false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1183166512m/1386209.jpg 1386209 2 Drawing on remarkable access to myriad factions of the Democratic Party, <i>The New York Times Magazine</i> writer Matt Bai distills the party's future prospects and current dilemmas in this raucous and devastating account of the party's search for <i>The Argument</i> that fits the twenty-first century <br/><br/> Great political movements need more than a bunch of shared principles; they need an argument. The New Dealers had one. So did the Goldwater conservatives. So what's the progressive argument? What new path are Democrats urging us to choose in the era of Wal-Mart, Al Qaeda, and YouTube? Matt Bai seeks answers in <i>The Argument</i>, a book that brings you deep inside the turbulent, confusing new world of Democratic politics, where billionaires and bloggers are battling politicians and consultants over the future of a once-great party. <br/><br/> Beginning with the devastating election of 2004 and ending with an unexpected triumph in the 2006 congressional elections and the run-up to the 2008 campaign, Bai's book follows such memorable power brokers as Howard Dean, the billionaire George Soros, the union leader Andy Stern, the blogger Markos Moulitsas, and the leaders of moveon.org as they vie for control of the new Democratic landscape. In the pages of The Argument, we are introduced to these activists not just as political figures but as fascinating and flawed characters-ordinary people motivated by ideology or ambition or even personal tragedy. <br/><br/> At stake is the future of the Democratic Party and, quite possibly, of American politics itself. At a time when assorted pundits offer their own prescriptions for Democratic success in the 2008 presidential election, Bai uses rich narrative and vivid portraits to illuminate the party's challenges. In scene after scene from around the country-with union bosses in Chicago, with Dean in Alaska, with movie stars in Hollywood and financiers in New York-Bai reveals a movement that is learning how to win again, even as it struggles to articulate a compelling argument for progressive government in a confusing new century. <br/><br/> Readers of <i>The Argument</i> will recognize the unsparing insight and gift for storytelling that have made Matt Bai one of the country's most widely read observers of the American political scene-and its most trusted authority on the Democratic Party. 2272458 16 8 2007 The Argument: Billionaires, Bloggers, and the Battle to Remake Democratic Politics total:75|5:10|4:43|3:18|2:2|1:2| 75 282 133 15 3 1 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 15:38:59 -0700 2007 Fri Aug 31 15:43:45 -0700 2007 Interesting read. As a Virginia, I was pleased to see that there are brief mentions of Tim Kaine and Jim Webb. And Matt Bai spends a little more time on Mark Warner, who jumped out of the Presidential race in October 2006.

As a politically active person, I really liked the inside s...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat Jan 17 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Tue Jan 06 16:51:04 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 21 15:25:06 -0800 2009
This serves as a useful history to inform conservatives/l...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Nov 08 19:57:04 -0800 2008 Fri Oct 16 19:35:15 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 11:12:37 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 21 11:48:05 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jan 05 22:07:11 -0800 2009 Mon Jan 05 22:11:50 -0800 2009 New York Times Magazine articles for a few years before its release, so the anticipation was mounting. The Argument did not disappoint. Bai was fair in giving certain this segment of Democratic ac...more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 19 10:53:26 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 10:58:10 -0700 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Dec 10 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Nov 18 12:43:19 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 10 10:28:31 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jun 23 13:49:24 -0700 2008 Mon Jun 23 13:49:24 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Mon Jan 28 09:09:02 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 09:10:59 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Sat Sep 13 21:37:57 -0700 2008 Sat Sep 13 21:39:17 -0700 2008
very well written, very well reported, and a pretty unique look inside the new democratic party machine.]]> 3 0 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 22 12:28:16 -0700 2007 Tue Sep 04 13:45:46 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Tue Jul 29 18:01:33 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 29 18:02:43 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 29 07:22:05 -0800 2007 Sat Dec 29 07:23:24 -0800 2007 4 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 08:47:40 -0700 2008 Wed Apr 09 08:47:40 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Sun Sep 07 16:32:10 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 19:10:07 -0700 2008 Sun Sep 07 16:32:10 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Wed Nov 25 09:27:29 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 10:07:08 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Nov 03 07:17:55 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 07:17:55 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 15 20:22:51 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 15 20:22:51 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 01 21:56:18 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 01 21:56:18 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Sep 29 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 09:54:36 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 09:55:17 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1386209