The Limousine Liberal
How an Incendiary Image United the Right and Fractured America
Published on 10. May 2016
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-465-05566-1 (ISBN)
Description
One of New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2016No political image in recent American history has enjoyed the impact of the "limousine liberal." It has managed to mobilize an enduring politics of resentment directed against everything from civil rights to women's liberation, from the war on poverty to environmental regulation. Coined in 1969 by New York City mayoralty candidate Mario Procaccino, the term took aim at what he and his largely white lower middle class and blue collar following considered the repellent hypocrisy of well-heeled types who championed the cause of the poor, especially the black poor, but who had no intention of bearing the costs of their plight. The metaphor zeroed in on liberal elites who preferred to upset rather than defend the status quo not only in race relations, but in the sexual, moral, and religious order and had little interest in looking after the needs of working people.In The Limousine Liberal , the acclaimed historian Steve Fraser argues that it is impossible to understand American politics without coming to grips with this image, where it originated, why it persists, and where it may be taking us. He reveals that the limousine liberal had existed in all but name long before Procaccino gave it one. From Henry Ford decrying an improbable alliance of Jews, bankers, and Bolsheviks in the 1920s to the Tea Party's vehement hatred of Hillary Clinton, the fear of the limousine liberal has stoked right-wing populism for nearly a century. Today it fuses together disparate elements of the conservative movement. Sunbelt entrepreneurs on the rise, blue collar ethnics and middle classes in decline, heartland evangelicals, and billionaire business dynasts have found common cause, despite their real differences, in shared opposition to liberal elites. The Limousine Liberal tells an extraordinary story of why the most privileged and powerful elements of American society were indicted as subversives and reveals the reality that undergirds that myth. It goes to the heart of the great political transformation of the postwar era: the rise of the conservative right and the unmaking of the liberal consensus.
Reviews / Votes
"[Fraser] writes wonderfully, and his text is studded with insights...[he] has produced a timely tour de force to remind us that limousine liberals are still very much with us--as are the politicians and pundits who portray them as such bogeymen." --Daniel Akst, Wall Street Journal "Fraser provides a brisk and entertaining history of limousine liberalism in all its linguistic manifestations, and his book is worth reading for that alone." --Alan Wolfe, New Republic "As the historian Steve Fraser demonstrates in his wide-ranging new book, the idea of the "limousine liberal" has a long and messy history all its own." --Beverly Gage, New York Times Book Review "A bracing and extremely timely exploration of the roots of right-wing populism, especially relevant in the glare of Donald Trump's unexpected rise." --Booklist "[A] rich, incisive book...Fraser conveys the ferocity of America's culture wars in his sharp observations, which often cut uncomfortably close to the bone." --Kirkus, starred review "This lucid, often entertaining, genealogy of right-wing populism is necessary background reading for anyone seeking to understand--or just endure--2016." --Barbara Ehrenreich, bestselling author of Nickel and Dimed "Steve Fraser has produced a fascinating history of the ways liberal elites have been demonized by conservatives seeking to make inroads among white working class voters. Fraser's book is crucial to understanding a dominant theme in American politics that has shaped the conservative movement and has most recently fueled the campaign tactics of Donald Trump." --Thomas Edsall, Columnist, New York Times "Steve Fraser's The Limousine Liberal is a bracing and illuminating history of right-wing populism in modern America. With fascinating detail and vigorous prose, Fraser deftly shows how class became the dirty little secret of American politics, and how billionaires in work boots have helped to keep it that way. This book is essential reading for anyone who is impatient with the triviality of contemporary public discourse, and who hopes--against all the odds--to revive it." --Jackson Lears, author of Rebirth of a Nation: The Making of Modern America, 1877-1920 "Steve Fraser's The Limousine Liberal is a brilliant analysis of how elites, using both parties, have stunted the kind of real economic democracy and broad prosperity that America needs." --Robert Kuttner, Co-Editor, The American Prospect; Professor, Brandeis UniversityMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Dimensions
Height: 243 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
1 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-465-05566-1 (9780465055661)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
05/2016
1st Edition
Basic Books
€14.99
Available for download
Person
Steve Fraser is the author of The Age of Acquiescence and Every Man a Speculator among other books and has written for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, The Nation, and the London Review of Books. He lives in New York City.