The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America's Promise

by Joe Scarborough

In this groundbreaking book, Joe Scarborough tells Republican Party bosses what they don’t want to hear, explains why Democrats are making matters so much worse, and then shows leaders of both parties the way forward.

The Last Best Hope draws on the forgotten genius of conservatism to offer a road map for the movement and the country. Delivering a searing indictment of the political leaders who have led us astray, Scarborough inspires conservatives to reclaim their heritage by drawing upon the strength of the movement’s rich history.
With independent thinking and straight talk, Scarborough

• How Washington and Wall Street conspired to create the housing bubble that caused America’s financial meltdown

• How the “candidate of change” has not only maintained but accelerated the reckless spending policies that led us to this historic economic collapse

• How Washington’s bailout culture will cripple America’s future if left unchecked

• How Barack Obama’s stimulus plan devolved into a socialist spending spree that would make FDR and LBJ shudder

• And how conservatives need to take a closer look at Ronald Reagan’s political career before claiming his great legacy

A fearlessly argued conservative manifesto that brings American conservatism into the twenty-first century, The Last Best Hope is a must-read for all who care about the direction America is heading.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Political Science, Audiobook

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Charles Joseph "Joe" Scarborough (born April 9, 1963) is an American cable news and talk radio host, lawyer, author, and former politician. He is currently the host of Morning Joe on MSNBC, and previously hosted Scarborough Country on the same channel. Scarborough served in the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001 as a Republican from the 1st district of Florida. He was named in the 2011 Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, he is the son of George F. Scarborough, a businessman, and has two other siblings. When his father died in May 2011, his life story appeared in the Congressional Record and in Politico's Playbook. Scarborough even wrote a eulogy op-ed online.

Joe Scarborough graduated from Pensacola Catholic High School in Pensacola, Florida. He received a B.A. from the University of Alabama in 1985 and a J.D. from the University of Florida College of Law in 1990. During this time he wrote and produced CDs with his band, Dixon Mills, and taught high school. He was admitted to the The Florida Bar in 1991, and practiced law in Pensacola.

Scarborough's most famous case was representing Michael F. Griffin, the accused killer of abortion doctor David Gunn, in early to mid-1993. He made several court appearances for Griffin. "There was 'no way in hell I could sit in at a civil trial, let alone a capital trial,' he claims now, referring to the prospect of prosecutors seeking the death penalty against Griffin." Scarborough assisted Griffin in choosing a trial lawyer from the many who offered their services, and he also shielded the family from the media exposure, pro bono.

Scarborough also helped to raise his political profile and made numerous contacts by assisting with a petition drive in late 1993 to oppose a 65 percent increase in the City of Pensacola's property taxes.

In 1994, Scarborough won the Republican Party primary for Florida's 1st congressional district, which came open after eight-term Democratic incumbent Earl Hutto announced his retirement. In the general election he defeated the Democratic candidate, Pensacola attorney Vinnie Whibbs, with 61 percent of the vote. Whibbs was the son of well respected, former Pensacola mayor, Vince Whibbs. The win was not considered an upset, since the 1st was traditionally a conservative district. The district had not supported a Democratic candidate for U.S. president since 1960. While Democratic candidates continued to win most local offices well into the 1990s, they tended to be conservative even, by Southern Democratic standards. It had been widely believed that Hutto would be succeeded by a Republican once he retired.

Scarborough was reelected with 72 percent of the vote in 1996. In 1998 and 2000, he was opposed by only a write-in candidate.

Scarborough supported a number of pro-life positions while in Congress, including the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, that made it a crime to harm a fetus during the commission of other crimes, though he did not vote for the passage of the final bill.

Scarborough sponsored a bill to force the U.S. to withdraw from the United Nations after a four-year transition and voted to make the Corporation for Public Broadcasting "self-sufficient" by eliminating federal funding. He also voted for the "Medicare Preservation act of 1995," which cut the projected growth of Medicare by $270 billion over ten years, and against the "Small Business Job Protection Act of 1996," which raised the minimum wage to $5.15. Scarborough had a conservative voting record on economic, social, and foreign policy issues, but was seen as moderate on environmental issues and human rights causes, including closing the School of the Americas and Lori Berenson.

While in Congress, Scarborough received a number of awards, including the "Friend of the Taxpayer Award" from Americans for Tax Reform; the "Guardian of Small Business Award" from the National Federation of Independent Busine

Reviews

[NICK · Rating 3 out of 5]

This Book was entertaining to say the least. Written in 2009 it is laughably naive. Poor Joe makes some seriously misguided predictions. I laughed out loud quite a few times at how miserably wrong this man was.

[Cwhittall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written at about a 5th grade level but this Scarborough's book contains a lot of very solid insight. There is some interesting data but few citations so I hate to reuse most of it. The gist of his argument, which I wholeheartedly endorse, is that in the George W years the the Republicans strayed from conservatism to something far, far from the philosophy of Buckley and other conservative thought leaders. For example (using data he attributes to Meacham) in 2000 Americans spent only 18% of GDP on the federal government. That was the lowest percentage in 25 years. It was attributable to restrained spending and moderate tax hikes under George HW and Clinton. By 2008 unconstrained spending and two rounds of tax cuts (and a weak economy which JS does not mention) pushed spending on government to 21 of GDP. JS writes "the net effect of the Bush and Obama bailout bills will drive that number up to 28 percent by the end of 2009, and as reported above, Washington spending will swallow 40 percent of the US economy in 2010." The point is that the party of restrained federal power and spending instead became the party of unconstrained spending and tax cuts at any cost - which is hardly conservative.

[thewanderingjew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read the first 60 pages but so far, unlike The Dark Side, this is a fair and unbiased approach to the war on terror and the general failure of the Republican party and its Conservative wing. The appraisal of the Bush White House by this former Republican Congressman is heartening since it is open, honest and written in plain language that anyone can understand and appreciate. He points out the mistakes without sarcasm and gives a brief history of the circumstances leading up to the events without mocking or judging. I assume he will go on to offer some suggestions which may be equally well grounded.
I recommend this book to anyone who would like to know how a Republican views the past two terms of President Bush and its disastrous effects on the party.

[The American Conservative]

'Unlike most Republican politicians and conservative cable-TV shouters, however, Scarborough has learned valuable lessons from the failures and disappointments of the Bush years. The Last Best Hope: Restoring Conservatism and America’s Promise represents the “Morning Joe” host’s attempt to teach his fellow GOP conservatives some of what he has learned.'

Read the full review, "Not Your Average Joe," on our website:
http://www.theamericanconservative.co...

[Mary Ficalora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe Scarborough is a rational conservative, it is refreshing to see one still in the public forum.

[Warren Benton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Scarborough has been around for some time.  I know he has a TV show.  But I have never watched it and was unfamiliar with him prior to this book.   The majority of this book is talking about fiscal conservatism.  Scarborough thought that Obama spent recklessly and stupidly.  Scarborough was against all the bailout plans.  He believed that if businesses failed it is not the Federal Government that should bail them out.  Taxpayers should not be paying to keep businesses running.  

Scarborough also discusses Bush 43.  At times Scarborough was talking out both sides of his mouth.  He would at one point say he supported the war and Bush lead greatly.  And then in the next chapter talked about how badly the Bush administration was handling the war and how much it was costing us.  

Scarborough all throughout the book does not try to say that he is the genius behind all his ideas.  He discusses many of the people he has read and followed to come up with his ideas.  Scarborough believes conservatives should be environmentalist.  Because if people who are known for conserving don't care to conserve the environment then what are they really doing? He also discusses at length how when he was in Congress as a young man they had a surplus in the budget.  But Bush 43 took the surplus and created a deficit.  

Scarborough who has an easy tone and sensible delivery discusses how Conservatives have seemed to have lost their way, and no longer look to conserve, and how it is their job to stop the liberals from giving away to many entitlements.  

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good chunks of this are outdated (written after Obama's first election), but it was still an enjoyable read. I enjoy Morning Joe, and although I'm not a Republican, and definitely have streak of conservatism, which was the focus of the book.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarborough is a former Republican member of Congress, serving from 1995 through 2001. He received a 95 percent lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, and received a number of awards including the "Friend of the Taxpayer Award" from Americans for Tax Reform; the "Guardian of Small Business Award" from the National Federation of Independent Business; and the "Taxpayer's Hero Award" from the Citizens Against Government Waste. With that background, you'd understand a heavily partisian critique of all Democrats. And while he was fairly consistent in his continuous criticism of Obama, he was almost equally critical of George W. Bush's presidency and the performance of the Republican Congress under Bush. I felt he fattened up the book a little by several long winded sections pointing out how much money Obama raised during the 2008 election and how that money bought an inordinate number of "negative adds" against McCain, and how Democrats are the richest members of Congress, giving them an unfair advantage (although I'm told my Congressman,Darrell Issa of California, a Republican, is the richest member of the House, which Scarborough manages to omit). With those minor issues aside, that's politics as usual, and is typical of both parties now. Otherwise, I thought the book was a breath of fresh air in a world of partisian political rants. Scarborough lays out his view of conservatism and the need for a more limited government, and is justifiably critical of both parties who seem to be out of control and out of touch with the people. It's a reasoned call for conservative politics with only minor biases, and a refreshing break from the extremist viewpoints.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe Scarborough is probably the one young conservative that is most like Ronald Reagan in temperament and conviction. I know this will stun some neo-cons and religious nuts that think they own the mythology of Reagan's mantle, but it is true nonetheless. I think what infuriates Joe's critics and his enemies is one thing: HE ISN'T AN IDEALOGUE!

Thank God.

The book is an enjoyable read, though I would have found it more enlighting had it gone into more specifices. It seemed like he was attempting to sell this as a broad description of what America and Washington politicians (specifically conservatives, but also liberals too) should do improve America. The chapter on entitlements was probably the highlight as well as one of the final chapters written as an homage to The Gipper himself. Otherwise, many of the other chapters simply were not memorable and only earn the book 3 stars.

Otherwise "Morning Joe" is probably the best morning news show on TV today. It debates the topics genuinely and without the vitriol (saving that for later in the MSNBC evening shows) that its rival FOX has with its very UN-friendly "Fox and Friends" morning show.

Politicians today could learn from the temperament of Joe Scarborough. You win more battles with a smile and a health dose of self-deprecation than with vinegar and vitriol. Something tells me with the current political situation driven by a media that seeks controversy and division, that we a far from that future. But I can hope.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this a while back, and it is wonderful how prophetic it is. for all Joe's posturing and self-promotion (inevitable, perhaps), he nails the tail on the elephant. The more the radicals who pretend to be conservative tear up the Republican Party and try to tear apart America, tghe4 more insightful this book becomes.

[Laura]

This is the first conservative view of American politics that has me nodding my head in agreement sometimes. I'm hooked on it and though I disagree with some of what is written it has me thinking, really examining my views.

[Du · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good look at how George Bush and the Republicans shifted from a true conservative ethos and have damaged the country. The ideas for saving the party, and country are solid, but may not be acceptable to many in the GOP. I liked the ideas urging conservatives to embrace conservation.

[Judith Wrinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful and very informative Book. Felt smarter when I put it down. Began watching Mr. Scarborough on his tv news show. Really could wake up a lot of people to what goes on with the government...............

[Doug · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conservatism doesn't necessarily = Republican.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read from Joe Scarborough about bringing conservativism back to the Republican party.

[Ella]

give to Dad

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tore up on Republicans and Democrats both. Guy really hates what "Republicanism" did to the conservative majority in the 90's.

I recommend it to anyone of either political persuasion

[Joe Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scarborough is a Republican I can listen to and support. I agreed with his insights on the Environment and Campaign Finance Reform.