,” Chait declares, “some of them ideological zealots, others merely greedy, a few of them possibly insane.” To which he adds, “the Republicans' success at defeating the democratic process explains why it has been able to enact its agenda despite a lack of popular support.” The rhetoric is inflammatory, but the case is laid out with clarity. Chait claims that traditional Republicans, religious people and social, fiscal and foreign policy conservatives have been cheated as much as liberals, and that unparalleled corruption and ruthless cynicism in Washington and the timidity of nonpartisan media allow the minority to rule. His analysis should appeal to anyone interested in politics, though many may find the style too irritating to endure.

February 4, 2008
Straying from the actual concept of "conservative," today's Republican Party is heading toward an economic self-destruction that will wreak harsh consequences upon the country, according to the author. With great detail and numerous examples, Chait illustrates how the neoconservatives' mantra of "no taxes" as part of the theory of supply-side economics is an unjustified and threatening ideology-so threatening that the Republican leadership must hide its true nature through subterfuge and outright lying to its constituency lest they discover the true "con" taking place. While concentrating on the Republicans, Chait doesn't hesitate to reveal the Democrats' complacency and ineptitude in preventing the pending economic crisis. Drummond is at ease with nonfiction books and guides listeners through complicated texts with speed and emphasis, directing them to the key points in every section. Several often repeated words such as "Reagan" aren't always pronounced the same and the production includes several vocal shifts. However, from beginning to end, Drummond's consistency of tone and emphasis makes a lasting, positive impression. Simultaneous release with the Houghton Mifflin hardcover (Reviews, July 23).

Copyright 2008 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 12, 2007
Straying from the actual concept of "conservative," today's Republican Party is heading toward an economic self-destruction that will wreak harsh consequences upon the country, according to the author. With great detail and numerous examples, Chait illustrates how the neoconservatives' mantra of "no taxes" as part of the theory of supply-side economics is an unjustified and threatening ideology-so threatening that the Republican leadership must hide its true nature through subterfuge and outright lying to its constituency lest they discover the true "con" taking place. While concentrating on the Republicans, Chait doesn't hesitate to reveal the Democrats' complacency and ineptitude in preventing the pending economic crisis. Drummond is at ease with nonfiction books and guides listeners through complicated texts with speed and emphasis, directing them to the key points in every section. Several often repeated words such as "Reagan" aren't always pronounced the same and the production includes several vocal shifts. However, from beginning to end, Drummond's consistency of tone and emphasis makes a lasting, positive impression. Simultaneous release with the Houghton Mifflin hardcover (Reviews, July 23).