Why the Right Went Wrong: Conservatism from Goldwater to the Tea Party and Beyond - Rilegato

“Dionne's expertise is evident in this finely crafted and convincing work. . . . Lucid, pragmatic and buttressed by a parade of supporting facts.” (The Los Angeles Times)

“Talk about perfect timing. . . . an account of the GOP’s internal tension. . . . Why the Right Went Wrong is particularly interesting in its assessment of the past decade. . . . The book is up to the moment.” (The Christian Science Monitor)

“[Dionne] correctly identifies why we [Republicans] either fail to win power or, when we do, do not use that power to transform America. Conservatives who want to win and effectively use political power, then, must come to grips with the central question Dionne poses: does the intellectual legacy of Barry Goldwater prevent conservatism from being an effective governing movement? . . . Dionne’s book for all its faults clarifies the challenge we face and poses the ultimate questions: If not us, who? If not now, when?” (Henry Olsen National Review)

“Dependably intelligent . . . Dionne argues, with ample illustration decade by decade, that this right-wing populism would remain a Republican orthodoxy, latent or salient, throughout the time he covers. . . . Dionne comes closer to the facts with his tale of a ground bass of growls against moderation, swelling at times or diminishing, but continuously present.” (Garry Wills The New York Review of Books)

“Dionne is right that America needs an intelligent conservative party, and the insights of this decent man who, as an award-winning journalist for The Washington Post, has unique access to politicians make wonderful reading.” (The Washington Post)

“Substantial . . . Dionne demonstrates his thesis with a wealth of historical examples. . . . notably fair-minded.” (The New York Times Book Review)

“So what went wrong? The questions itself might seem provocative. The fact that Dionne is an avowedly liberal columnist for The Washington Post would redouble suspicion. Yet it would be hard to find a more sympathetic non-conservative to attempt an answer. He has covered every election since the 1970s and is liked and trusted by Republicans and Democrats....[Dionne’s] is a tempered book—suffused with the kind of moderation and balance he believes Republicans desperately need.” (Financial Times)

“Dionne masterfully traces the influence of movement conservatism and its offshoots on the party of Lincoln, revealing how—despite all assertions of noble principles by conservative thinkers—the party’s rightward turn first led to the election of candidates bent on undermining party leaders.” (The American Prospect)

"Why the Right Went Wrong is an essential read for those looking to understand how the conservative movement has become what it is today." (Huffington Post)

"In Why the Right Went Wrong, one of America's most respected journalists has produced a thoroughly documented, eminently readable account of GOP conservatism up to the party's newest turn." (National Catholic Reporter)

E.J. Dionne, Jr., is a bestselling author, a syndicated columnist who appears twice weekly in The Washington Post and nearly a hundred other newspapers, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and a professor at Georgetown University. His Why Americans Hate Politics won a Los Angeles Times Book Prize and was a nominee for the National Book Award. He is a regular commentator on National Public Radio and on other radio and television programs. He lives in Washington, DC, with his wife, Mary Boyle, and their three children.