The Conservative Revolution: The Movement That Remade America

Edwards (The Power of Ideas) tells a rousing history of the American conservative movement since WWII from a true believer's standpoint. He provides concise portraits of the four iconic conservative figures whom he calls the Four Misters--Robert Taft (Mr. Republican), Barry Goldwater (Mr. Conservative), Ronald Reagan (Mr. President) and Newt Gingrich (Mr. Speaker). In recounting how conservatism reemerged from the shadow of the New Deal to successfully shift the center of American political debate rightward, Edwards sagely emphasizes those elements that have helped define conservatism as a movement rather than as just a wing of the GOP: magazines such as the National Review; organizations such as the Christian Coalition; single-issue groups such as the pro-gun lobby. There are, however, some flaws to his approach. The book lacks any deep analysis of the demographic trends that have helped the conservative cause, such as the growth of the South and suburbanization of the voting population. He gives short shrift to the divisions between fiscal and social conservatives, and he says almost nothing about the reemergence of liberal ""Rockefeller"" Republicans such as former Massachusetts governor William Weld and New Jersey's Christine Todd Whitman. Still, his partisan history is a worthwhile investment for general readers--even for liberal readers who enjoy gnashing their teeth. (Apr.)