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Title details for Common Ground by Cal Thomas - Available

Common Ground

How to Stop the Partisan War That Is Destorying America

by Cal Thomas
Bob Beckel
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available

Inspired by their popular USA Today column, conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel show politicians of both stripes how to get beyond partisanship, restore civility, and move our country forward. Thomas and Beckel are a unique pair in today's political climate—pundits from opposite sides who not only talk to each other but work together to find common ground on some of the most divisive issues facing us, from the war in Iraq to gay marriage to the Patriot Act. Common Ground unmasks the hypocrisy of many of the issues, organizations, and individuals who created and deepened the partisan divide at the center of American politics, and makes a strategic case for why this bickering must stop.

Throughout, Thomas and Beckel explode conventional wisdom and offer surprising new conclusions:

  • The Red State/Blue State divide: Myth!
  • A ""common ground"" presidential candidate can win in 2008: Reality!
  • ""Polarizers"" like Ann Coulter and Michael Moore are the future of political debate: Myth!
  • Major-party politics faces extinction: Reality!

    • These guys should know. For years Beckel and Thomas contributed to the climate of polarization in Washington . . . and they admit it. ""We're two guys who spent a lot of years in the polarizing business, but on opposing sides,"" they write. ""We helped write the game plan, and we have participated in everything from getting money out of true believers to appearing on television to help spread the contentious message. In many cases, we wrote the message. We know the gig, and it's just about up.""

    In this much-needed book, Thomas and Beckel go beyond their column to offer a sobering overview of the current political divide and its corrosive effect on us all.They also explain how bipartisanship and consensus politics are not only good for the day-to-day democratic process but essential for our nation's future well-being.

    Entertaining and informative, funny and healing, Common Ground is must reading for all concerned citizens.

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

      October 9, 2007

    • Formats

      • OverDrive Listen audiobook

        • ISBN: 9780061554605
        • File size: 239464 KB
        • Duration: 08:18:52

    • Languages

      • English

    • Reviews

      • AudioFile Magazine
        Longtime friends Thomas and Beckel just want us to get along. Calling polarization an "insidious disease," the authors set out to debunk divisive political labels. Despite the extremist drumbeat from talk-radio and blog pundits, it is too easy--and inaccurate--to put us all in red or blue states, they say. Their theory is that too many people fall into a gray area that needs representation. Richard Rohan's fair tone brings home the authors' points, which are based on historical and contemporary research. Thomas and Beckel come from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Rohan steps aside to let each in his own voice define himself as conservative (Thomas) or liberal (Beckel), and at the end they appear together in a fun dialogue. M.B. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
      • Publisher's Weekly

        August 13, 2007
        Beckel and Thomas, political analysts and columnists for USA Today
        , examine the problem of political polarization by asking, “Why are you reading this book?” The answer: “Bottom line... you are ticked off at politics.” Rigid partisan beliefs, they think, have become “more than a product of opposing ideologies”—they have created an “environment for the sole purpose of retaining political power, raising money, or making more money... benefit a few at the expense of many.” Using a mix of arguments and anecdotes, Beckel and Thomas (a liberal and a conservative, respectively) assert that polarization creates conscientious nonvoters and congressional roughhousing and deceit. The book's ultimate purpose is to disarm partisan warfare by encouraging voters and candidates to align themselves with principles that directly benefit the largest possible number of citizens. The lucid political discussion between a conservative and liberal is refreshing, but their proposals are too utopian to realistically be widely embraced. Their proposition that independent thinking can be more effective than an adversarial pack mentality is a step in the right direction, though.

      • Publisher's Weekly

        December 24, 2007
        The world of politics has always been feisty, but Beckel and Thomas assert that it's deteriorated into a partisan divide of animosity that threatens the safety and legitimacy of the country. In addition to tracing the history of this growing chasm, the authors also provide some interesting discussions about how to remedy it and why. Though some of their conclusions are a bit idealized, and even they have trouble finding “common ground” on all issues, they do identify some tactics that should be utilized by all sincere politicians seeking to better the United States. Rohan's dramatic inflection doesn't make him the best narrator for this audiobook, but he's certainly an enjoyable one. Beckel and Thomas, who also read parts of the audio, are mostly enjoyable. They falter on the final chapter, which is meant to be a dialogue between the two, but unfortunately, sounds stilted and scripted. Simultaneous release with the Morrow hardcover (Reviews, Aug. 13).

    Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    subjects

    Languages

    • English

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