Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve

by Bernard Goldberg

The number one New York Times bestselling author Bernard Goldberg is back with more hard-hitting observations and no-nonsense advice for saving America from the lunatics on the Left and the sellouts on the Right. In Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right , Goldberg speaks for the millions of Americans who are Enough! Enough of lunatics like Rosie O'Donnell who think "Radical Christianity"—whatever that means—is "as big a threat to America as Radical Islam." Enough of the hyperbolic liberal rhetoric comparing Bush to Hitler and Abu Ghraib to a Saddam Hussein torture chamber. Enough of the liberal media, in particular the New York Times , which Goldberg claims doesn't publish "all the news that's fit to print" so much as "all the news that fits our ideology." And please , enough of the military-hating crazies who run San Francisco! ("Just what this country needs," Goldberg writes, "a city with Rice-A-Roni and a foreign policy.") But Goldberg doesn't stop with the crazies on the Left. Speaking for fed-up conservatives, he also goes after the wimps on the Right—the gutless wonders in Washington who sold out their principles for power. He's had it with hypocritical Republicans who say they're for small government but then spend our hard-earned tax money like Imelda Marcos in a shoe store. He's also had it with the weak and timid Republicans who won't stand up and fight against racial preferences, too afraid that the Al Sharptons and Jesse Jacksons of the world will call them bigots. In plain English, he's had it with Republicans who are afraid to be conservative! In his most personal, provocative book yet, Bernard Goldberg argues that while conservatives still believe in important things, the jury is out on Republicans. The 2006 election was a wake-up call, he warns, and if the wimps on the Right fail to regain their courage, recover their principles, and reclaim their sense of fiscal responsibility, the crazies on the Left just might win the White House in 2008.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2007

About the author

American writer, journalist, and political pundit. Goldberg has won twelve Emmy Awards during his career. He is currently a commentator for Fox News and a correspondent for HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

From 1972 to 1974 he worked for CBS News as a producer in Atlanta; he became a reporter in 1974 and correspondent in 1976.

Goldberg frequently contributed to the CBS Evening News and CBS newsmagazines Eye to Eye with Connie Chung and 48 Hours.

Reviews

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is analysis for people that think a monster truck rally is a study of transportation history.

[Mick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, it's "comeuppance time" for those pesky liberals and those wimpy Republicans, and Bernard Goldberg is just the guy to scold both sides of the elitist aisles. The former CBS News correspondent writes what I've been thinking for five or six years--since the Bush administration and its rubber-stamp cronies in Congress started acting like free-spending, pandering liberals--in his hard-hitting yet humorous polemic CRAZIES TO THE LEFT OF ME, WIMPS TO THE RIGHT.

As a conservative libertarian, Goldberg (and millions of the rest of us) is fed up with insipid, visceral liberalism--aided and abetted by the mainstream media. The left is fair game, and Goldberg doesn't disappoint as he crtitiques liberal wool-gathering on several issues, including affirmative action, racial profiling, national security, taxation. . .even the liberal culture of hatred and intolerance.

Yet he's just getting started; Goldberg saves his best blows for the Republicans (not conservatives, mind you) who have "sold out." Abandoning their conservative principles and ideals, the Washington establishment Republicans lost Congress in 2006 by pandering to special interests, through corruption, by trolling for votes with taxpayer dollars, by record spending, and by "wimping out" to the left. If the Republicans do not heed the "wakeup call" of 2006, Goldberg warns, they run the risk of losing their conservative base (hear, hear!).

This is a fun read; Goldberg writes in a witty, conversational style, which makes for a fast page-turner. CRAZIES TO THE LEFT OF ME, WIMPS TO THE RIGHT pulls no punches and takes no prisoners; it's a common sense critique of the nonsense and bitter partisanship polluting our culture--penned by an author unafraid to call 'em as he sees 'em.

[Brandon O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book a lot. There wasn't a whole lot of new information for me, since he is on the O'Reilly Factor once if not twice a week, but some things did catch my eye.
Bernie talked about his transformation from a liberal growing and through most of his adult life into holding more conservative views. He attributes this to the change in the Democratic party from the early 1970's when the angrier far left took over the party. No longer was this the party that FDR, Truman, and Kennedy had led. When I was growing up, this was the Democratic party that I liked and wanted too. He can be pretty harsh and to the point as when on page 216 he says, "What liberals don't seem to understand is that real courage requires risk, sometimes even sacrifice. In my entire life I have never met even one liberal who said, "Give the job to the other guy instead of me - he's black." I have never met one liberal who said, "Let that minority kid into that Ivy League school instead of my kid - after all, my boy is upper-middle class, privileged, and white." It's easy to be a liberal when you don't have to pay a price for your virtue."
He's not crazy about the current crop of Republicans either, who have spent more in the last Congress than almost any other, and who deserved to lose the last mid-term elections. That reminds me of the current election cycle and how un-enthused I am with anybody running. Well, I guess the good, and bad thing about an election cycle is that another one is always close behind.

[Jeffrey Belcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, for starters, I will TRY not to allow my political views to skew this review. This book makes very good points both for and against both Democrats and Republicans. The arguments portrayed in this book, illustrates the many weaknesses that have become full out problems plaguing both parties, and the country as a whole. It also touches on many touchy subjects in truth rather than the political correctness that we are used to; race, poverty, Islamic Extremism, and the severe hate that each political party feels towards each other. Not only does he point out the problems, but Goldberg throws in his idea of how to fix things. Though his ideas are too extreme for the real world right now (though not all that farfetched) it is refreshing to have someone not only point out the problems, but propose solutions. Regardless if you are Republican or Democrat, Black or White, Rich or Poor, this is a good read and might open your eyes to things that some people know, and others are too blind/fearful to see.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I laughed a couple of times but mostly I was just bored with it.

[Rodney Harvill · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book as an audiobook late in Donald Trump's presidential campaign in an effort to answer a nagging question in my head. Why? I had seen the Democratic party take a hard left, and I had also seen a growing Republican majority appear either unable or unwilling to check President Obama's fundamental transformation of America. The choices seemed to be hard left or complete gridlock. The Republican majorities, elected to check President Obama's excesses, began to look more like part of the problem and less like part of the solution. I don't doubt that this was a significant factor in Donald Trump's defeat of many strong opponents in the 2016 Republican primary.

I can't say that the book answered my questions, but it was both interesting and enlightening. At one level, it traced his journey through life, from his childhood in New York City to working as a broadcast journalist for CBS to his full-throated rejection of liberalism. He had been born to a working class family but had engaged with the more elitist elements of the Democratic party while he was in college. This relationship continued as he took on a career in broadcast journalism. As he got older, though, he became less liberal and more libertarian and began to recognize his disconnect from the increasingly left-leaning Democratic Party and his liberal colleagues at work. Finally, he recognized the need to make a clean break, and this book appears to be that break.

As critical as Goldberg is of modern liberalism, it would be easy to conclude that the book burns bridges. I don't think so. His liberal colleagues and acquaintances had already begun to withdraw from him as his political views increasingly diverged from them. If this book burns anything, it is the rubble of already collapsed bridges. Goldberg speaks with the refreshing candor of someone who senses that he has absolutely nothing to lose, almost like the tell-all scene at the end of the movie Tootsie.

This is not a scholarly work; rather, it is a compilation of Goldberg's observations, more common sense than anything else. I agree with some of his points and disagree with others. Regardless, his book forced me to think, and I don't regret the time and effort to read it.

[Eric Parsons · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like Bernard Goldberg. I've read Bias and The 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America. This book, however, is heavy on attack and somewhat light on substance. While I could question a particular chapter in particular, I do not want to grind any particular ax. I just expected more, I suppose.

Goldberg, as the title implies, takes swings at both sides of the aisle and points out deficient thinking and policy overall. Worth the read, but not first. Not a rush to get done.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A somewhat dated "rant from the right" about media bias, but relevant just the same; Goldberg has viewed the media from inside long enough to have insights that bloggers and social media journalists ought truly appreciate.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I like about Bernard Goldberg that I get from reading his books or seeing him as a guest on talk shows is he appears to be fair in assessing all sides of the political spectrum. In this book, Crazies to the Left of Me. Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve, he explores how the political left seems to have been moving further and further left to try to catch up with their ever more left-leaning base. They usually stay with their commonly shared talking points and avoid any sort of logical discussions or debates preferring to shout down their opposition. His analysis of the political right is also on point as they campaign on common themes for conservatives like smaller government, reigning in the runaway budget, cutting taxes, and similar platforms. But once elected they immediately turn into the right wing of the leftists, fight among themselves, and (even if handed a majority in congress) seem unable to get anything done; this usually ends up in a handover to the other party at the next election cycle. Well-written with great insight and analysis, I enjoyed this book as well as others by this same author.

[Mary Lou · Rating 3 out of 5]

A common sense look at current affairs.

[Mrs. Gabrielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great information and interesting analysis. A lot of the book was about being Jewish which is fine it’s just not what I read it for.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Goldberg calls it as he sees it. A review of the Audiobook.

6 CDs
7 Hours
Narrated by Bernard Goldberg

Bernard Goldberg, who used to work at CBS news until two opinion pieces that he wrote for the Wall Street Journal nearly 10 years ago made him a persona non grata. What was in these two opinion pieces that caused Dan Rather to say he would never forgive Goldberg and Goldberg's boss to accuse him of "disloyalty"? He said that CBS and the other major media outlets are biased towards the political left in their reporting. Not the kind of bias that involves meetings and secret cabals. Instead, it is a sort of groupthink. The sort that never even considers asking the questions that the people with a more conservative worldview would ask. So, most of this bias is from a series of "sins of omission" (to borrow a phrase) rather than an overt plot. As a result, Goldberg wrote his book Bias: A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News .

In Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve Goldberg goes after both the Left and the Right with thoughtful criticism. Goldberg narrates the audiobook version himself (and does a great job, too) and throws in plenty of humor, irony and satire to leaven the heavy doses of criticism. As he implies in the title, many on the left have gone right off of the edge and many on the right have forgotten their roots and have lost the intestinal fortitude to stand up for what they claim to believe in.

Written in 2006 and 2007...

Read more at: http://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2010/...

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this audio very much. In general, I like Bernie Goldberg but have never read nor listened to his books. This was a first. It was fun to hear this former CBS reporter make his jabs, with a dash of humor, at the two dominant US political parties. He makes some very good points while scrutinizing both sides of the fence. Prior to listening to this audiobook, I knew I agreed with many of Mr. Goldberg's views. It was interesting, however, to hear what made him decide to move away from the Democratic party he embraced during the 50's/60's to his more Libertarian stance of today. Keep in mind that this book was published in 2007 so some of the material/predictions have come to pass. It was a good listen none-the less.

Note: This was a book that I received from a member at
Bookcrossing.com

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given his journalism background, Bernard Goldberg is at his best in the sections of the book that deal with media bias and unethical news reporting. His general observations on the state of American politics are interesting, but little different from what's already been written by countless other conservative pundits. Keep in mind that this book was written prior to Obama's first election, so it's more of a refresher on stuff that happened during the Bush administration. One thing I like about Goldberg is that his viewpoints don't always toe the party line. Personally, I like to read books written by people I occasionally disagree with.
However, there is one section of the book that really bummed me out, and that was Goldberg's take on science education in public schools. Like so many others, Goldberg is under the mistaken impression that proponents of Intelligent Design seek to introduce Bible-thumping to the classroom. Speaking for myself, all I ask is for teachers to acknowledge the limitations of Darwinian theory. (Read a book like Michael Behe's DARWIN'S BLACK BOX if you want to recognize some of the limitations of evolution's explanatory power in determining our origins.) Considering that Goldberg chides the media for unfairly marginalizing anyone who questions the notion of man-made global warming, it's disappointing that he employs the exact same tactics in marginalizing anyone not marching in lockstep with Darwinian dogma.

[Bojan Tunguz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is always a pleasure to read anything by Bernie Goldberg, if for no then reason then because of the wit and humor that he brings to the discussions of contemporary issues. This is a very varied account of many of his personal gripes that he has with both left and the right in the US, but at the final analysis it is still the right that comes somewhat ahead, although it would seem it is primarily because they are better at not getting their foot stuck in their mouth as often as the liberals seem to be doing these days. One of the main things that Goldberg has an issue with is the lack of civility that goes on in public discourse, regardless of if it has to do political speech or just general politeness in everyday life. It is to Bernie's credit that he succeeds at dismantling those he disagrees with without having to resort to cheap ad hominem attacks and vicious recriminations. It would be great if some other best-selling authors followed in his footsteps. Otherwise, we may have to wait for another book by Bernard Goldberg.

[Rebekkila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I once read a book by Al Franken and didn't like it, tried a few pages of an Ann Coulter book and didn't like it, so I wasn't sure what if I would be able to get through this when I took it from The audio book box.

I agreed with a lot of what the author had to say. I do understand why he is in favor of racial profiling at airport security checkpoints. I was searched once 5 months after the attack on the twin towers. I had to fly home for a funeral, I booked a flight for the morning after I got the news, apparently that is a red flag. Turned out most of us getting searched where flying home for family emergencies. One woman was elderly and was going through this. I am not sure why we were setting off alarms, white and African American women have not been hijacking planes and turning them into weapons. Meanwhile, young men who fit the profile were getting on without being searched. Seriously this did not ease my mind.

His views on politicians pandering to groups who traditionally don't support them, affirmative action, and racism he took them on and it made some sense.

[Beejay]

The election this year is.. ugly - the closest word I can find for it. I am so tired of hitting the mute button on the TV remote control whenever the ads about changes are shown. Give me a break, you can change your thoughts in less than a second, you can change your clothes in maybe 5 minutes (it takes me at least 20mins every morning), you can change the roof of your house maybe in one day.. but someone is talking about changing the whole country, its people lives and its laws/regulations/etc.. in just some days, right after he is elected. That way of thinking/talking is just purely unreal (I don;t want to use the word "inexperience" anymore).

Anyway, I have just finished the first two chapters about histories and principles of left and right, and briefly what had changed that made left became angry and right became wimpy.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I freely admit that this is not my type of book, but I read it after one of my patrons highly recommended it and insisted I read it after him.

When I got it, I figured I would just skim through it -- wrong! The more I read, the more immersed I became -- I learned a lot about my political beliefs and stands as well as others on the political spectrum.

This book was not some boring political analysis. It was very interesting and entertaining -- Goldberg doesn't just bash the conservatives, he goes after the liberals, as well and he talks about everything . . . immigration, Dan Rather, Blacks and Jews (his own religion), New Orleans, terrorism and more!

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a disappointment. I've seen him on TV before and, even though I didn't always agree with what he said, is almost always made me think. This was more "bitching" and less "thinking." He only offers a handful of proposed solutions to the world's problems, and they're all at the end, and offered half as a joke. The rest of the book he spends bitching about politics on both sides of the aisle. Very "grumpy old men." I hear his other books are better, so maybe I'll check one of them out.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

We all know that my politics are a little different than most of you. If any of you are at all curious why I'm not a Democrat and why I'm not a Republican read this book. It is light and easy to read and offers some great food for thought while very clearly outlining my belief systems in regards to politics. I think it's funny too! Check it out.

[MG · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's... "ok".

While Goldberg is pretty smarmy in some of his essays, I really found some of the humor a bit.. unfunny.

There are some great points made in this book, but as a very conservative reader, I found some of the material a little center-left, most notably his rant on evolution.

Sadly, I found myself hoping the book would finally come to an end.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished Goldbergs latest... this guy gets it.. There are so many leftist extremists and right wing crazies, he puts them on the grill and puts them in their place. The bottom line though is if you stand by conservatism all will be well with America...

[Nicole Santarlasci · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, Goldberg has gone from being a true blue liberal to being a reddish conservative, but he spares no ones feelings in this one. It's so great to read a book based around politics and to not have to put up with all the whining and leftist commentary. Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, this is a good read for sure.

[Zac · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fun. He has some great conservative logic to throw at the Democrats, but after a while the politicizing gets old. His more biographical stuff at the beginning is interesting, but I got tired of the whining once he made it to the present. I don't know what I was expecting. If you're in to politics, sure, but it was a little much for me.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Although Bernard Goldberg is a conservative he attacks both sides (okay so he attacks liberals more) of the issues. This book was published in 2006 at a time when most of us would have assumed that Hilary Clinton would be the Democrat running for president and his insights into that possibility are pretty informative looking back on how the race played out.

[Chad Judice · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually use several of the chapters from this book in my Honors Civics classes at STM. It is one of the best books I have ever read on political commentary and the way it is portrayed by the main stream media. I read every book he has written and this one is the best. Bias is not what is said or how it is said, but rather it is what is not said.

[Andy Pullen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I found that I don't agree with the author on everything, I do agree with him on a lot of things. He tells it like it is and does not worry about being politically correct. It was an enjoyable read and I even got a few laughs out of it.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pastiche of political irritants. The left gets hit the hardest, but the right has its wackos too, and Goldberg has a written about enough of them to make anyone's blood boil. Quick read, good ammo for your next political bash.

[E. Paul Whetten · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Bernard Goldberg hits the nail right smack on the head. The Democrats are a pack of lunatics and the Republicans are becoming a spineless bunch of wimps. No wonder our country is so screwed up!

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a hard read for me. Bernie was going through some self and political analysis along with a little realization growth when we was writing this book.

Does he realize that no one is perfect?