Comeback

Conservatism That Can Win Again

By: David Frum

Narrated by: Lloyd James

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

At a moment of crisis and pessimism for American conservatives, David Frum offers fresh ideas - and fresh hope.

Not in a generation has conservatism been in as much trouble as it is at the end of the Bush years. A majority of Americans say the country is "on the wrong track". Voters prefer Democrats over Republicans on almost every issue, including taxes. The married, the middle-class, the native-born are dwindling as a share of the population, while Democratic blocs are rising. A generation of young people has turned its back on the Republican party.

Frum says that the ideas that won elections for conservatives in the 1980s have done their job. Republicans can no longer win elections on taxes, guns, and promises to restore traditional values. It's time now for a new approach.

©2008 David Frum (P)2007 Tantor

Thought provoking, even when disagreeable

I've become quite a fan of Frum from his well reasoned commentaries on Marketplace, so I thought I'd give his book a listen.

While it's now clear to me that the author and I have many differing opinions, he has done a nice job challenging Americans to come up with better solutions to many of the problems with which we've thus far dealt unsuccessfully. His book also helps non conservatives get a better understanding of the conservative agenda.

In the end I found the author a little too trigger-happy, a little too naive that the theory marriage begets well adjusted children is causation and not simply correlation, and a little too hypocritical that the American family should be strengthened but should not include homosexuals. But even as a non conservative I value several of his other ideas.